The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-01-28

{
as a mountain taFn the steamer was
twenty leagues from the coast. Of
Australia, and was being driven at
her utmost speed, when the man Clan
7 cy again appeared en- the bridge fol-
lowed by a man carrying two large
mugs Of steaming COFFEE, and a plate
of biscuits for the captain and himself
He was hot and tired, and threw him
self YEARLY into a seat.
I'VE must slow down. Jim" he said
to the captain. I'm done up, and SO
are the other two.
The captain nodded, went to the
telegraph, and rang. .'Half-speed." He
had himself been doing two hours
stocking, and was almost as tired and
quite as dirty III his appearance as
Clancy
Tell Frank and the bos'un TO hurry
up with their coffee, sam, and they and
you can take turn in the stOkehole
for half an hour. Tell the chaps that
we are only running at half speed for
the next hour or two. Who is in the
engine room, Clancy?"
THE little red-headed fellow and the
Savage island boy. They'll do all right
for half an hour. Nothing in sight. is
there?f
Nothing" and the captain swept the
skyline astern with his glasses. He
had nothing to fear from anything
that might be sighted ahead. "And
after the way we have been skipping
/ along for the last four hours, don't
believe there's anything in Sydney har-
Dor which could catch up to us
I'm dead certain there is not. The
Cook might, in long chase, as she
can do fifteen, but then she never has
more than two or three days coal in
her bunkers. AS for the Challenger
and the old Esk. they can neither Of
/ them do more than ten, and their fires
would be out in any case" (He was
/ speaking Of the two warships lying in
Farm COve-the commOdore's ship, the
/ Challenger, and a paddle wheel gun
boat, the Esk.)
The captain nodded as he slipped his
coffee, then he pitt down the mug and
asked his cOmpaInOn to take the wheel
I must go and see our young friend,
I Clancy-and 1 don't half like it, I can
tell you. But the sooner ne knows the
better"
Descending the bridge, he went aft to
his cabin, and opened the door Tom
was still asleep, but quickly awakened
when the captain spoke to him and
/ asked him to dress.
There are your own clothes, my
lad" he said, pleasantly pointing TO
Toms garments, which had been dried
and placed beside him.
Are we not in Sydney yet?" asked
/ Tom. as he sprang from the bunk and
/ began to dress. why, I thought I
J could hear the engines going about 3
! o'clock. I could see the time of my
watch by the moonlight, but I was too
/ sleepy to come on deck and see where
/ We were"
/ The man made no answer for a few
/ moments. He was thinking of what he
+ should say, and how he should say it.
/ to the unsuspecting lad But James
| Christie was a man who was quick to
/ decide and act when emergency de-
manded it, and he determined to. in a
measure, take Tom into his confidence
and tell him a certain part of the truth
So he waited until he was dressed and
ready to come out on deck.
''Sit down again, my lad. I have
/ something very serious to tell you
something that viii give you great dis
tress. This steamer is not going back
to sydney"
/ Toms face cIouded with disappoint-
/ ment, and his thoughts flew at once
+ to those at home at Crows Nest. Then
/ he raised a faint smile. I'm sorry to
hear this, Sir Ny poor aunt and sis
/ ter viii. of course, think that I am
/ drowned 1 am sorry now that I came
/ alongside"
so am l." said Christie quickly,
/ but I am glad to tell you that by this
/ time your aunt and sister know that
/ you are safe and we'll
/ Tom gaed at him wOnderingly, and
/ he saw the mans face flush scarlet
When you were asleep I spoke a
/ fishing boat and wrote letter to your
aunt telling her what had happened
to you, and that you were safe on
beard this steamer. The fishermen
promised mel gave them five sover-
eigns-tO put that letter in your aunt's
hands as quickly as possible. And as
a breeze had sprung up they must have
reached Sirius Cove not later than 4
O'Clock this morning"
'But-but, sir, 1 don't quite under
stand" and Tom brushed back his hair
with his hand. why did YOU not
rouse me and send me ashore with the
fishermen? It will be a fortnight be-
fore tlis steamer gets back TO Sydney
from the ArakOOn."
This remark gave Christie an easier
and better opening for telling some of
the truth than he had thought would
be afforded him.
Come on deck and I will tell YOU -
Tom followed him to the bridge, and
as they passed Clancy at the wheel he
saw by the compass that the steamer
was steering east by north. and then,
turning on his heel and looking astern,
he saw nothing but the boundless
Ocean-there was no land in sight
sit down there, please said Chris
tie, pointing to a seat on the starboard
side of the bridge; and, taking one
himself, he drew it near to Tom and
placed his had on the lads knee.
To-
. Warrlgal, as I told you, but 1 am going
to give her another name. Now. I'll
tell you why put something into your
wine TO make you sleep soundIy. I
and some friends of mine coTared her
last night and are running away with
her-piracy. rank piracy. Do you know
what that means %