The Republican journal., 1901-08-01

Miltiades' skipper raised a big hand in
depreciation.
'.Phew!' he said; land who's to pay
for the coal what's used in steaming,
the grubbing of two days, and pay for all
hands, I'd like to know, and wear and
tear of my steamer? Besides" he add
ed, with a grin and a chuckle, do unto
others as others 'ud do unto you if they
got half chance
"Isn't $3.50 sufficient" cried Bennett,
with some Indignation.
Don't leave scarce no margin for
profit" answered the other nan, coolly.
'.I'H tell you what | will do. For 5000
I'll take all risks of weather and so on.
Your cargo must be worth all of $4,000.
AS for the ship-well, she amt what I'd
call beauty; SO we won't say much
about her. Anyhow, sh'd fetch couple
of thousand sold as old scrap iron. Aim t
my offer fair?"
Its an almighty pickle" muttered
Bennett, for the Miltiades skipper had
struck home. The Tudor's cargo OF
sixty thousand cases Of oranges was
worth 10000 to the owner. But this
was the point: If Bennett refused a
tow, and landed bad cargo through
delay caused by broken shaft, he would
get the blame and a permanent holiday;
on the other hand, accepting assistance
and arriving home with a clean cargo,
he might be able to dispense with the
holiday and keep his job. Still, the
coup was very, very doubtful. The
sword of DamocleS col,id not be held
! by a finer hair.
Bennett signalled to Jameson, who
stood beneath the bridge coolly grin.
ming, and when he reached the top OF
the ladder the skipper ardently exhort-
ed him to promise steam in twelve
! ! hours, or even twenty. But the en-
gineer would not make any promises.
He did not see why he should kill him
self with work to save another mans
neck, and said aloud something about
''more jobs than church steeples.' At
this Bennett spouted up an indigestlble
adjective and treated the engineer to
many vivid and lightning-like prayers
concerning rotten engines and unlucky
tramp steamboat shippers.
Jameson did not resent the language
On the contrary, it gave him twinge
of satisfaction and he dropped re-
mark about ''being in the same box, -
which insinuation brought vividly tC
Bennett's mind visions of tramping
Mosley street and Quayside in Geordie
Land, and Water street in Liverpool
looking for ship, armed with thick
soled boots and much strong language
and few small pence borrowed from 9
hard-up landlady to buy biscuits and
beer. 1t was in the middle of these
bad dreams that the Miltiades' skipper
impatiently hailed the bridge of the
Tlldor
''My old steamboat amt going tC
wait here all night for your coffee mill
cap'in," he roared giving at the samt
time his engines a touch ahead anc
sheering his vessel close to the Tudor
'What's the decision?"
Three hundred and fifty" answered
Bennett, nervously.
"Thank 'ee very much,' came the
mocking reply. ''Then the oranges viii
be perfectly rotten before they get:
'ome if you waits for my service
! Goodnight" and he put his hand tt
the telegraph.
"Four hundred" shouted Bennett
desperately, Come, that's a fair ano
square price
1T is" replied the warriors maste
sa,castically. Its simply monstrous
and you'd better eat your oranges than
chuck them away"
Before he had finished speaking hi:
propeller was chuIning the blue waite
astern to frothy milk, and Bennett
watched the immense square stern OF
the Miltiades as it wabbled slowly pas
the Tudor's stern. He held his breatl
for one impatient minute; then he bawl
ed at the top of his voice, "1'll make i
600"
The other steamer wallowed round
and her crew ceased working. A ship
length distant from the broken dow
tramp her skipper called triumphantly
Eight hundred. Not cent less
The unfortunate Bennett saw it a.
his last chance, and a glance at the un
comfortable northwest hastened his de
cision.
"I'll take you at that" he groaned
81 might as well be hung for sheep a
a lamb; and if 1 get booted out by tn
owner I'll lay the result at your door. -
You may come to me for a job,
jeered the hairy-faced man, ''if he sack
you. l shall be wanting a trustworth,
: man for this ship after this paying job
for I'll retire. Send a boat with you
hawsers and We'll connect your oil
orange box to my ship"
Bennett with deep for ebodings, pu
out boat and passed his steel wires t.
the Miltiades.
They had not been more than 81,
hours in tow before no less than half
dozen steamers came out of the south
ern horizon and passed into the north
Bennett, en- the bridge watched then
with glowing hungry eyes, and as the.
passed cursed the folly that led him tt
accept assistance in such haste. Here
from this host of vessels, he could hav'
chosen a most respectable tow, will
e200 as a limit, and Matthew Wake
was the man to know it. There was alb
solutely no excuse for his paying sucl
an extravagant sum as 5000. Bennett
almost prayed that gale would come
'1t would save my bacon, if anything
could,' he mumbled. But the weather
obstinately kept fine. He went tt
Jameson for sympathy, and confided tt
him his thoughts. The engineer be
came quite hearty. Friends in dis
tress make sorrow the less," he said
He even grinningly asked Bennett fol
the promise of a chiefs job in the Mil
tiades when he should take her over
and tried to bargain for e1S month
wages Indeed, he seemed to take heart
induced perhaps by the motto, and
worked SO spiritedly at his engines thai
| fIa haf nd bod toll a