The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-03-25


If you mean that I'm joking. nv
son. you are away off it by leagues.
OF course, you thought / should ask
more l know you did. But I'm not
greedy man and I'd fair hate to
take advantage of any one, even a
German, when he is in distress on the
high seas. Tell your captain and Wen
get to work right off"
There was a brief interchange OF
rapid German between the German
skipper and his lieutenant, and it was
| obvious that the owner of the cruis-
er was in rage.
| He's swearing I do believe" said
Sphinx to his mate, land I like to
hear it. Oh, but I've got him and his
Empire on the hop and no mistake,
| Ward, my son. tins Dutchman is 90
J ing to refuse to pay my very moder-
ate demands. l feel sorry already that
asked SO little. 1 hope he will re-
fuse, for then up go my prices"
| Ward sighed.
You are a wonder, SIR, he said,
and the lieutenant turned to Sphinx.
My captain says that your price is
very much too high one and that
he can not pay SO much"
out SO much as a CULVER of the eye
lid. Il amt in the eoal-selling trade
nor am L tugboat, and 1 can keep
my coal and he can keep the German
Empires money. 1 never did approve
of Your Emperor's scheme for bull
dozin China, and 1 don't banker to
Sell him coal to carry it out
The stranger found it tolerabIy hard
10 follow Spinks talk, but it was by
no means hard to gather his mean
ing, and he was far too young and
ingenious to hiGe the fact that to be
left derelict once more was real
prospect of terror to him. This Sphinx
spotted, and he said to Ward in a
rapid aside:
This josser could never play poker
with you and me, Ward, could he?
why am L so generous? I might ask
moro, oh, much more!"
Once again the lieutenant spoke to
his commanding officer and that auto
crat lost his temper. He had learned
English in England and he showed
sphinx what the fullness of his heart
was and what he knew of English
abuse.
Good, good. very good indeed" said
Sphinx, and just as Ward thought he
was going to answer an awful broad
side he turned to the lieutenant and
said:
Your captain speaks very good En-
glish. L don't know when ] have
heard a foreigner speak it better.
Gocd-by.''
And he held out his hand in the
pleasantest way. The poor lieutenant
sighed and gasped and took it.
You Will not sell for less than ten
pounds, sir?" !.
Sphinx beamed on him as if he was
his dearly-belovvd brother
The price is twenty pounds now"
ne said amiably, and twenty thou
sand for towage. But good-by, sir. I
see your captain will not pay and I'm
osing time, which is money in all
except Spanish. I've been
7ery glad to make Your acquaintance.
# you ever come to England l shall
De glad to see you. I'm Captain Harry
Sharpness Sphinx, of Glo'ster.'
And he accompanied the lieutenant
o the gangway with the most affec-
tomato courtesy
Run the ensign up and dip it po-
itely to these poor chaps, Day" said
sphinx as the German went over the
ide, IHSH Skipper mas Ueen Tune. DuC
can understand his regard for my
ountry's interests. We don't want
Germans in China if we can help it, :
nd though I was bound to try and
zeal with him on account of my own
RS, I'm glad it has fallen through"
But Sphinx knew we'll enough it had
lot fallen through, and when he dip
'ed his ensign and rang the Swan
full speed ahead he was quite aware
hat the business had only begun.
<everthless, he was mile off and
vas going at nine knots an hour be
ore the German made a sign. Then
he made another signal: II want to
with YOU And Sphinx
urned TO the two mates and smiled
nee more
When it comes to business, I'm n
ca! cultivated daisy" said Sphinx He
rOught the Swan round again in a
ircle and headed her for the German.
lie showed them how he could handle
steamer and, as he said, he put
ne fear of Heaven into their hearts }
y making them think he was going
, run her down. But, just as they
cyan to yell at him furiously. he /
'ent full speed astern, came round
18th his propeller and his helm work
lg together and stopped her dead and /
roadside on within fifty feet.
'How's that for high?" asked Sphinx. n
{ m the boy to handle boat
We'll, what do you want TO COM 1
unicate this time, sir?" he asked. /
i'll with the greatest politeness. For I
you have only brought me back here a
swear 1 want You to know that I =
lall answer You this time, and no
tai error. You amt to think be-
iuse / said nothing just noyv that 1
ant use my mother tongue to adj
lntage. Come to business. What are
III after, sir?'
II think you had better come on
)ard and then we can talk said the
srman, who was a very big and typ
al clean-shaved North German with