The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-06-20
RISING SUM- CECIL COUNTY, MD, FRIDAY, 90,

were bombarded by the questions and
he curious stares of all the shipping in
terest on the rock. They were fatty
given to understand by a naval busy
body, who had been hidden to carry his
inquisitiveness to the deuce, that they
had earned official suspicion and would
be watched accordingly, and If ever Ill
wishes could sink a craft that ancient
P. and o. lifeboat was full to her
marks.
The voyage did not begin with pros
perity. There is always a strong sur.
face current running in through the
straits, and just then the breezes were
light. The lifeboat was a dull sailer,
and her people in consequence had the
modification of keeping Carnero point
and the frowning rock behind in sight
for three baking days. The two Por-
tuguese were first profane, then sui
len, then frightened. Some saints day,
it appeared, had been violated by the
start, and they began first to hint at
and then to insist ON a return, to
which Kettle retorted that he was 60
ing to see the matter through now if
he had to hang in the straits for the
whole eighteen days and subsist for
the rest of the trip upon dew and their
belts, and in this McTodd backed him
up Once started and away from the
whisky bottle there was nothing very
yielding about Mr.. McTodd. Only one
compromise did Kettle offer to make.
He would stand across and drop his
Portuguese partners on the African
shore if they, on their part, would dis
close the whereabouts of the wreck,
and in due time, when the dividends
were gathered, he faithfully promised
them their share. But to this they
would not consent. In fact, there was
a good deal of mutual distrust between
the two parties.
At last, however, kindly slant of
wind took the lifeboat in charge and
hustled ber wetly out into the broad
Atlantic, and when they had run the
shores of Europe and Asia out of
sight and there was nothing round
them but the blue heaving water, with
here and there sail and q steamers
smoke, then Senor Antonio saw fit to
give Captain Kettle course.
eve was steamin' froma Tenerife
to Madeira when we saw thosea rocks
with Duncansby Head asho'."
Him." said Kettle. 'Those'll be the
Salvage islands,"
"Steamah was plea up on de first.
Mother island we pass after"
"That's Piton island, if remember.
Let's have a look at the chart" He
handed over the tiller to McTodd, took
tatte-ed admiralty chart from one
of the lockers and spread it on the
damp floor gratings. The two Portu-
guese helped with their brown paws
to keep it from fluttering away. "Yes,
either Little Piton or Great Piton.
Which side did you pass it on?"
Antonio thumped gunwhale of the
lifeboat
"Kept it on the port hand going
north, did you? Then thatll be Great
Piton, and sweet shop it is for reefs,
according to this chart. l wish I'd a
directory. 1t will be a regular cats
dance getting in. But say. young man,
isn't there light there?'
"Lighta? l not understand"
"You savvy ighthouse-faro-sho
mark light in dark?'
"Oh, yes lighta house. l got there.
No, no lighta house."
"Well, there's one marked here as
projected and 1 was afraid it might
have come. forgot the Canaries were
Spanish and Madeira was Portugee
and that these rocks, which lie half
way, would be sort of slack cross be-
tween the pair of them. Manana's the
motto, isn't it Tonic? Never do today
what you hope another fiat will do for
you tomorrow"
"Si, 81, manana," said the Portu-
guese, who had not understood one