Evening star., 1899-03-04

then, sir. That was before he had rersaad-
him."
1t is probable that Captain Kettle would
nave round occasion to make aC1d comment
on this repartee from his inferior off:c er
but at that mement anothervoice addressed
him from the slit at the other side of his
prison, and he turned sharply round To
his surprise this new person spoke in very
tolerable English.
"Cap'n, I want t. make contrack wild
1.-The deuce you do. And who nigh: you
be, anyway?'
II cullud gen'lem'n, sar. Boon Zanzibar
Used to be fireman on P. an o. 1 want
rs this the Arabian Nights? How the
mischief did you get here, Anyway
Went on burst in Alden, sar. Th' ole
chief fired me out. Went Yemen. Caught
for slave. Taken caravan. Brought here
But 1 m very clever genlem'n, sar an soon
bought myself free. Got slave of my own
now An three wives. Bought mother
wife yesterday"
You nasty beast!" said Kettle.
"Sar, you insult me. Not bally Christian
any longer. Hardshell Mahometan nov j,
buy"
I'm sure the prophets welcome to YOU
Look here, my man. Pass down a ropes
END from aloft there, and let me get On
deck, and III give you a sovereign cash
down, and a berth in my steamboats, stoke.
hoid II you want one. I'm not asking you
10 help me more L guess I'm quite con-
petent to find my own way on board, and to
wipe this house tolerably clean before it
quit OF ne"
Nothing of the kind sar," said the man
behind the slit. You insult me, sar l
very big gen'lem'n here, sar, an a SOW
to ole man Rad, an he say he want dem
rifles you got on your ole tramp"
Does he, indeed? Then you can tell
him, Mr.. drunken fire
" rrl6 h To-
where a big sight hotter than Arabia be-
fore he gets them. l didn't know they
We're rifles; If 1 had known before this I'd
not have put them ashore; but as things
those that ordered them, and l hope they
come round to this town of yours and
give you fits. And, see here. You talk more
respectful about my steamboat, or you'll
get your shins kicked, daddy"
AN ole tramp said the man, relishing-
ly. 4 served on P. and o., sar, an on p.
and o. We don't care sociate wild tramps
sailors"
You impudent black cannibal! You'll be
one of the animals those passenger lines
carry along to eat the dead babies, to save
the trouble of heaving them overheard
The ex-freman spluttered. But he did
that he had to deal with master in the
cheerful art of insult, and so he came back
sulkily to business.
VIII you give Rad dem rifles, you low
white fellow?"
NO, 1 won't, Daddy Stinkpot."
Very we'll Den we shall spiflicate you
till you do said the man, and after that
Kettle heard his slippers shuff1ing away.
Il wonder what spifiicating is?" unused
Kettle, but he did not remain cudgeling his
brain over this for long. It occurred to
him that if this negro could come and go so
handily to the outside of this underground
prison there must be stairway somewhere
near. and, though he could not enlarge the
slit to get at it that way, it might be pos
sible to burTow a passage under the wall
itself. For tool he had spied a broken
crock lying on the floor, and, with the idea
once in his head, he was not long in put
ting it to practical effect. He squatted Just
underneath the slit and began to quarry
| the earth at the foot of the wall with skill
and determination.
But if Kettle was prompt his captors
were by no means dilatory. Between Ket-
| ties prison and the mates was another of
| those bottle-shaped oubliettes, and in that
! there was presently a hustle of movement.
| There came the noises of some one lighting
| a fire, and coughing as he famed smolder-
| ing embers into a glow with his breath and
| then more coughing and some curses as the
| fire lighter took his departure. The door
above clapped down into place, and then
/ there was the sound of some one dragging
| over that and over the doors of the other
| two prisons what seemed to be carpets, or
| heavy rugs.
There was something mysterious in this
maneuver at first, but the secret of 1t was
| not kept for long. An acrid smell stole out
| into the air, which thickened every min
| ute in intensity. Kettle seemed dimly to
| recognize It, but could not put name to
| 1t definitely. Besides he was working with
all his might at scraping away the earth
from the foot of the wall, and had little
leisure to think of other things. The heat
| was sitting. and the sweat dripped from
him, but he toiled on with a savage glee at
| his success. The foundations had not been
| dug out; they were floating upon the
earth surface, and the labor of undermine
ing would, 1t appeared, be small
But Murray, in the other prison. had
| smelled the reek before, and was able 10
put name to 1t promptly. BY Jove, cap
tain." he shouted Justify from the dis