The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-02-20
THE DERELICT.
By 0TToLIFFE HYNB,
Copyright, 1899, by cutcliffe Hxne.l

By Ol,TOLIFFE HYNE.
copyright, 1899, by Cutcliffe Hyne1
"Her cargo'l have shifted" said the
third mate, 'sand when she got that list
her people will have felt frightened and
left her"
''She's scary look to her, with her
yardarms spiking every other sea, said
Captain Image, and her decks like the
side of house. l shouldn't care to
navigate a craft that preferred to lie
down on her beam ends.
''Take this glass, sir, and you'll see
the lee quarter boat davit tackles are
overhauled. That means they got at
least one boat in the water. To my
mind, she's derelict.''
II hope her crew have got to dry
land somewhere, poor beggars, said
Captain Image. "Nasty things, those
old wind TANNERS, Mr.. Strake. Give
me steam"
'sBut there's pile of money in her
still, " said the third mate, following
up his own thoughts. "She's an iron
ship, and she'll be 1000 tons good.
Likely enough in the Frisco grain
trade"
"And you're thinking she'd be a nice
plum if we could pluck her in any
where p said Image, reading what was
in his mind. "Well, me lad, know
that as we'll as you, and no one would
be pleaseder to pocket $500. But the
old M'posos mailboat, and because
she's got about a quarter of hundred
weight of badly spelled letters on board,
she can't do that sort of salvage work
if there's no life saving thrown in as
an extra reason. Besides, we're behind
time, as it is, with smelling round for
SO much cargo, and though shall draw
my az per cent on that shall have it
all to pay away again and more to boot
in fines for being late. No, l tell you it
isn't all sheer profit and delight in be-
ing skipper on one of these west African
coast boats.
StraEe drummed at the white rail of
the bridge. He was very young man,
and he was very keen on getting the
chance of distinguishing himself, and
here on the warm MINDLESS swells abeam
the chance seemed to sit reckoning
him. GIVE been thinking, sir, if you
could lend me half dozen men could
take her in somewhere myself p"
"I'm as likely to lend you half a
dozen angels. Look at the deckhands;
look at the sickly trip this has been.
We've had to put some of them on dou-
BILE tricks at the wheel already, and as
for getting any painting done or having
the ship cleaned up bit, why, I can
see we shall go into Liverpool as dirty
as a Geordie collier. Mr.. Strake, if you
have penn 9th Of brains slowed away
anywhere, I wish to whiskers you'd
show 'em sometimes -
cold mans mad at losing a nice
lump of salvage" thought Strake.
Natural, guess. So he said quietly,
AYE, aye, sir,'' and walked to the
other end of the bridge.
Captain Image followed him half
way, but stopped irresolutely with his
hand on the engine room telegraph. On
the fore main deck below him his old
friend Captain Owen Kettle was lean
ing on the rail, staring wistfully at the
derelict.
"Poor beggarl" Image unused.
g 'Tisn't hard to guess what he's
thinking about. wonder if 1 could fix
it for him to take her home 1t might
set him on his legs again, and he's
come low enough. Lord knows. II I
hadn't given him a room in the first
class for old times sake, he'd have had
to go home as distressed seaman and
touched his cap to me when passed.
I've not done badly by him, but 1 shall
have to pay for that room in the first
class out of my own pocket, and if he
was to take that old wind TANNER in
somewhere he'd fork out and very like
give me dash besides. Yes. win say
that about Kettle-he's honest az bar
keeper and generous besides He's a
steamer sailor, of course, and has been
most Of these years. and how he'll do
the white wings business again Lord
only knows. Forget he hasn't got en-
gines till it's too late and then drown
himself probably. However, that's his
palavsr. Where we're going to scratch
him up crew from's the thing that
bothers me. Well, wen see.' He lean
ed down over the upper bridge rail and
called:
"Here minute. captainl"
Poor Kettles eye lit. and he came up
the ladders with boys quickness.
Image nodded toward the deserted
vessel. "Fine full rigger, hasn't she
been3 What do you make her out for 2"
Frisco grain ship. Stuff the bulk.
and it's shifted"
Clocks that way. Have you forgot
ten all your mainsail haul and the
square rig gymnastics?"
"I'm hard enough pushed now to re-
member the theory sums they taught
at navigation school if l thought they
would serve me''
81 know, and I'm as sorry for you,
captain, as I can hold. But, you see,
it's this: I'm short of sailormen; I've
barely enough to steer and keep the
! decka c1aan-anvwov T,va nono +o