The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-08-31
make your stay with us as pleasant as

make your stay with us ais pleasant as
possible
breathed freely again. was not
abducted. | was only wanted in my
professional capacity after all. Well,
that was relief was in unique DO
sition, for twas evident was not only
to be permitted the opportunity of max,
ing the Beautiful White DEVILS ac-
qaaintance, but was to be we'll paid
for doing so. In the first freedom from
anxiety began to look forward with
almost pleasure to what lay before me.
Don't you think you could get up
for little while?" Walworth said,
when he had finished his smoke. cit
would do you good. Let me help you. :"
With his assistance I scrambled out
of the hammock into cane chair along
side the companion hatch. was still
very weak and incapable of much exer-
ton. There could be no doubt that 1
had lost good deal more blood than
had at first imagined.
Once seated in the chair, l looked
about me. I was now permitted full
and uninterrupted view of the vessel
and was able to make good use of my
eyes. Roughly speaking, that is to say
as far as could tell, not being nautic-
al man, she must have been a topsail
schooner of about 800 tons burden, with
auxiliary steaming power, for could
see the funnel, which was not in use
just then, lying along the deck. In
what part of the world she had been
built l could not tell, but wherever it
was she did credit to her designer, for
her lines were perfection, and nothing
short OF it. If ever boat were built
for speed she was that one, and said
as much to my companion, who laughed.
There can be no doubt about that, ;"
he answered. But then, you see, no
other boat but the fastest built would
suit her ladyship. Believe me, there are
times when even the Lone Star is pretty
we'll put to it to throw dust in her enc.
mics eyes. If you feel strong enough,
shall we take walk round and examine
her?''
There was nothing / should have
liked more, so, taking the arm he offer.
ed me, we set off. The first thing that
attracted my attention was the spotless
neatness and cleanliness prevailing. The
decks, which were flush fore and aft,
were as white as curds the brasses on the
wheel, capstans, masts, skylights, be-
laying pins, shone till you could see
your face in them. Not detail seemed
to have been overlooked. Even the great
sheets of canvas, bellying into balloons
above our heads, appeared at first sight
to have been lately washed, while the
very ropes were white and, when net in
actual use, flemish coiled upon the
decks. She carried six boats, an unusu-
ally large number for craft of her size;
two were surfboats, found on inspec-
ton; two were uncollapsible lifehoats;f
one was an ordinary ships gig, while
the other was small steam launch Of
excellent build and workmanship. For
craft Of 300 tons her spars were enor-
nous; her topmast head muse have
been 100 feet from her deck, if an inch,
while from her rig for ard 1 could guess
the amount of extra canvas she was ca
pable of carrying. Walking to the side,
l discovered that she was painted white,
with a broad gold stripe little above
the water line; below this she was
sheathed with copper, which shone like
gold whenever the water left it.
Inside the bulwarks, and reaching to
within an inch of the scuppers, were
some contrivances that caused me con-
siderable amount of curiosity. At first
glance they looked like reversible shop
shutters more than anything else, being
about feet long by wide, and were
attached to the rail of the bulwarks by
enormous hinges. On my asking for
what purpose they We're intended, my
guide again laughed and said:
You must not ask too many ques-
tions my friend, for obvious reasons.
In this case, however, and since you
have given your word not to tell what
you may see, will explain.
Detaching the catch Of one, he lifted
it from the deck and threw it over the
side, where it hung, just reaching to
the top of the copper below water.
DO you grasp the idea?" he contin-
ued. "The next one fits into that, and
the next one into that again, and SO on