Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-25

tWO sduOIb III Une IOTe CHdluS WIN
results, | myself think, with Fred, that ne
had considerable to do with getting the Clm-
bria IN to the harbor, notwithstanding tne
Mt. Deserters say that she was brought IN py
the aid OF coast-survey chart, and withous
pilot.
AS the big steamer swung at her anchorage'
and was surrounded by a swarm OF poats,
whose occupants we're not then allowed W
come on board, Fred shook the commandane
heartily by the hand, to his manifest amaZee
ment and the horror of group of ssubordl-
nate officers, who would have as soon tnougne
of shaking hands familiarly with the Gar
himself 90,
"But the old fellow was a trump, after ALL
Fred said, in great glee, as he related the mel
dent afterward, "for he gave me twenty-five
dollars in gold, and had no end OF nice gruo
and things to put into my dory before IL was
lowered
Like EVERYONE else who had seen the Cim-
bria's arrival Fred was devoured with curios-
ity to know what it all could mean; so, as ne
was going over the side, after nodding good-
bye to a number of gold-laced oflclals, ne
asked Lieutenant Powlzki, in whisper, II ne
would please tell him what the errand OF tne
Cimbria really was.
''You will tell not to any, if / say in pri-
Indeed, 1 WON'T Fred promised, eagerly.
''Then," said Lieutenant Powlzki, beckoning
Fred to hold his necrer. Il you will tell.
1t is"
''What?" asked Fred, b.-athlessly, as the
lieutenant seemed to hestateA
"a secret" calmly whispered that officer,
with a gentle twinkle in his eyeN
| And by the time Fred reached his dory,, at
the bottom of the ladder, he had an .iea that
he had been "strung'-just little.
| OF course as soon as he got ashore, every
| one was anxious to know all about the Cnp-
| bria and her errand, but Fred could tell them
nothing.
"The commander and ] piloted her in, ant.
that's all | know about it" was his final an I
swer to every inquirer.
! And, now l think of it, l am not sure that
! the question has ever been satisfactorily an
swered to this day. excepting in conjectural
sort of way. The nearest approach to solu-
tion is that Russia was then rather expecting
a war with England, and that the Cimbria
was sent over to recruit men for her naval
service, and that this out-oftheway place
was chosen because there was so little tempta-
| ton for their own men to desert.
| Fred's first thought was to send postal to
his Uncle Tom, that he might relieve the anx-
iety which he knew he must feel.
Stepping into the little postofice, he was
about procuring one, when he heard man
lounging by the counter say to gentleman
who was mailing some letters:
',Tbat air artis' friend of your'n has started
off. all alone by hisself, in Banks sailboat, for
Seaville, amt he!'
"Why, no; I didn't know it." replied the
otber-sthough it's no more than / should
have expected of such an odd stick" he added,
as he walked to the door and looked out upon
the broad harbor.
"Well," he has, said Skipper Hodson, step
ping outside. That's the White Wing off
rugged boat slowly beating out of the harbor-
can all Banks could do OF. say, Brown would
MT take no one with him."
"Just like Vandyke Brown" said the gen.
tleman, in a tone. of some irritation. I'VE
wanted him to wait day or two, and all go
+ooether. hut mol Young Balch has hronoht a
party from New York in Browns yacht to
camp out near Seaville, and they got in night
before last; so, nothing to do but he must
start off alone to meet them"
"Humph!" observed Skipper Hodson, cock
ing his eye significantly toward the slightly
beelouded be-, heavens. "He's got the wind light
from the s'utheast just now, but by the look
of the sky an my promoter to home he'll
have it considerable, diffrent fore morning,
an plenty of it, too"
conversation. Hastily refecting that, with
"any kind of fair show" as he EXPRESSED Il
he could arrive at Seaville long before postal
!, card-for, excepting on boat days. the mails
go, by stage to Bangor, and thence down river
moments, favored by the ebb tide he was
quite rapidly overhauling the White WING for
the wind, which was ahead, seemed to be dy;no
out very fast though bank of cloud in the
north indicated possibility of breeze from
Heading his dory so as to intercept the sail.
boat ON her port tack, Fred pulled SO stea1;Jy
. and strongly that in less than half an hosr
he was within hailing distance.
Boat ahoy" shouted Fred
! "Hello" returned Mr.. Brown. who mos
swaying up his mainsail.
, "Do you want passenger" Fred inou;rad
, mol" was the very unlooked-for and abrnnt
: answer. ups
AS Mr.. Brown thus curtly expressed hin,
self he started Tn aft Varv fonl.bI.,