The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-16
THE FIRE AND THE FARM.
The Last Recorded Adventure
Of Capt. Kettle.

Copyright. 1899, BY Ctcltre Hyn..
The Quartermast.r knocked smartly and
came into the cnarthouse. and Capt. Kettles
| eyes snapped open from deep sleep to COM
| plete wakefuness,
There's some sort Of vessel on FIRE. SIR to
| looard. about five miles of"
| Tho shipmaster glanced up at the telltale
| compass above his head. "Of'cer OF tho
watch has changed the course l see. We're
heading for it. eh:'
Veg. sir The second mate told me to say
| 80"
Quite right Pass the word for the carpen-
ter and tell him to get port and starboard lie
! boats ready for lowering in case they re- want
| ed I'll be on the bridge in minute"
AYE. aye. sir said the quartermaster. and
he withdrew into the darkness outside.
| Kettle soon emerged attircd In high rubber
| thigh boots and leather bound black oilskins.
The night was black and thick with drizzle
| OF rain AMI u heavy breeze snored through tho
! Flamingos scanty rigging. The first mate
and the third had already turued out and were
on the boatsklds helping the carpenter. On
that part of the horizon against which tie
| FlaminRos bows sawed with Rrent swooping
| dives was u streaky. llickerlnE yellow glow.
| Kettle went on to an end OF the bridge and
peered ahead through the bridge binoculars.
! "A steamer" he commented. and big one.
| too. and she's finely ablaDe Not much help
! we shall be able to give. II will Je case OF
! taking of the crew. II they aren't already
| cooked before we get there" He looked over
the side at the eddy OF water that cung to the
ships flank. Il see you re showing her along
he said to thes second mate.
II seat word down to the engine room to
! give her all they knew the moment we raised
the glow. l thought you wouldn't grudge the
coal. sir"
NO: quite right. Hope there aren't too
many Of them TO be picked of or we shall make
Il tight fit on board here"
Funny we should be carving the biggest
cargo the old boat ever had packed into her.
They won't mind mitch where they stow US
lon. as they're picked ur out of the wet.
| R'r.rh." shivercd 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. That's biz ship ahead OF us. God
send shes only an old tramp. At those life
boats there he shouted. Swing the davits
outhoard and pass YOUR painters forward.
Hump yourselves now
There's lot ofict here, si.." came a
grumh!inG voice out Of the darkness. and the
boats are frozen on to the chocks. We've got
to hammer it away before they'll hoist
You call Yourself a mate and hold mas
ter'a ticket and want to get ship Of your
own" Kettle walled over the rail on to tho
top Of the fddlev. and made for his second in
command. Hero. nv man. If your delicate
, fingers can't do this bit OF a Job. give me that
! mprlnspike. By James! Do you hear me?
Give up the marlinspike Did you never see
n boat iced up before? Now then. CARPENTER
are you worth your salt? Or an to clear
both on Is in this boat hy ,nysplfp"
So. BY example and tongue. Capt. Kettle got
his boats swung pverhoaI0. and the FlamingO
with her engines working at an unusual strain
surced rapidly nearer and nearer TO the blaze.
Will. cold AID brcakdowns OF machinery
! the sailor accepts with full indifTercn 20
shipwrecks. standings and disease he looks
! forward to as pa. of an inevitable fate but
fire go"s nearer to cowine him than all other
disasters nut together. and nrcUScs in him
the warmest sympathy and the fun OF his re-
! sourcetulness.
But meanwhile, as the F!amingo made her
! way up wind against the changing seas. fear
I was beginning to grip the little sh.praster
! that was deep enough 10 cause him u physical
nausea. The burning steamer was on lre for
! ward. and she lay almost head on toward them
| keeping her stern to the seas so that the wind
| could have no help in driving the flames at
! AS her size became moro apparent. some one
| guessed her as big cargo TRAMP from New
| Orleans. with cotton that had overheated and
/ fred aLi Kettle took comfort from. the sug-
! Restion and tried 10 believe that it might come
! true.
But as they closed with her. and came with
in earshot OF her siren. which was sending
| frightened. useless bares across he churning
, waters. there was no being blind to the true
! facts any longer. This was no cargo boat but
| passenPerlincr, outward bound. too. and pop.
| ulous. And as they came still nearer they saw
| her after decks black and wriRglinG with
people, and Kettle got glimpse OF her struc-
, ture and recognized tho vessel herself
The Grosser Carl. he muttered out OF
Hambur~: for New York. Next to f-sS-class.
! and she cuts rates for THU and & is the bulk
/ OF the German emiGrant traffic. She'll have
800 on her this minute and 100 Of crow. And
there's hell waiting for them over yonder and
getting worse every minute. Oh great James.
! | wonder what's going TO be done. | couldn't
pack seventy OF t'Cm on the old Flam here II
! ! filled her to busting
| lie clapped the binoculars to his eyes again
! and stared diligently round the rim of the
night. II he only could catch Il glimpse OF
some other liner hurrying along her route.
! then these Ieoplc could he saved easily. He
could drop his boats to take them till the other
passenger ship came up. But the FInmingo
! and the Grosser Carl had the stage severely to
themselves, and between them they had the
| making OF an intolerabe weight Of destiny.
/ The second mate broke III upon his con-
nlanders hroodinG: Shall l be getting der
ricEs 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 il We jettison cargo to make room for
these poor begRars sir. the insurance will
pay"