Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-04-29

| with sharks, and l shouldn't like any of
| them to get Indigestion
| IF you go ashore" said Hamilton, you'll
| be marooned as safe as houses. The place
| reeks of fever, and as your present state
| of health is distinctly rocky, youll catch 1t.
| Look here, don't be ass"
| Hamilton looked at Captain Kettle under
his brows. ''Will you advise me- he said,
| what l ought to dO?''
q should say it would be healthier for
| you to let him have his own way
| Thanks" said Hamilton, and turned
| away. Pm act on that advice"
Now, the few next movements of Mr.
| Crane are wrapped in certain degree OF
| mystery. He worried a very busy third
| mate. and got tripped on the hard deck
| for his pains; he was elected fOrcibly from
| the engineers mess room, where il was
| supposed he had designs on the whisky;
| and he was rescued by the carpenter from
| an irate half-breed Mosquito Indian, who
| seemed to have reasons for desiring his
| blood there and then on the spot. But
| to how ne got over the side and into the
| water. there is no evidence to show. There
| were theories that he had been put there
| as a just act of retribution; there was an
| idea that he was trying to get into light
| er which lay alongside for a cast ashore,
| but saw two lighters, and got into the one
| which didn't exist. But he there in
the. water. There was an ugly sea running.
| and he couldn't swim.
| A couple of lfebuoys one after the other
| hit him accurately on the head. and the
| lighter cast off and backed down to try
| and pick him up. Meanwhile there was
| great industry among the black triangular
| dorSal fins that advertised the movements
| of the sharks which owned them under
meath the surface. All hands crowded to
| the rail, and shivered and felt sick at the
thought of seeing him gobbled up.
| Then out of the middle of these specta-
| tors jumped Hamilton. and lit on nice
| sleek wave crest feet first in an explosion
| of spray. Away scurried the converging
sharks fins, and down shot Hamilton out
| of sight.
| What followed came quickly. Kettle
| with tremendous flying leap. landed some
| how on the deck of the lighter. with bones
| unbroken. He cast bowline on to the end
of the main sheet. and watching his
| chance, hove the blight cleverly into Ham
| ilton's grasp. As Hamilton had come up
| with Crane frenziedly clutching him round
| the neck, Kettle was able to draw his catch
| toward the lighters side without further
| delay.
| heavy fusillade of Jumps of coal from
the crew kept the sharks at a distance, at
| any rate for the moment Kettle heaved
| in smartly, and eager hands gripped the
pair they swirled up alongside. and there
| they were on the lighters deck, splitting,
| dripping and gasping. But here came an
| unexpected development AS soon as he
| had got back his wind, Hamilton turned on
| his fellow passenger like a very fury, hit
| ting, kicking, swearing and almost gnash-
| ing with his teeth. And Crane, stricken
to a sudden sobcrness by his ducking. col
| lected himself, after the first surprise, and
| returned the blows with murderous in
| terest.
But one of the mates. who had followed
his captain down on to the lighter, took
quick method of stopping the scuftie. He
| picked up cargo sling, slipped it round
| Cranes waist, hooked on the winch chain,
and passed the word to the deck above.
| Somebody alive to the jest turned on steam,
and of a sudden Crane was plucked aloft
| and hung there under the derrick SheaVe
10
jumping jack.
Amid the yell of laughter which followed
| Hamilton laughed also, but rather hysteri-
| caly. Kettle put hand kindly on his wet
shoulder come on board he said. If
you lie down in your room for an hour or
so, you'll be all right again then Your
a bit overdone SHOULDN'T like you to
| make fool of Yourself.
Make a TOOL of MYSELF" was the bitter
reply. I've made a bigger fool of myself
in the last three minutes than any other
man could manage in a lifetime"
| I'll get you the Royal Humane Society's
| medal for that bit of a job anyway.
Give me a nice rope TO hang myself
with" said Hamilton, ungraciously, that
| would be more to the point. Here, for the
| Lords sake, let me be, or l shall go mad.
| He brushed aside all help, clambered up
| the steamers high black side again, ana
went down to his room.
That's the worst of these poetic ma
lures" Kettle unused. he. too, got out
of the lighter; they're SO highly strung"
| Crane, IndllS MS lOIlItulDES loD many
| to be retaliated upon, went below and
| changed, and then came up again and
| found soace in more king pegs. He was
not specially thankful to Hamilton for saw
ing his life; said, in fact, that 1t was his
plain duty to render such trihing assist
| ance; and further stated that if Hamilton
| found his way over the side, he, Crane,
| would not stir finger to pull him back
| one morning before the Flamingo had
finished with her calls on the ports of the
| Texan rivers a matter happened on board
| of her which stirred the pulse of her being
| to very different gait The steward who
| brought Capt Kettles early coffee coughed
and evidently wanted an invitation TO
| speak.
| "Weu?' said Kettle.
IT'S about Mr.. 'Ambleton, sir. I can't
| find i'm anywhereS.
| Have you searched the ship?''
| H unoffcially, sir"
| 'Well, get thu other two stewards and do
| it thoroughly"
| The steward went out, and Capt. Kettle
| lifted the coffee cup and drank a sllutation
| to the dead. Here's luck, my lad, wherever
| you now may be. That brute Crane has
| got TO windward of the pair of US, and your
| insurance moneys due this minute, know,
| as sure as if your ghost stood here TO tell
| me, that you've gone. How, I've got to
| find out I'm to blame, l know he unused
| on, for not taking better care Of you. ard
| I'm not trying to excuse myself. Well,
| what's done's done, and it can't be helped.
But my lad, l want you to look whilst
l hand in the bill It'll do you good to see
| Crane pay up the account"
Kettle went through his careful toilet,
| and then, in his spruce white drill, went out
| and walked briskly up and down the hur-
| rcane deck till the steward came with the
| report. Hamilton was not on board the
| certain alternative that he lay some
| where in the warm gulf water astern, as a
| helpless dead body.
| Tell the chief officer" he said, ''to get a
! pair of irons out of store and bring them
| down to Mr.. CranZes room. Pm going
th3re now"
| He found Crane doctoring very PAINFUL
| head with the early application of stimu-
| liant. and Crane asked him what the devil
| he meant by not knocking at the door be-
| fore opening it.
| Capt Kettle whipped the tumbler out of
| his passengers shaking fingers, and
| enptied its contents into the wash basin.
Pm going to see you hanged shortly,
you drunken beast" he said but in the
meanwhile you may as wall get sober for a
change, and explain things up a Bit
Crane swung his legs out of the bunk
| and sat up. The painfulness OF his head
L.