Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1903-12-25

4
bad"
"And ! dreamed-yes. suppose it
was dream-that you started a
row and made hay OF his bar and col
Jared him, and took him in the cut
ter and rowed him about the bay till
about four in the morning"
"You always was very imaginary
and dreamy as boy, sir. begging your
pardon, sir" said Benson.
And I dreamed you came to the
Harvester"
Her that's lying in the bay-the
ship with the bad name among sailor
men,"
That's the ship said Selwyn;
"and you hailed her and asked the
captain If man had tried to escape
by swimming. And he said Yes. and
then you said you'd picked him up.
Benson looked at him quickly.
But he wouldn't be wet, sir"
"Oh, yes, he would, Benson. You
could easily duck him overheard"
Benson stared very hard at the lieu
tenant.
"Of course. could very easy duck
him-and love to do it, too. And did
the captain of the Harvester own to
him, sir?"
Selwyn nodded.
"He would, BensonI mean he did,
of course"
II suppose" asked Benson, with
his eyes on the pavement, 'that it
had been arranged SOP"
I'm the dream, yes" said the lieu.
tenant.
was 1t for tomorrow evening,
sir?"
81 thought So" said selwyn. "And
the curious thing about it was that
the whole thing was done as quietly
as possible. All you men went to
work IN silence without as much as a
hurrah. And one Of the boats brought
me ashore and the other brought the
admiral. And it was only after you
had put the man on board the Har-
vester that you came back for the
admiral at five o'clock In the morning,
Benson"
And what short the boat as brought
you, sir?"
II came back at twelve and went on
board with them, after the fight. and
while you were rowing Mr.. Smith
about the bay, cheering him up"
was there anything else, sir?"
Nothing" said Selwyn, "only that
l forget whether 1t came out. If it
did, the men said 1t was a game all Of
their own. And l think-no. I'm sure
| that x any one got into trouble it
! paid him well, after all.
"Of course it would, SIR sa,d Ben
son warmly. II wish it could really
come off. You never know your luck,
SIR"
"And I think Mr. Smith doesn't"
said Selwyn.
And when Benson went on board
|'again and had long Capitalization
with two boats crews, there was a
unanimous opinion among them that
Mr.. Smith had piled his ship UP with
a vengeance when he ran against a
British admiral.
There Amt to be no weapons, !"
said Benson" nothin' worse nor more
c0ttia tAaM q staysali 'ank as a
knuckle -duster. ard even that I don't
recommend An odd stretcher or two
and the bsttles there will do the Job.
And the word Is silence. now and
then"
NUNS the word" said the men,
And like the children that they were,
they wrought the whole ships COM
pany into frenzy of excitement, by
dropping hints about es heavy as a
half-hundredweight on every one who
was not in the game. Had there been
much longer to wait than twenty-fo,ir
hours, they must have told, or burst.
And II they had not burst, the others
would have finally reached the truth
by the process of exhaustion.
1t was none o'clock on the follow
Ing evening that the admiral went on
shore to dine with the British consul
He told Benson that he might be later
than eleven. And as Benson touched
his cap he took the liberty Of believ.
ing he might be as late as Ave in the
morning. And just about eleven Sell
wyn came ashore In another boat with
papers which had to 60 to the ad.
miral.
= xhall n back in = hour, Thorn.