The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-10-07

white schooner off KokO Head; looks
like a yacht!' said the Diamond Head
lookout over the telephone, and yacht
she proved to be as she rounded to her
anchorage in Honolulu Harbor two
hours later. Moreover, there futtered
from her foremast-head the signal of
a well-known yacht club on the Allan
tic coast and from her main the COM
modores flag. The anchor slid into
the bay to the accompaniment of a
sharp explosion from a long brass
gun.
AS the great white sails came flowing
downward a small but select party
met in the cabin to Dartake of cham
payne with the commodore, whose
papers declared him to be also owner,
captain, and sailing-master. They were
the marine doctor, two customs Of
ficials, and the brown old pilot. The
commodore was large, athletic, and
darkIy handsome. To his official
guests his manner was full of charm
and courtesy, but the doctor, who
knew more of men than of ships, noted
a certain grimness in the set of the
square, bony jaw and a CLINT of steel
in the cold blue eyes. "A strong man
and a hard one" was his mental COM
ment. IN wager that he's a driver"
This is a fine, tight little ship you
have here, captain" said the pilot,
sneezing trifie over the unaccustom-
ed wine. "A craft that's good for sore
eyes,
you may well say So" replied the
commodore. THE Hermione is a witch.
There is no finer schooner-yacht af1oat.
have been three years on this course,
in some of the toughest water on the
globe, and with all her speed she is as
sound and able as clipper-ship. The
more l said her the better 1 love her"
Il should imagine that being your
own captain and sailing-master would
lessen the charm of cruising somewhat,
does it not?" asked the doctor.
THAT depends on the way you look
at it. Some owners like cruising along
shore. Deep water scares them. They
like to sit under the awning with the
ladies and listen to the guitars while a
paid man runs the ship and takes the
responsibility. I sail because I'm a
sailor, and I prefer to be boss on my
own boat. 1 don't want any one on my
ship who can tell me to mind my own
business and clap me in irons if / don't
do it,
The old pilot nodded his head approx
ingly as he finished his wine, but later,
as he sat in the stern sheets of the
whaleboat that took him to the landing,
he glanced back at the club signal and
the commodore's flag. In the far-off
days of his youth he, too, had been
yachtsman and he slowly wagged his
grizzled head. II did suppose" he muir
INJURED, that John Hildegraves was
commodore of that club. / may be get
ting old and behind the times in East
ern affairs, but I must look the matter
up!''
Now a beautiful white schooner fly
ing the flag of a commodore is not a
common visitor in the South Seas. Be-
sides, those were flush" times in Hon
olulu. for the free and easy system of
the defunct monarchy still prevailed
and sugar stocks were active. There
fore, the commodore was well enter
tanned. His engaging personality won
him many friends, to whom he extend
ed the hospitality of his yacht, and
after nightfalI the Hermione, ablaze
with lights, was the scene of many a
merry gathering. The quiet harbor
echoed the strains of sweet music and
the laughter of guests of both sexes.
Not infrequently the fag-end of these
gatherings came ashore in the gray
poker about the cabin table, and no
one shared the old pilots suspicious
thoughts of the genial commodore.
And yet there We're gatherings abroad
the Hermione when no strains of quit
airs, taropatch fiddles and sweet blend
ing voices disturbed the peaceful har-
Dor, and shore boats glided darkly to
her side. There We're conferences in the
cabin when the voices were scarcely
audible above the wavelets scuffling
against the vessel. All Chuck, the head
of a powerful and INSCRIPTIONS syndi-
cate of Chinese, one William Englehart,
an ex-trader and adventurer, and 9TH
ers of various classes and nationalities,
paid the tribute of visit to the popu-
lar commodore.
For month the Hermione lay at an
Choir, and the commodore as guest and
host fulfilled the duties of both offices
in faultless style. Then, wreathed in
flowers, as is the custom in Hawaii, he
sailed away to extend his cruise to
China seas, escorted from the harbor
by many friends on a tugboat, who
sang aloha Oe'' and other touching
songs of farewell.
1t was some six months later when
the commodore stepped ashore from the
deck of a prosaic Pacific mail liner to
find Honolulu shuddering at mild cpl
demic of cholera. Amusements were
suspended, for the town was genuinely
alarmed, and over all hung the sterr
interdict of the quarantine. 1t seemed
as though the plaques black hanG had
swept all mirth from the land. People
spoke in awe-struck tones and scanned
fearfully the list of dead, for a serious
outbreak of the scourge might SWEEP
the islands bare of life AS for the com
modore, he had returned strictly on 6
matter of business, leaving the Hermit
one on the ways at Hongkong to sal
later and join him at San Francisco
Meanwhile. having come ashore, he wa:
held fast by the quarantine, not Il
leave till the last death was recorded
and the city purified of it's last germ.