The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-02-20


his flesh and blood had its breaking
strain. and at last he could work no
more.
He leaned dizzily up against the
pump for minute or so, and then
With an effort he pulled his still I'M
conscious companion away and laid him
on the dry floor Of deckhouse. There
was pannikin of cold stewed tea slung
from a hook in there and half sea
biscuit on one of the hunks. He ate and
drank greedily and then went out again
along the streaming decks to work, SO
far as his single pair of hands could ac-
complish such thing. at getting the
huge derelict once more in sailing trim
The shovels meanwhile had been do
ing their work, and although the list
was not entirely gone the vessel at
times, when a sea buttressed her up.
foated almost upright. The gale was
still blowing, but it had veered to the
southwark, and on the afternoon of
that day Kettle called all his hands on
deck and got her under way again and
found to his joy that the coal trimmer
had some elementary notion of taking
q wheel.
81 rate you as mate, /" he said in his
gratitude, ''and you'll draw salvage
pay according to your rank I was go
ing to make Mr.. Philips my officer,
butt
Don't apologize, said Dayton-Phil-
ipps. 81 don't know the name of one
string from another, and I'm quite con-
scious of my deficiency. But just watch
me put in another spell at those Internal
pumps. -
The list was of less account now, and
the vessel was once more under COM
mand of her canvas 1t was the leak
which gave them most cause for anxi-
ety. Likely enough it was caused by
the mere wrenching away of a couple
of rivets. But the steady inpour of wa
ter through the holes would soon have
made the ship grow unmanageable and
founder if it was not constantly attend
ed to. Where the leak was they had not
notion. Probably it was deep down
under the cargo of grain and quite I'M
getable, but anyway it demanded a
constant service at the pumps to keep
it in check, and this the bone weary
crew were but feebly competent to give.
The dreaded day. tickle as usual saw
fit to receive them at first with smil-
ing face. During afternoon there rose
the brown sails of Portuguese fishing
schooner. and Kettle headed toward
her.
Let his crew be as willing as they
would, there was no doubt that this
murderous work at the pumps could
not be kept up for voyage to England.
If he could not get further re-enforce-
ments, he would have to take the ship
into the nearest foreign port to barely
save her from sinking. And then where
would be his sighed for salvage? Woe
fully thinned, he thought, or more
probably whisked away altogether.
Captain Kettle had vast distrust for
the shore foreigner over questions of
law proceedings and money matters.
So he made for the schooner, hove his
own vessel to and signaled that he
wished to speak.
A boat was stopped into the water
from the schooner's deck, and ten
swarthy, ragged Portuguese fishermen
crammed into her. Two or three of
them had working knowledge of Eng
fish; their captain spoke it with fluent
inaccuracy, and before any of them had
gone att to Kettle, who stood at the
Wheel they had heard the whole story
of the ship being found derelict and
very naturally were anxious enough by
some means or other to finger share
of the salvage. Even ragged Portu-
guese baccalhao maker can have his
ambitions for prosperity like other peo-
pie.
Their leader made his proposal a:
once. "All right-a, captain. see how
you want. We take charge now and
take-a you into Ferrol without you be-
ing at more trouble"
stNothing of the kind said Kettle.
ssI'm just wanting the loan of two OF
three hands to give my fellows a spell
or two at that pump. We're bit short
handed, that's all. But otherwise we re
quite comfortable. I'll pay A. B. 5
wages on Liverpool scale, and that's a
lot more than you dagos give among
yourselves, and if the men work well
s I'll throw in dash besides for 'bacca
money.
"Ta-ta-ta, said the Portuguese, with
wave of his yellow fist. SIT cannot be
done, and will not lend you men, II
shall be as say-we take-a you into
Ferrol. Do not fear-a, captain. You
shall have money for finding sheep; yor
shall have some of our salvage"
Dayton-Philipps who was standing
near and knew the little sailor views,
looked for an outbreak, but Kettle hello
himself in and still spoke to the man
civilly.
s.That's good English you talk, - he
said. "Do all your crowd understand the
language?"
"No. said the fellow readily enough
ssThat man does not, nor does he mol
him.
"Right-o," said Kettle "Then al
those three men can't kick upa Robbery
at the other end they've just got tt
stay here and help work this vesse
home AS for the rest of YOU filthy