Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-11-09
CHAPTER VI.

uo,,obt the first train to London.
W, : cot to a hotel wrote two letters.
W. W., ,vaa to the Admiralty, the other to
On' &C. If the Black Anchor Line of
In' .Oto.n Steamships I told Roderick
had done, but he laughed at the
% ,ylo The next day found myself stand
!uS"i rnaa gerly furnished ante-room at
no no Admiralty. and there waiting the
I w OF one of the clerks, who had
kon daDgted to talk with me.
"Tf there is any responsible person
...on said 81 should be glad to impart
~ hin, some very curious, and, as it seems
mo verv remarkable information con-
o5.ning warship which has just left
Caozia and is supposed to be the property
If the Brazilian government.
"Its very good of you, don't you knew,
!, roo1ied. as he bent down to arrange
81, annie trousers but fancy we heard
somnthinc about her last week, so we
won't trouble you, don't you know" and
10 foIt 70 see if his bow were straight.
Within half an hour l sat in the pri-
vata room of the secretary to the Black
Anchor Steamship Company. He was
charm man of business, keen-visaged as a
forrpt. I told him shortly that l had
reason to doubt the truth of the statement
that a varship recently built at Spezia
was intended for the purposes set down
10 her: that l believed she was the prop
artv Of an American adventurer whose
motives scarce dared to realize, and that
if his company would agree to bear the
expense, and to give me suitable recon-
Dense would undertake to bring him the
whole history of the nameless ship within
twelve months. When l had done, he
rang the bell for his clerk, and I could see
that he felt himself in the company of a
maniac.
Roderick was not at all surprised-it
seemed to me rather that he was glad.
"Whatdid I tell you? Who will believe
such tale as we are hawking in the
market place selling, in fact, to the high
est bidder? But I believe the whole of
your dead friends story, and therefore I
have bought steamer"
You have done what"
AT o'clock to-day, in your absence, I
bought the steam yacht Rocket. Before
We go on board her, the yacht VIII be re-
christened by Mary-who will stay with
her dear maiden aunt in our absence
and will be named after your vessel Celsis.
Her crew will consist of our silent friend,
Captain York, of his brother as chief
mate and of your men now at Ports
mouth with half dozen more. We shall
need eight firemen, whom the agents will
engage, and three engineers, already
found. Your cook will serve us very we'll,
and we want now only a second and third
officer. AS these men will be mixed up
with US on the quarterback, 1 have told
the agents to send them up to see you
here-sO you'll run your eye over them
and tell me if they'll do"
Frederick, my old friend, would you
mind giving me that yarn from the be-
ginning again?"
Il hate palaver," he said, "and didn't
think to find you dense. Now, look here
until you read me that paper in your cab
III, l don't know that | ever felt anger
against any man, but I'll bring the man
who murdered Martin Hall and many
others to justice or I'll never know an
other hours rest. Is it money you want?
Well, what's mine is yours; and I'm
worth two hundred and fifty thousand
you're after? Well then, mark your man,
learn all about him. run him to his hole,
and don't fear to recompense yourself.
What we're going to do must be done at
our cost, which is my cost And what
we're going to do isn't to be done at this
hoteI' it's going to be done on the high
seas, and after that in America on the
Hudson river, where if Hall be right, is
the home of Captain Black. 1t is to the
Hudson river that I mean to go now"
In an hour | was closeted in the room
below with Francis Paolo, who had come
from the agents to seek the berth of sec
ond officer to the new yacht Celsis.
found him to be sprightly, dark-faced
IaIIan, apparently no more than % years
oo' and he greeted me with much smooth
ness OF speech. He had served three years
ou big steam yacht, and as he was I'M
mS'akably gentleman and his discharges
were IN perfect order, l engaged him there
ana then. Had l known him then as 1
@DoW him now, l would have paid a thou
S"Ho pounds never to have seen him!