The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-06-12
THE NEWS DEMOCRATS DAILY STORY
To be published in daily instaments on this page
-THE
SLAVE SQUADRON
A THRILLING TALE OF ADVENTURE
By HARRY COLLINGwOOD
CHAPTER III-Continued.

OF incredulity, seeing that was con-
senting party 10 that awful piece OF de-
ception which Tomkins played off upon
you. Ha, ha, hal excuse me. but i really
wish you could have seen yourself when
that mschievous friend OF mine accused
you of-of-what was 1t? oh. yes. OF play
ing fast and loose with the affections OF
the fictitious Lady Sara, or whatever the
fellow called her. And then again. when
he remarked upon your extraordinary re-
semblance to -Somebody-another
fictitious friend OF his. and directed at
tention TO your lofty intellectual fore
head. your proud eagle glance. your oh,
dearl IL was too much"
And of went his lordship into another
paroxsym OF laughter, which sent the
tears coursing down his cheeks, and
caused me 10 flush most painfully with
modification.
Upon my word. Hawsbil-" he COM
menced.
MY name II Hawkesley. my lord. at
your service q ia interrupted somewhat
angrily ! am afraid
II beg your pardon. Mr.. Hawkesley: the
mistake was a perfectly genuine and un-
intentional one l assure you. I was going
to apologize-as I do most heartily, for
laughing at you In this very impert'nent
fashion. But, my dear fellow let me ad-
wise you as n friend to overcome your
very conspicuous vanity | am, perhaps,
taking a most unwarrantable liberty I'm
presumlng TO offer you advice on 80 deli
cate subject, or. indeed. I'm alluding To
IL at all. but TO tell you the truth, have
taken rather n liking for you in spite OF
-ah-ahem-that Ia I mean that you
struck me as being a frst-rate fellow,
Notwithstanding the little failing which
have hinted.
"You are quite good enough every way
TO pass muster without the necessity for
any attempt TO clothe yourself with hcti-
tious attributes OF any kind. OF course, In
the ordinary run OF events you Will soon
he laughed out OF your weakness-there
Is no place equal 10 a man-of-war for the
speedy cure OF that sort OF thing-but the
process IL often a very painful one TO the
patient--I have passed through II myself,
so I can speak from experience-so very
painful was II 10 me that, even at the
risk OF being considered impertinent,
have ventured 10 give you friendly eau
tion, in the hope that your good sense
will enable you to profit by IT, and 80
save you many bitter modification.
Now I hope have not offended your"
'By no means my lord" replied.
grasping his proffered hand. ION the con-
trary. | am very sincerely obliged TO
you"
At this moment the first lieutenant OF
the ST. George reappeared on deck, and
coming up to me with Mr.. Austin's let
ter open in his hand, said
my friend. Mr.. Austin, writes me that
YOU are quite out OF eggs on board the
Daphne. and asks me to lend him a cou-
pie OF dozen" OHere was another take
down for me: the importont despatch
with which I-out Of all the midshipmen
on board-had been intrusted was simply
n request for the loan OF two dozen eggsD
''Ie sends to me for them instead OF pro-
curing them from shore. because he is
afraid you may lose some OF your boats
crew" evidently. Mr.. Austin had not
the high opinion Of me that I fondly i'm
agined ne had.) 81 am sorry TO say I
cannot oblge Mr.. Austin: hut think we
can overcome the difficulty II you do not
mind being delayed n quarter Of an hour
or so I have q packet which I wish 10
send ashore and n you will give Lord
Southdown here-who seems 10 be
friend OF yours-a passage 10 the Hard
and OF again. he will look after your
boats crew for you whilst you purchase
your eggs"
I OF course acduiesced In this proposal:
whereupon Lorrd Southdown was sent in
10 the captains cabin for the packet IN
question: and on his reappearance a few
minutes later we jumped into the boat
and went ashore together, his lordship
regaling me on the way with sundry en-
tertaining anecdotes whereof his humor-
Gus friend Tomkins was the hero.
We managed To execute our respective
errands without losing any of the boats
crew: and duly putting Lord southdown
on board the st. George again. returned
triumphantly 10 the Daphne with my
consignment Of eggs and handed them
over intact to Mr. Austin. After which
7 dived below. ilst In time 10 partake OF
the hrst dinner provided for me at the
expense Of His Most Gracious Majesty
George ~.
For the remainder ~ that day and dur
ing the whole Of the next, until nearly
10 o'clock at night. we were up TO our
eyes in the business OF completing stores,
etc. and generally, In getting the ship
ready for sea; and at daybreak on tho
second morning after I had Joined. the
fore-topsail was loosed. blue peter run up
20 the royal-mast head. the boats holsted
IN and slowed, and the messenger passed.
after which all hands went 10 breakfast.
At 9 O'Clock the captains gig was sent
on shore. and az II a m. the skipper came
OF. his boat was hOsted up 90 tire davits,
the canvas loosed. the anchor tripped.
and away we went down the Solent and
out past the Needles. with n slashine
breeze az O. e. o. and every stitch ~ can
vas set. from the topgallant studding-sails
doWnwards