Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-06-10
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the stokehold of a dago steamboat
coming from the river Platte to Genoa
and calling ut some Of the western Is
lands en- route. One night they were
lust going of watch and were leaning
over the rail to get breath Of cool air
before turing in. They were steaming
past some rocky islands, and there in
plain sight of them was vessel hard
and fast ashore. There was no mis-
take about it. They both saw her
a steamboat of 1,5O0 tons. And, what
was more. the other Portugee, Tonio's
friend. said he knew her. According
to him. she was the Duncansby Head.
He'd served in her stokehold three voy-
ages. and he said he'd know her any
where"
"a dago's word isn't worth much for
q thing like that" said Kettle.
wait bit. The pair of them stayed
where they were and looked at the rest
of the watch on deck. The secoLd
mate OH the bridge was staring ahead
sleepily: the quartermaster at the
wheel was nodding and blinking at the
binnacle: the lookout on the forecastle
was seated on a fife rail. snoring. No
one of these had seen the wreck, ami
SO they themselves didn't talk. Their
boat was running short Of coal, and so
she put into Glib here to rebunker. and
from another dago on the coal hulk
who came aboard to help trim they
got some news. The Duncansby Head
had shifted her cargo at sea. had pick
ed up heavy weather and got unman.
ageable and had been left by her crew
in the boats. The mates boat and the
second mates boat were picked up.
The old mans boat had not been heard
of. 1t was supposed that the Duncans'
by Head hersel' had foundered imme'
diately after she was deserted"
ayes; all that's common gossip on
the rock. Mulready was her skipper
]. r. Mulready. I'd known him years"
"Weel poor deevil. it's perhaps good
for him he's drowned"
"Yes, suppose 1t is. Hes saved
a sight Of trouble. D'you know, Mac,
Jimmy Mulready and passed for
mate the same day and went to sea
with our bran new tickets In the same
ship-him as mate. me as second"
"The seas an awful poor profession
for all except a shipowner that lives
ashore"
"'Tis. Yes, that's true word: 1t is
And so Antonio and his mate told the
other dago that they'd seen the
wreck?"
Not much. They kept their heads
shut. There was money In the idea If
It could only be worked. and Portu
gee likes n dollar us much rs white
man. so there you have the whole
yarr. except that they got to know
that IL. Duncansby was on her way
home after n long spell at trampinG
when she got into trouble and carried
all the money she'd earned in good
solid gold in the charthOuse drawer"
"lt sounds like soft thing. I'll not
deny" said Kettle. "But why should
Mr.. Antonio and his friend come to
you?"
"They rar from their ship here In
Glib and lay low till she had sailed. II
was the natural thing for them to do
But when they began to look round
them in cold blood they found them
selves q bit on the beach. They'd no
money. There's such shady crowd
here in Glib that everything's well
watched. and they couldn't steal. so
there was nothing for 1t but to take
q partner Into the concern. OF course
being dagoes. they weren't likely t.
trust one of their own sort"
mot much, and so they came to
you"
"They knew me-" said the engineer
land | came to you because ! knew
you. captain. I'm no navigator myself.
though can make shift to handle u
sailboat. so navigator was wanted. ]
said to myself the man In all creation
for this Job Is Captain Kettle. and then
what should do but run right up
against YOU"
"Thank you. Mac"
"Eut there's one other thing you'll
have to do. and that's buy. beg. borrow
or steal the ship to carry the eXpedi
ton. because the rest OF US can't raise
a blessed shilling among US. 1t needn't
be big outlay. That old r. and o. life
boat which | was talking about woEld
carry us fine. and think three five
pound notes would buy her"
Very we'll" said Kettle. And now
let's get a move on US. There's been
enough time spent In talk. and the
sooner we're on that wreck the less
chance there is of any one else getting
there to overhaul her before U.S."
It would be Improbable to follow in
detail the fitting out of wrecking en-
pedition upon insufficient capital. and
So he II briefly stated that the old life
boat. which had passed through many
hands since she was cast from the P.
and o service. was purchased By dint
of haggling for an absurdly small sum
and victualed and watered for eighteen
days. The Portuguese. who still re-
fused to disclose the precise location OF
the wreck. said that 1t might take a
fortnight to reach her. and prudence
would have suggested that it wns I'D
yisable to take ut least months pro
visions. but the meagerness OF their
capital fatty forbade this. and they
were only able to furnish the boat with
what would spin out to eighteen days
OH an uncomfortably short ration. They
trusted that what pickings they might
find In the storero0m OF the wreck her
self would provide them for the return
voyage.
With this slender equipment. then.
they sailed forth from Gibraltar bay.
an obvious party Of adventurers They
were bombardad by the questions and
the curious stares of oil the shipping III
terest OH the rock. They were fatty
given to understand by naval busy
body. who had been hidden to carry his
iuuuisltlveHess to the deuce. that they
had earned official suspicion and would
be wutcl.,d accordingly. and IL ever i'll
wishes could sink craft that ancient
P. and o. lifeboat was full to her
marks.
The voyage did not begin with pros