The morning news., 1899-04-30

| ance; and further stated that If Hamilton
! found his way over the Side he Cranze,
would not stir finger to pull him back
again.
one morning before the Flamingo had
finished with her calls on the ports OF the
| Texan rivers, a matter happened on board
Of her which stirred the pulse of her be-
ing TO very different gait. The steward
who brought Capt Kettles early coffee,
coughed and evidently wanted an invita-
ton to speak
'Wen?" said Kettle.
IT'S about MIR 'Ambleton, sir. can't
find i'm anywheres.'
Have you searched the shlp?"
II unofficially, sir"
| We'll, get the other two stewards, and
do it thoroughly"
The steward went out, and Capt Ket-
tie lifted the coffee cup and drank a sal
| utafion TO the dead. Here's luck my
| lad, wherever you now may be. That
brute Cranze has got to windward of the
| par or US, and your insurance moneys
! Que this minute. l know, as sure as if
| your ghost stood here TO tell me, that
you've gone. How, I've got to find out
| II m TO blame, 1 know" he unused on
Tor not taking better care of you, and
m not trying to excuse myself Well,
what's done's done, and it can't be help
ed But, my lad, I want you to look on
whilst l hand in the bill. K'll do you
| good TO see Crane pay up the account"
Kettle went through his careful toilet,
| and then in his spruce white drill went
out and walked briskly up and down the
| hurricane deck till the steward came
| with the report. Hamilton was not on
| board the certain alternative was that
he lay somewhere in the warm Gulf water
| astern, as a helpless dead body.
Tell the chief officer" he said, ito get
| pair of irons out of store and bring
| them down to Mr.. Cranze's room. I'm
| going there now"
| He found Cranze doctoring very pain
ful head with the early application of slim
ulant, and Crane asked him what the
devil he meant by not knocking at the
door before opening it,
Capt. Kettle whipped the tumbler out
| OF his passengers shaking fingers, and
| emptied its contents into the wash basin
| Tn going to see you hanged shortly, you
drunken beast" he said, but in the
meanwhile you may as well get sober for
a change, and explain things up bit"
| Cranze swung his legs out of the bunk
and sat up. The painfulness of his head
did not improve his temper. Look here
| ne said, I've had enough of your airs
and graces. I've paid for my passage
on this rubbishly old water-pusher of
yours, and M
Mr.. Cranze's connective remarks broke
| off here for the time being. He found
himself suddenly plucked away from the
bunk by pair of iron hands, and hustled
out through the stateroom door, He was
tall man, and the hands thrust him
| from below, upward, and though he strug-
| gled wildly and madly, all his efforts to
have his own way were futile. So Cranze
| found himself hustled out on to the lower
| fore deck where somebody handcuffed
him neatly to an iron stanchion, and
| DrpcprfIv a ma ri1 bxr 10
| ders rigged a hose, and mounted on the
iron bulwark above him, and let a S-inch
stream of chilly brine slop steadily on to
his head
The'situation from an onlooker's point of
view was probably ludicrous enough, but
what daunted him was that nobody seem
ed to take 1t as a joke There were
dozen men of the crew who had drawn
near to watch and yesterday all these
would have laughed contemptuously at
each of his contortions. But now they
were all stricken to a sudden solemnity.
"Spell-o" ordered Kettle. Let's see if
he's sober yet" The man on the bulwark
let the stream from the hose flop over
board.
Crane gasped back his breath. and
used il in a torrent of curses.
Play on him again." said Kettle. The
water FLASHED down heavily on Cranzes
head and shoulders, and the onlookers took
stock of him without a trace of emotion.
"Spell-o," ordered Kettle, some five min
utes later. This time Crane had the sense
to hold his tongue He was quite sober.
and able TO weigh any words that were
dealt out to him.
I Now" said Kettle, judicialy, what
have you done with Mr.. Hamilton?"
Nothing"
You deny all knowledge of how he got
overboard?"
Crane was visibly startled. "Os
course, do. Is he overboard?"
He can't be found on this ship. There
fore, he is over the side. Therefore YOU
put him there"
Crane was still more startled. But he
kept himself in hand Look here" he
said, what rot. What should l know
about Hamilton? I haven't seen him since
last night"
80 you say. But don't see why I
should believe you In fact, don't"
why In the name of mischief should
want to meddle with the poor beggar?
If you're thinking of that bit of a scrap we
had yesterday, III own I was fun at the
time. At any rate, that's not a thing a
man would want to murder him for"
mo- l should say 10000 is more in
your line"
"what are YOU driving at?"
You know quite well. You got that
iANi ANlAbN tAnAAth just htAbih TINS tftps
you got him 10 make a viii In your favor.
and now you've committed a dirty, clumsy
murder just 10 finger the dollars"
Crane broke INTO uncanny. hysterlcal
laughter THAT chap insured, that chan
make a will in my favor2 Why. he
hadn't "a penny. IL was me that paid for
his pasasge. ia been on the tear n bic
AMI the Jew fellow went 20 about raising
the wind 90 say soneihing about lnsuring
4 know. and made me sign l0i OF law pa
pcra. They made out ! WAS iu such a chl3-
py state - hcAhh that theyd not let me
have amy ricfo money unless ! came on
some beastly duI sfa voyage 90 recruit q |
nif. and ono ~ fae conditions was that ono
of ODE bo}s was 30 cousa siong, 100. ana |
look afi0r mf."
"louli i1ak pretty foolish when you ieii |
fhaf fnin taie 90 q jury"
"Inrn lrf roe puf aomefhing fisc on e.
fho baok a. lt fm not cranze of alI m
NanI fou. Fe isen ln fnf lap1rf q good
deal luH re0en' y end . 1ianf nani to
80 STARED et ~ e7afd hfge ~ ~ swap /