The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-03-25
WHAT'S WRONG WITH your
BY MORLEY ROBERTS.

j., which, by the code, means: .'Wan
coal immediately
| And I've got coal, my son." saiG
Sphinx coolly. I've got lots of it
What's wrong, 1 wonder? It's one OF
them beastly German warships goin
off TO China and missed her Golfers
for flyer. 1 read of 'em in the pa
pers as bein too proud TO coal at En-
glish coaling stations.
Day showed his bullet head into the
chart-house
We'll" said Day, what do you
make of it?''
TEND to your business said
Sphinx, and head her for the search
i light of a German man-of- war that
I've business with in those ATTITUDES.
You thought We were bound for Singa-
pore. didn't you? Well, maybe you ii
not set foot on Tangon Pagan wharf
| this trip. Alter the course right
I away
i He went below and turned in again.
"A gold mine said Day sadly. He
| thought it was a great pity that Sphinx
had become lunatic. In some ways
he's not a bad chap. But he's a
shorter and no mistake"
The night was as dark as a Port
Said coaIing Niger. and was only
lighted py the phosphorescent CLEANS
from the breaking waves and the
sea that the swan washed through as
elegantly as a towed barge. Her wake
showed like a Milky Way in a dark
sky and it was as broad Regent
street. She was built to carry cargo
and had as much elegance about her
as a Dutch vroouw of fifty. When she
was at anything less than full speed
in a following sea she steered like
bus on a greasy road.
There she goes again!'' said Day
as he watched the light on the sky.
Il wonder what it means Perhaps
cid Sphinx is right after all. He's no
fool
Sphinx would have been pleased to
hear it, for Day rarely owned that the
skipper knew anything. But he did so
now, for it was soon obvious to any
one what the northeast lights We're.
And gradually the dawn came out of
India, and when the skipper was call
bridge looking at a peculiarly helpless
frst-class cruiser lying wallowing in
the sea. She was German by her
paint, and her appearance and her
flag acknowledged her shame.
This is a gold mine" said Sphinx.
Day run up a signal and ask if she
wants assistance oh, don't 1 love the
Germans! I'll sell 'em coal, oh yes,
and at twopence a ton, too.'
AS the flags showed out, Sphinx ran
on and rounded to, head to the wind,
under the lee of the big cruiser within
easy hailing distance. He rang the
Swan down to dead slow and just kept
her going.
'"rhe old tin pot" said the lordly
SPHINX; land to think that they man
age things like this! It's my firm
opinion that no one but Englishmen
should be allowed out of sight ofsland,
unless they have an English skipper.
the speaking trumpet. Ring
down to stop her!'
And with that he let out below
that rolled up to windward in the
most surprising way.
Whats wrong with you?" he ask
ed. and he was promptly answered by
one of half a dozen officers on the
bridge of the cruiser.
I'VE are out of COAL said the
owner in excellent English. Can
you supply us with some?'
I'm loaded with the very best
brand of it. my SON. said Sphinx, but
I'm takin' it to Singapore, and I've
no authority to sell it in the Indian
Ocean. How do You chaps come to be
without any? I never had much opin-
on of any of YOU as seamen, after a
ons experience of Dutchmen, but did
hink you had enough savvy TO take
some coal to sea with you.
The ''Dutchman" was obviously an
loyed, but he said nothing more than
hat one of his officers would come
board.
Right said Sphinx and, though he
vas ready to see them capsize a boat
md drown few men, he observed
nat they got q boat OVER the side
martly enough in spite of the sea.
When they ran alongside. lieutenant
anne on board without getting as
much as a splash. and he was met
" Sphinx with a smiling face.
"Glad to see you" said Sphinx. You
lid that very nicely
Thank you" said the fair young
lieutenant. whose English was not so
pick ard span as his uniform. Have
-ou Goals to SELF
How do you come to be without
I'm = said Sphinx bluntly.