The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-05-03


slept like one dead in the gutter. As it
was he lay on the counterpane in the
heaviest of sleep, the picture of strong
man worn out with watching and Ia
Dor, and for a minute or so Kettle stcod
beside the bed and gazed upon him
thoughtfully.
by James," he muttered, "if 1 could
make you speak, captain, believe you
could tell Queerish tale"
But Kettle did not loiter by this taci-
turn bedside. He had signed on as
in Mr.. Gedge's employ and earning
Gedge's pay, and every minute wasted
on a steamer means money lost. He
went briskly across to the south dock
and set the machinery of business to
work without delay. There was grum-
bling from both mates, engineers and
crew that they had been given leisure
Kettle was not a man who courted
popularity from his underlings by Of
fering them indulgences. He stated
that their duty was to get the water
ballast out and the coal under the
matches in the shortest time on record
and mentioned that he was the man
who would see it done.
The men grumbled, of course. Behind
their drivers back they swore. Two
deckhands and three of the stokehold
crew deserted, leaving their wages, and
were replaced by others from the ship
ping office. And still the work went
remorselessly on under the gray glow
of the fog SO long as daylight lasted
and then under the glare of raw cleo
trio arc lamps. The air was full Of grit
ty dust and the roar of falling coal. A
wagon was shunted up, dandled aloft
in hydraulic arms, ignominiously emp
tied end first and petulantly sent away
to find fresh load while it's successor
was being nursed and relieved. Two
hundred tons to the hour was what
that hydraulic staith could handle, but
for all that it did not break the coal
unduly.
In the forehold the trimmers gasped
and choked as they steercd the black
avalanches into place, and presently
another of the huge staiths crawled
up along the dock wall. with q gasping
tank loco and a train of wagons in at
tendance, and then the Sultan of Labu-
an. was being loaded through the after
hatch also. 1t was triumph of ma
chinery and organization, and tired
men in a dozen departments cursed
Kettle for keeping them at such re-
morseless pressure over their tasks.
Down to her fresh water plimsoll the
steamer was sunk, and then the load
ing ceased. Even Kettle did not dare
to overload. He knew quite well that
there We're the jealous eyes Of a sea-
men and firemen's union official watch
ing him from somewhere on the quays,
and if she was trimmed an inch above
her marks the Sultan of Labuan would
never be let go through the outer dock
gate. So the burden was limited to it's
legal bounds, and Kettle got his clear
ance papers with the same fierce bust
nessllke hustle and came back and
stepped lightly up on the tramp's upper
bridge.
The pilot was there waiting for him,
half admiring, half repelled; the old
blue faced mate and the carpenter We're
OH the fOrecastle head; the second mate
was aft; the chief himself and the third
engineer were at the throttle and the
reversing gear below. The ships en-
tire complement had quite surrendered
to the sway of this new taskmaster
and stood in their coal CRIME and their
tiredness ready to jump at his bidding.
Bristol channel tides are high, and
the current of the Usk is swift 1t was
going to be quick work if they did not
miss the tide, and the pilot, who had no
special stake in the matter, said it
could not be done. Kettle, however,
thought otherwise, and the pilot in con-
sequence saw some seamanship which
gave him chills down the back.
"By gum, captain" he said when
they We're fairly out of the river, ''you
can handle herr'
wait till know her, pilot, and then
I'll show you"
Haven't got nerves enough. Look
you, captain; you'll be having a bad
crumple up if you hustle a big loaded
steamboat about docks at that rate"
"Never bent plate in my life"
"Well, 1 hope you never will Look
you now; you're a little tin wonder In
the way of seamanship."
"Quartermaster," said Kettle, "tell
my steward to bring two goes Of whis-
Ky up here on the bridge. Pilot, if you
say such things to me you'll make me
feel like girl with a new dress, and |
want drop of Dutch courage to keen
my bushes back"
SWELL" said the pilot when the whis-
ky came, ''here's lots of cargo, captain,
of good bonuses"
Heres deep draft steamers for you.
pilot, and plenty of water under 'em."
The whisky rained down its appoint |
ed channels, and the pilot said, by the |
bye. I've this for you, captain" And he |
brought out letter card.
Typewriter address," said Kettle. |
"NO postmark on the stamp. Who's it
from?'
MAN l came across. Look YOU.
though, l didn't know him. But he |
said there was useful tip in the letter
which it would please you to have after