The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-04
THE FIRE AND THE FARM.
The Last Recorded Adventure of
Capt Kettle.
IN Cutcllne IIyne.

IN here's some sort Of vessel on fire, sir,
10 loo ard. about five miles on
The snipmaster glanced up at the tell
ta.e compass above his head. Officer of
the watch has changed the course, 1 see.
We're hea ding for it. eh?''
Eyes. sir. The second mate told me TO
say So"
quite right. Pass the word for the
carpenter. and tell linn 10 get port and
starboord Hfeboats lseady for lowering in
case they're. wanted. III be on the bridge
in a minute
Aye. aye sir" said the quartermas-
ter. and with drew into the darkness out
side
Kettle soon merged attired in high rub
Der thigh boots and learher-bound black
oilskins.
The night was black and thick with
drlzzie of rain. I'd heavy breeze snored
through the FlaI aingo's scanty rigging.
The drst mate az the third had already
turned out, and yIere on the boatskds
helping the carpenter. On that part Of
the horizon against which the Flamingos
bows sawed with great swooping dives,
was a slreaky, flick sfing yellow glow.
and peered ahead th rough the bridge bi-
noculars "A steam err" he commented.
land big one to-. and she's finely
ablaze. Not much nelp we shall be able
10 give. 1t viii be a case of taking off
the crew, if they aren't already cooked
before we get there. He looked over
the side at the eddy Of water that chung to
the ships flank. Il zee you're showing her
along" he said TO tine second mate.
Il sent word down to the engine room
20 give her all they knew the moment we
raised the glow. / thought you wouldn't
grudge the coal, SIR
No; quite right. Hope there aren't
too many of them to be picked Off, or we
shall make a light fit on board here"
Funny we should b. carrying the big
gest cargo the old boat ever had packed
into her. They Wont mind much where
they stow as long as they're picked up
out OF the wet. Be--rh!" shivered the
second mate; Il shouldn't much fancy
open-hoat cruising in the Western ocean
this weather"
Capt. Kettle stared on through the shiny
brass binoculars. Call all hands" he
said quietly. That's a big ship ahead
OF US. God send she's only an old tramp.
AT those lifeboats. therer' he shouted.
Swing the davits outboard and pass
your painters forward. Hump yourselves,
now
There's a lot of ice here. SIR" came
a grumbling voice out of the darkness,
land the boats are frozen on TO the
checks. We've got to hammer it away be-
fore they'll hoist"
''You call yourself a matte and hold a
masters ticket, and want to get ship
of your own" Kettle vauhed over the
rail on to the top of the fiddley, and made
for his second in communicative. my
man, if your delicate fingers can't do this
bit of a job, give me that marlinspike.
BY James! Do you hear me! Give up the
marlinspike Did you never see a boat
iced up before? Now. then, carpenter
Are you worth your salt? or am l TO
clear both ends in this boat by MYSELF"
So. by example. and tongue, Capt. Ket-
tie got his boats swung cupboard, and the
Flamlngo with her engines working at an
unusual strain, surged rapidly nearer ana
nearer to the blaze.
Wind, cold and breakdowns of machin-
cry the sailor accepts with duh indiffer-
ence; shipwrecks, standings and disease
he looks forward 10 as part of an inevi-
table fate, but fire goes nearer to cowing
him than all other disasters put together,
and arOuses in him the warmest sympa-
thy and the full of his resourcefulness.
But meanwhile as the Flamingo made
her way up-wind against the changing
seas, a fear was beginning to grip the
little shipmaster that was deep enough to
cause him a physical nausea. The burn
ing steamer was on fire forward, and she
Law almost head-on towards them, keep
ing her stern to the seas, so that the wind
could have no help in driving the hames
aft AS her size became more apparent,
some one guessed her as a big cargo tramp
from New Orleans. with cotton that had
overheated and fred. and Kettle took
comfort from the suggestion and tried to
leaIleve that 1t might come true.
But as they closed with her, and came
within earshot of her syren, which was
sending frightened. useless bsares across
the churning waters, there was no being
blind 10 thu true facts any longer rms
was no cargo boat but passenger liner,
outward bound. too, and populous. And
as they came stiil nearer. they saw her
after decks black and wriggling with peo-
pie. and Kettle got glimpse OF her struc-
ture and recognized the vessel herself.
1.-THE Crosser Carl" he muttered, out
of Hamburg for New York Next to first
Class and she cuts rates for third and
gets the bulk Of the German emigrant
traffic. She'll have COO on her this min
ute o great James l wonder what's go
ing TO be done 1 couldn't pack seventy
of them on the old Flam here if l fllled
her TO busting"
He clapped the binoculars to his eyes
again and stared diligently round the
a glimpie If some other liner hurrying
along her route. then these people could
be saved easily. lie could drop his boats
to take them ill the other passenger ship
came up. But the Flamingo and the
Crosser Carl had the stage severely &c
themselves, and between them they had
the making of an intolerable weight of des-
tiny
The second mate broke in upon his
commanders brooding: shall / be getting
derricks rugged and the hatch covers orr
Kettle turned on him with suddeT
fierceness do you know you're asking
me to ruin myself?'
but If we jetuson cargo 10 make room
for these poor beggars, sir, the Insurance.
will pay
You've got lot 10 learn, my lad, befor,
you're ut 10 take charge Of a ship II yoi
don't know any more than that about In,
responsibility for cargo
by jove, that's awkward. Birds woulc
look pretty blue If the bill was handed fl
70 then."
"BirdsY said Kettle, with CONTEMPT