El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-30

it was, she'd such an unholy reputation
that two crews ran from her before they
could get her manned. She was as rotten
as rust and tumbled rivets could make her,
and she was sent to sea as coffin ship TO
earn her dividends out of Lloyds. Kettle
had been out of a job for some time. He
was a desperate man, with family de-
pending on him, and he went as skipper
fully conscious of what was expected OF
him. He did it like man. He let the
Doge of Venice founder in a North sea
gale and by a marvellous chance managed
to save his ships company. At the in
quiry, of course, he was made scapegoat,
and he didn't contrive to save his ticket
They suspended his master certificate Tor
a year. On the strength of that he applied
to owners for maintenance, putting it on
the reasonable claims of services rendered.
Owners being upright merchants and SEN
sible men. naturally repudiated all know1-
edge or liability; said he was blackmail-
ing scoundrel as well rs an unSkillful sea-
man and threatened him with action
for libel. Kettle, not having a solitary
proof to show, did the only thing left for
him to do, and that was eat dirt or sub
side. But the incident and the subsequent
starvation haven't tended to sweeten his
temper Latterly he's been serving as
mate on Pacific ship, and he was just a
holy terror with his men. He simply kept
alive by carrying his fist on a revolver
butt. There wasn't man who's served
with Red Kettle three weeks that wouldn't
have cheerfully swung for the enjoyment
of numbering him.
You appear to know good deal about
this man.
when it suits my purpose, - returned
Cambel dryly, Il mostly contrive to know
something about anybody. However, it's
no use discussing the poor beggar any
VI III
here?''
Shelf touched one of the electric buttons
which studded the edge of his table, and a
clerk appeared, who went away again and
shortly returned. With him was a shriv
eled up little man of about 40, with a red
head and peaked red beard, who made
stiff, nervous salaam to Mr.. Theodore
Shelf and then turned to stare at Cambel
with puckered amazement.
Cambel nodded and laughed. Been
carrying any more pilgrims from Port
Said to the Morocco coast on iron decks!"
he said.
II never did that snapped Captain
Kettle
''Ah, ones memory fails at times. 1
dare say also you forget water famine
when the condenser broke down, and
triiirg affray with knuckle busters and
other toys, and dash of cholera, and nine
dead bodies of Hadjis which went over
board3 Perhaps, too, you don't remember
Judging a clean bill of health and black
sheeshing certain officials of his Shereefian
majesty
Mo- said Captain Kettle sourly, Il
don't remember
I'm going to forget it also, if you'll
prove yourself a sensible man and deal
amicably with Mr.. Shelf and myself I'm
also going to forget that when you were
shipping rice for Calcutta in 1882 you
rented mats you called your own to the
consignor and made a tidy penny out OF
that and 1 shall similarly let slip from
my memory a trifiing squeeze of $500
which you made out of stevedore in New
Orleans before you let him touch your
ship in the fall of 1857
You can't make anything out of
those said Kettle. They're the ordi-
nary customs of the trade. -
ship masters perquisites for which
owners pay. Exactly. 1 know shippers
consider these trifles to be their lawful
right, hut u court of law might be igno
rant enough to set them down as robbery -
II should like to know where've you
got all these things from" Captain Kettle
demanded, facing Cambel with his lean,
scraggy neck thrust forth nearly foot
from its stepping. Il should like to know,
too, how you re here? I'd fancy you were
dead
'Other people have labored under that
impression. But I've an awkward knack
of keeping alive. You We the same. The
faculty may prove useful to both in the
course of the next month if you're not ass
enough to refuse e5O0-',
"Ho! That's the game we've got about,
is it? What old wind TANNER do you want
me to lose now?''
''Sirl" thundered Shelf, lifting his voice
for the first time. This is pretty lam
guage. l would have you remember tnat
but short time ago you were in my en-
ploy.''
And a fat lot of good it did me- re-
torted the sailor. But, - he added, with the
sudden recollection that it is never wise of
a master mariner to irritate any shipown-
er, ''but, sir, 1 wasn't talking to you. I
fancied it was Mr.. Cambel here who was
wanting to deal with me.''
Then your fancy carried you astray,
captain" said Shelf. Come, come, don't
let us get angry with one another. AS
repeatedly impress on all who come in
contact with me, there is never any good
born out of words voiced in anger. Mr..
Cambel has seen fit to mention a few of
your-shall 1 say-eccentricities, just to
show-er-that we understand one an
other
ITO show he's got his knife in me, Mr..
Shelf, and can wraggle it if he chooses
''What fractions pepper box it is"
said Cambel, with laugh. MAN, dear,
If I've got to be shipmates with you for a
solid month, dye think I'd put your back
more up thans necessary: If you remeni-
Der me at all, yea must know I'm the
(4H&2kfR2kzA1
ga a. !