The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-06-27
q 4. q q q q q 2
Copyright, 1903,
By Cutcltfe Hyne

north had more energy in their sys-
tens, and they expended it tirelessly.
McTodd overhauled every nut, every
bearing. every valve, every rcd of the
engines. with an experts criticism and
found nothing that would prevent ac-
tive working Kettle rummaged the
rest of the ship. And far into the
morning they foregathered again in
the charthouse and compared results.
She had been swept. badly swept Ev
erything movable on deck was gone,
back again till she had lost all her list
and was in proper trim, the engines
were still workable if carefully nursed,
and, in fact. though battered, she was
entirely sea worthy. And while. with
tired gusto. they were comparing these
things weariness at last got the better
of them, and first one and then the
other incontinently dropped off into
the deadest of sleep.
| That the Duncansby Head had come
in unsteered and unscathed through the
reefs, and therefore under steam and
| control could go out again, was on the
face of it 8 very simple and obvious
theory to make, but to discover a pas
sage through the rocks to make it prac-
ticable was quite another matter. For
three days the old P. and o. lifeboat
piled up and down from outside the
reefs and had twenty narrow escapes
from being smashed into slaves. 1t
looked as if nature had performed a
miracle and taken the steamer bodily
in her arms and lifted her over at least
dozen black walls of stone.
The two Portuguese We're already
sick to death of the whole business, but
for their feelings neither Kettle nor
McTodd had any concern whatever.
They were useful in the working of the
boat, and therefore they were taken
along, and when they refused duty or
did it with too much listlessness to
| please they were cuffed into activity
again. There was no verbal argument
about the matter. "Work or suffer"
was the simple motto the two islanders
went upon, and it answered admirably.
They knew the breed of the Portugee
of old.
At last, by dint of daring and toll,
the secret of the passage through the
noisy spouting reefs was won. 1t was
sounded carefully and methodically for
sunken rocks and noted in all possible
| ways, and the old p. and o. lifeboat
was hoisted on the Duncansby's davits.
The Portuguese were driven down into
the stokehold to represent double
watches of dozen men and make
requisite steam, McTodd fingered the
rusted engines like an artist, and Ket-
tie took his stand alone with the steam
wheel on the upper bridge.
They had formally signed articles and
apportioned themselves pay, Kettle as
master, McTodd as chief engineer and
the Portuguese as firemen, because
| salvage is apportioned pro rata and the
more pay a man is getting the larger
is his bonus, on which account, at Nc
Iodd's suggestion, they awarded them
selves paper stipends which they could
feel proud of and put down the Por-
tuguese for the ordinary fireman's
wages then paid out of Gibraltar, neith-
- -N'oAS AASA iSooS LOAy luO GuS1uGeT
said, there was a fortune to be divided
up somehow, and it would be a pity for
pair of unclean dagoes to have more
than was absolutely necessary, seeing
that they would not know what to do
with it.
Captain Kettle felt It to be one of
the supreme moments of his life when
he rang on the Duncansby's bridge tel
egraph to half speed ahead. Here was
a bit of fortune such as very rarely
came in any shipmaster's way-not
getting salvage, the larger part of
which an owner would finger for mere
assistance, but taking to port a vessel
which was derelict and deserted, the
greatest and the rarest plum that the
seas could offer. 1t was thought that
thrilled him.
But he had not much time for senti-
mental musings in this strain. A terri
bly, nervous bit of pilotage lay ahead Of
him. The motive power of his steamer
was feeble and uncertain, and it would
require all his skill and resourcefulness
to bring her out into deep blue water.
Slowly she backed or went ahead, dodg-
ing round to get square entrance toi
the channel, and then with slam Ket-
tie rang on his telegraph to full speed
ahead. so as to get her under the fullest
possible command.
She darted out into the narrow wind.
ing lane between the walls of broken
water, and the roar of the surf closed
round her. Rocks sprang up out of the
deep, hungry black rocks as deadly an
explosive torpedoes. With a full COM
plement of hands and with pilot for
years acquainted with the place 1t
would have been an infinitely danger
Gus piece of navigation. With a half
power steamer, which had only one
: man all told upon her decks and he al
most a stranger to the place, it was q
miracle how she got out unscathed, but
1t was a miracle assisted with the most
brilliant SKILL Kettle had surveyed the
channel in the lifeboat and mapped ev.
cry rock in his head, and when the test
came he was equal to it. 1t would be
hard to come across a man Of more
iron nerve.
Backing and going ahead to get
round right angled turns. shaving reefs
so closely that the wash from them
creamed over her rail, the battered old
tramp steamer faced million dangers