The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-05

up connection in the Mexican gulf
and I've done it, after four years ser
vice. L Jettison the customers cargo
customers will get mad, and give thei
business TO other lines, which don't rur
foul of blazing emigrant packets
m awful sorry, skipper. If there:
anything l can do, sir
Captain Kettle sighed and looked
drearily out at the blazing ship. But h
felt that he had been showing weak
ness and pulled himself together agar
| smartly. Yes, there is, my lad. I'm g
disappointed man, and I've been talk
ing a lot more than's dignified. You'll
do me real kindness if you'll forget al
| that's been said. Away with you ON t.
the main deck, and get matches off. ard
whip the top tier of that cargo over the
! side as fast as you can make the
winches travel. If the old Flamngo is
going to serve out free hospitality, by
James, she shall do it full weight I'd
give the beggars champagne and spring
mattresses, if I'd got them
Meanwhile those on the German emil
grant steamer had seen the coming of
the shabby little English trader with
humping hearts. Till then the crew had
fought the fire with diligence, but
when the nearneSs of a potential res
cuer was reported, they discovered that
the fire was beyond control and made
at once for the boats, overpow ering
passengers and officers who happened
to come between them and their de-
sires. Away screamed out the davit
tackles as the boats were lowered full
of madly frightened deck hands and
grimy handlers of coal. Pane had
Slapped every trace of their manhood.
They had concern only for their own
skins. One boat, chiefly manned by the
coal interest, sWamped alongside before
it could be showed clear; the forward
davit fell off, another jammed, and let
it bangle VERTICAL up and down when
the after fall overhauled, and only one
boat got away clear.
The reception which this small cargo
of worthless met with surprised them.
They pulled with terrified haste to the
Flamingo, got under her lee, and chung
desperately to the line which was
thrown to them. But to the rail above
them came the man who expected to be
ruined by this nights work. Captain
Kettle, being human had greatly need
ed some one during the last half hour
TO ease his feelings on. and the boat
came neatly to supply his want. 1t was
long enough since he had found occa-
sion for such an outburst. Every bit
ing insult in his vocabulary, every lash
ing word that is used upon the seas.
every gibe, national, personal or pro-
fcSSlOnal, thdt lifetime or hard Ian
guage could teach, he poured out on
that shivering boats crew then. He
had, of course, many a time sailed with
a forecastle filed with Germans, and
had acquired the special art of adapt
ing his abuse to the .'Dutchman's' sem
sibilities. And, as wind up. after hav-
ing made them writhe sufficiently. he
ordered them to go back whence they
came, and take a share in rescuing
their fellows.
But we shall Drown shouted back
one speaker, from the wildly jumping
boat
Then drown and he hanged to you"
shouted Kettle. I'm not going to have
towards like You driving my deck
pisnks." He cast off the line to which
their boat rode. You go and do YOUR
whack at getting the people off that
packet or none of you shall ever see'
your happy sDutchland again"
Meanwhile, so the irony of the fates
ordered il, the two mates, each in
charge of one of the Flamingo's life
boats, were commanding crews made
up entirely of Germans and Scandinav-
lans, and pluckier and more careful
sailormen could not have been wished
for. A heavy sea ran, and from its
crests spindrift blew which cut the
face like whips and numbed with its |