The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-06-27

mere, ufOp IL, Salu AelIle.
"I'm sorry" said Captain Mulready.
but you shouldn't have had me on
board. should have been better pic
nicking by myself on Great Piton yon-
der. can't make cheerful ship
mate for you, old man."
"Brace up" said Kettle.
"By the Lord. if I'd only been a day
earlier with that raft" said the other
musingly, 81 could have taken her out,
as you have done, and brought her
home, and | believe the firm would
have kept me on. There need have
been no inquiry, only delayed that's
all. No one cares so long as ship
turns up some time"
"It wouldn't have made any differ
ence," said Kettle, frowning. "Some of
those lousy Portuguese have been on
board and scoffed all the money"
"What money"
"Why, what she'd earned-what there
was here in the charthouse drawer"
The disheveled man gave a tired
chuckle. "Oh. that's all right. l put
in at Las Palmas and transferred it to
the bank there and sent home the re-
ceipt by the B. and A. mailboat to
Liverpool. No; I'm pleased enough
about the money. but it's this other
thing made the bungle of-just being
day too late with that blasted raft"
Kettle heard a sound and sharply
turned his head. He saw grimy man
in the doorway. "Mr. McTodd," he
said, "who the mischief gave you leave
to quit your engine room? Am to un-
derstand you've been standing there in
that doorway to listen"
"Her own engineers come back. so
handed her over to him and came on
Geek for spell. AS for listening, I've
heard every word that's been said.
Captain Mulready, you have my very
deepest condolences"
"Mr. McTodd," said Kettle, with a
sudden blaze of fury, "I'm captain of
this ship, and you're intruding! Get
to Hamlet out of here" He got up and
strobe furiously out of the door, and
McTodd retreated before him.
''Now, keep your hands off me-" said
the engineer when he had been driven
as far as the end of the fiddley. "I'm
as mad about the thing as yourself,
and don't mind blowing off few
rounds of temper. l don't know Cap
tain Mulready, and you do, but I'd hate
to see any man all crumpled up like
that if could help it."
''He could be helped by giving him
back his ship, and I'd do it if was by
myself. But I've got a Scotch part
ner, and Pm not going to try for the
impossible"
"Dinna abuse Scotland" said Nc
Todd, wagging grimy forefinger. "Its
your ain wife and BARNS you're think
ing about"
81 ought to be, Mac; but, God help
me, Pm not.'
''Vera weel," said McTodd. ''Then, if
that's the case, skipper, just set you
down here, and We'll have palaver."
"Pll hear what you've got to say"
said Kettle, more civilly, and for the
next half hour the pair of them talked
as earnestly as only poor men can talk
when they are deliberately making up
their minds to resign a solid fortune
which is already within their reach.
And at the end of that talk Captain
Kettle put out his hand and took the
engineers in a heavy grip. "Mac," he
said, you're Scotch, but you're a gen.
tleman right through under your
clothes"
81 was born to that estate, skipper
and | no more wanted to see yon poor
deevil pulled down to our level than
you do. Better go and give him the
news and I'll get our boat in the wa
ter again and revictualed."
"No," said Kettle; 81 can't stand by
and be thanked. You go. I'll see to
the boat"
"Be hanged if dor said the engi-
neer. Write the man letter. You're
great on the writing line. I've seen
you at it,
And so, in the tramp's main cabin be-
low, Captain Kettle penned this epis-
tie:
To Captain J. r. Mulready:
Dear Jimmy-Having concluded not to
take the trouble to work Duncansby Head
home. have pleasure in leaving her to
your charge We, having other game on
hand have now taken French leave and
shall now bear up for western Islands.
You've no call to say anything about our
being on board at all. Spin your own
yarn. 1t will never be contradicted Yours
truly, o. KETTLE, Master.
N. A. McTodd, Chief Engineered. X.
+. S.-We take along those two dagoes.
If you had them, they might talk when
you got them home. We having them,
they will not talk, SO you've only your
luck. old tintacks.
Which letter was sealed and nailed
up in conspicuous place before the
lifeboat left en- route for Grand Canary.
1t was the two Portuguese who felt
themselves principally aggrieved men.
They had been made to undergo a great
deal Of work and hardship; they had
been defrauded of much plunder, which
they considered was theirs, for the ben
eft of an absolute stranger, in whom
they took not the slightest interest, and
finally they were induced mot to talk"
by processes which Jared upon them
most unpleasantly.
They did not talk, and in the fullness
of time they returned to the avocation
of shoveling coal on steam vessels. But
when they sit down to think neither
Antonio nor his friend. whose honored
name never learned, regards with af-
fection those little islands in the north
ern sea which produced Captain Owen
Kettle and his sometime partner, Mr..
Neil Angus McTOdd But at the same