Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-03


came into the char, house. and capt. ket-
Hes eyes SNAPPED open from deep sleep to
complete wakefuluess-
There's soma sort Of vessel on fire. sir.
10 lu0ari. about five miles off
The shiPmaster glanced up at the tell
tale compass above his head. "Ohicer of
the watch has changed the course, / see
Were beading for it, che"
Yes. sir. The second mate told me 10
Fay so.
quite right. Pass the word for the car
peut-r and tell him TO get port and star
board Hfeboats ready for lowering in case
they're wanted. I'll be on the bridge in d
minute"
Aye aye sir. said the quartermaster.
and withdrew into the darkness outside.
Kettle soon emerged attired in high rub
Der thigh boots and leather bound black
oilskiEs.
The night was black and thick with a
drizzle of rain, and heavy breeze snored
through the FlamingO's scanty rigging. The
first mate and the third had already turned
out, and were on the bOatskids helping the
carpenter. on that part of the horizon
against which the Flamingo's bows sawed
with great swoOping dives was a streaky,
htckeriug yellow glow.
Kettle went on end of the bridge
and pcered ahead through the bridge binoc-
ulars. A steamer he commented, and
a big one. too and she's finely abiaze. Not
much help We shall be able to give 1t
will he 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
YOU re showing her along, he said to
the second mate.
IL sent word down to the engine room
to give her all they knew the moment we
raised the glow l thought you wouldn't
gTUdge the coal, sir.
there
many Of them TO be picked of, or we shall
make a tight At on board here"
Funny We should be carrying the big
gest cargo the old boat ever had packed in
to her. They won't mind much where they
stow as long as they're picked up out of the
wet. Ber-rhr' shivered the second mate;
Il shouldn't much fancy open-boat cruising
IN the Western ocean this weather.
Capt. Kettle stared on through the shiny
brass binoculars. call all hands" he
said quietly. ''Thsts a big ship ahead Of
those Hfeboats, there he shouted. Swing
the davits cupboard, and pass your painters
forward. Hump yourselves, now"
There's a lot of ice here. sir came
grumbling voice out of the darkness. and
the boats are frozen on to the chocks.
We've got 10 hammer it away before they'll
hoist
You call yourself a mate and hold a
masters ticket. and want get a ship of
your owa''-ketL!e vaulted over the rail on
70 the top of the iddley, and made for his
your delicate fingers can't do this bit Of a
Job, give me that marIinspike- BY James.
DO you hear me? Give up the marlinsptke,
Did you never see boat iced up before!
Now. then, carpenter. Are you worth your
salt? Or am TO clear both ends in this
boat by myself
So by example and tongue, Capt Kettle
got his boats swung cupboard, and the
FlamingO, with her engines working at an
unusual strain, surged rapidly nearer and
nearer to the blaze.
ind 8 M n
the sailor accepts with dull Indifference;
shipwrecks. STANDINGS and disease he looks
forward 70 as part of an inevitable fate,
but fire goes nearer TO cOWing him than all
other disasters put together. and arouSeS
In him the warmest sympathy and the full
Of his reSourcefulness-
But meanwhile az the Flamingo made her
way up-wind against the changing seas
fear was beginning 10 grip the little ship
master that was deep enough TO cause him
a physical nausea. The burning steamer
was on fire forward and she lay almost
head-uu toward them, keeping her stern to
the seas 50 that the wind could have no
help in driving the flames aft As her size
became more apparent some one guessed
her "a blk cargo tramp from New Or
leans. with cotton that had Overheated and
fired, and Kettle took comfort from the
suggestion and tried 10 believe that II might
come true.
But "a they closed with her and came
within earsh1t Of her syren. which was
sending frightened. useless biares across
;he cIuruing waters there was no being
blind 10 the true facts any longer. This
was no cargo boat but a passenger liner.
outward bound. too. and popu!Ous- And as
they came SIM nearer they saw her after
ks black and wriggling with people, and
Kettle got glimpse OF her structure and
recognized the vessel herself.
The Crusser 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 emigTant traffic.
Shell have 600 or her this minute. and 100
Of crew. And there's he'll waiting for
them over yonder and getting worse every
minute. O. great James. ! wonder what's
going TO be done ! couldn't pack seventy
Of them on the old Flam here il l filed her
to busting
He clapped the binoculars to his eyes
again and stared diligently round the rim
Of the night. If only he could catch
glimpse Of some other liner hurrying along
her route. then these people could be saved
easily. He could drop his boats 10 take
them till the other passenger snip came UP.
But The lamingC and the CrOSser carl had
the stage severely to themselves. and be
tween them they had the making of an in
toe Fable weight Of dt stiny-
The second mate broke in upon his COM
mander's breeding: Shall | be getting
derricks rugged and the hatch covers Off
Kettle turned on him with sudden fierce
ness. DO YOU know you're asking me to
ruin MYSELF
But if we jettison cargo to make room
for these poor beggars, sir the insurance
Will pay
You've got a lot To learn my lad. before
you're fit 10 take charge of a ship If you
don't know any more than that about the
responsibility for cargo"
BY jove- that's awkward Birds would
look pretty blue if the bill was handed in
10 them"
Birds said Kettle. with contempt.
They're aren't liable for sixpence. Sup
posing You were travelling by train and
there was somebody else's portmanteau in
the carriage. and YOU flung IT out of the
window into river. who do ycu suppose
would have to stand the racket
Why. me. But then. sir, this IS differ
ent."
Not bit. II we start in to jettison cargo
II means m ruined man"
We can't leave these poor devils" said
the second mate. awkwardly-
oh no. OF course can't They re an
urclean pack. should think ourselves
TOO good to brush against them If met
them in the street but sentiment demands
that We stay and pull them out of their
mess, and cold necessity leaves me to foot
the bill You're young and not married
my lad. I'm neither. I've worked like a
horse all my life. mostly with bad luck,