The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-07-28
Copyright. lsse, by 9. J. cutcliffs Hyns.
CHAPTER III.
5,tclifteSMyr,eg

Copyright. 1890, by
CHAPTER I'LL
The outline Of Tampique hay stood
out clearly in bright moonshine, and
the sea down the path Of the moon 4
rays showed a canal Of silver cut
through rolling fields Of purple. The
green painted bark was heading into
the bay on the port tack, and at moor
ings before the town in the curve Of
the shore the grotesque spars Of a mod
ern warship showed in black silhouette
against the moonbeams. A slate colored
naphtha launch was sliding out over
the swells toward the bark. Captain
Kettle came up from below and watch
ed the naphtha launch with throbbing
interest.
A Jacobs ladder was thrown over
the side. The slate colored launch swept
mp and emitted-a woman. Captain
Kettle started and went down into the
waist to meet her. A minute later he
was wondering whether he dreamed or
whether he was really walking his quar-
ter deck In company with Donna Clo-
tide la Touche. But meanwhile the
bark held steadily along her course.
II must beseech you, miss. to 60
back from where you came" said Ket.
tie. "You must trust me to carry out
this business without your supervi-
sion."
sis your method very dangerous3"
she asked.
II couldn't recommend it to any In
surance company, said Kettle thought
fully.
"Tell me your scheme"
Kettle did so in some 40 words. He
was pithy, and Donna Clotilde was
cool. She heard him without change Of
color. "Ah, she said, II think you
will do itl''
"You will know one way or another
within an hour from now, miss. But
must ask you to take your launch to
a distance. As tell you, / have made
all my own boats so that they won't
swim, but if your little craft was handy
my crew would jump overheard and
risk the sharks and try to reach her in
spite Of all could do to stop them.
They won't be anxious to fight that
Cancelario when the time comes if
there's any way Of wriggling out Of
it,"
:..You are quite right, captain; the
launch must 60, only l do not. must
be your guest here till you can put me
on the Cancelario.
Captain Kettle frowned. whats
coming is no job for woman to be in
at, miss"
"You must leave me to my own
opinion about that. You see, we differ
upon what woman should do cap
tain. You say woman should not be
president Of republic; you think
woman should not be sharer in fight.
am going to show you how woman
can be both. She leaned her shoulders
over the rail and hailed the naphtha
launch with sharp command. A man
in the bows cast off the line with which
it towed, the man aft put over his tiller
and set the engines a-going, and, like a
slim gray ghost, the launch slid quiet
ly away into the gloom. "You see,
she said, "I'm bound to stay with you
now" And she looked upon him with
burning glance.
But Kettle replied coldly: "You are
my owner, miss, and can do as you
wish. 1t is not for me now TO say that
you are foolish. Do understand you
still wish me to carry out my original
plant"
eyes" she said CURLY.
every well, miss; then we shall be
aboard of that war steamer in less than
Is minutes" He babe his second mate
call aft the crew, but instead Of re-
manning to meet them he took keen
glance at the bark's canvas. another at
her wake, another at the moored cruiser
ahead, and then, after peering thought
fully at the clouds that sailed in the
sky, he went to the companionway and
dived below. The crew trooped aft and
stood at the break of the quarter deck
waiting for him. And in the meanwhile
they Toasted their eyes on Donna Clo-
tide la Touche
Presently Captain Kettle returned to
deck, aggressive and cheerful, and faced
the men with hands in his jacket pock-
cts. Each pocket bulged with something
heavy, and the men, who by this time
had come to understand Captain Ket-
ties ways, began to grow quiet and
nervous.
"Now, my lads" said he, II told
you when you shipped aboard this Law
ender box in Callao that she was merely
ferry to carry you to a fine war
steamer which was lying elsewhere.
Well, there's the steamer just off the
etarboard bow yonder, Her names the
Cancelario. and at present che seems to
belong to President Quiiarra govern
ment But Miss La Touche here, who is
employing both you and me, just for the
present, intends to set up government
of her own, and as a preliminary she
wants that ship. We've got to grab it
for her"
Captain Kettle broke off, and for a
full minute there was silence. Then
some one among the men laughed, and
dozen others Joined in.
"That's right, said Kettle. "Cackle
away, you scuml You'd be singing a
different tune if you knew what was
beneath you.
A voice from the gloom--an educated
voice-answered him;
Don't be foolish, skipper. We're
not going to ram our heads against a
brick wall like that We set some value
on our lives"
"Do your said Kettle. "Then pray
that this breeze doesn't drop, as it
seems likely to DO or you'll lose them.
Shall tell you what was mp to below
Just now? You remember these kegs Of
blasting powder3 Well, they re in the
place where some of you slowed them,
but they all of them unheaded, and
one of them carries the end Of fuse.
That fuse is cut to burn just 20 min.
utes, and the end s lighted. Wait a bit