Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-08-17
CHAPTER NNNvi.
Conclusion.

I have but lItiic more to add. Tor
with this last episode the course OF
Wild adventures upon which l had
been so strangely hurried. nearly
c'osca.
A few hours after the death of An
tonic, when HIsiop and !. with Lam
bourne. Carlton and other SURVIVORS OF
the EugcnIe were waiting In the once
OF the British consul. TO make some ar
rangcmcntS for rcwarding Jose Esire-
mcra for his great kindness TO us all.
VIC met Captain the Hon. Egcrion b
OF her maJcs,y'a ship Active. who was
so struck with our story that he offer
cd us all n passage to England. an Of
fer We accepted with gratitude.
His ship was leaving the African
squadron. and returning home to be
repaired.
Rodney" said he. ponder
Insly. when the consul introduced me.
YOU ought to have been sailor. for
your name Is well known In the ser
vice" and his words brought the mem
DRY OF my poor mothers ambition
back to me. and thought Of the old
picture which hung in the dining room
at home.
After n brief conference with his
shIpmatcs. Tattoocd Tom now came
forward. and tw!riins his fragment OF
a ast, said that III the noble captain
has no objection. as he. Ned Carlton.
Probart and the other poor fellows oil
the Eugene were out Of n berth. and
n, uncommon low water. they would
gladly ship aboard the Active ana en-
ter her majesty's service.
Cant b, who saw ut n glance that
they were all frst-class seamcn. read
liz accepted the offer and promised
them the usual bounty. for which they
gave three loud cheers for the queen.
and It came from their throats not the
less heartily that they were far away
from her and In foreign land, all tat
tered as they were. with scarcely
shirt to their backs.
Heaven bless you. my lads" said
Hislop; this is the best thing you can
do: and believe me. Capt. b. you
will find my old shipmates neither
waIsters nor green hands. but thorough
A. BIS"
for Hislop followed. and while the
captain went off to the Active In his
gig. We all adjourned to posado to
have n friendly glass together.
Soon after, as the war steamer was
to gail that evening. boat under
midshipman came OF for us. and then
we bade farewell to Jose Estrcmera'
to his mate. Manuel Gautier. to Fra
Anselmo and the old governor of Sura-
baya.
Come. Dick. we have no time to
lose." said Hislop: let us be OH to the
ship while daylight lasts
I shall never forget my emotions oil
ioy when the boat with Hislop and the
rest of us came steering alongside the
Active.
She was so clean. so trig. so square
aloft: with the bright copper cleaning
in the water below; her black bu!warks
and rcd porthoies, through which her
sixty-eights and thirty-twos peered
above the brine: the snow-white nam
mock cloths. with the gold epnulets OF
thc lieutenant of the watch glittering
above them: the relocated marines
On the poop and forccastic; the great
SCARLET ensign OF odd England hoa'-
ing at the gaff peak. and that no part
If the illusion might be wanting.
little marine Gfcr. playing shriily out
.weetly "uomc, Sweet Home" in one
" the boats that lay alongside by 'he
uess-warp boom.
She was so thoroughly British in her
,spcct. so unlike anything We mad seen
n the seas we had traversed, that we
iclt at home thc moment our le''