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

calm spot where 1 can sell you Goa
cheap If you haven't good stee
hawser T. have
But the sea was by no means less
than it had been, and towing ever
with steel hawser in any sea is only
one way of breeding trouble. The Ger
man captain, though he was Dutch
man." knew this and said so.
Sphinx snorted.
What kind of a sailor do you take
me for?" he asked I've towed
broke down 'Dutchmen' all over the
world, so to speak, and / don't pro-
pose to tow big clumsy cruiser with
packthread. Just you let yell out
of you to your officers to send q good
lanyard rope to me and then I'll send
them my bally steel hawser and I'll
haul your cable on board of the Swan
and shackle it on to mine. Then We'll
be all hunky and I'll tow you to
Kiaochow if you like
J And that is what they did, and while
they were doing it Sphinx spoke his
mind as freely as if he were in Barry
Docks exchanging compliments with
any high authority.
Tell those soldiers of yours he
| said at last when his language failed,
| that they are trying to hang me up
short. They want to pull my windlass
out of the decks and take it aboard
of them. I want a hundred fathom at
least, and I'll have it,
So presently he got his way, and,
with his own cable brought aft and
shackled to the cruisers, while the
engines were just turning ahead to
keep the blight of the cable clear of
the Swans propeller, he started for the
lee of Socotra.
Now that were all hunky and right
and tight, I think I'll go on board
that tub of yours and get those papers
signed all regular remarked Sphinx
happily
When they boarded the cruiser Day
rang up the Swans engines and she
went ahead easily. The pace was slow,
but the cruiser had fine lines and tow
ed as easily as a loaded merchant
steamer of half her tonnage. Sphinx
was very much pleased with every
thing and did his best to be agreeable
to the German officers when he was
introduced to them by their owner"
I'm glad to make your acquain-
lance, gentlemen, though 1 wish it
had been in circumstances less humili-
atm to you. Were those GOLFERS of
yours Germans, too?"
They said they We're and Sphinx
shook his head and said that he
thought so. The crews of both col
iiers We're on board
sThey must be just objects of deri-
sion even to your men," said Sphinx
as he shook his head again. IT wish
/ knew why any continental nation
goes to sea. But of course there are
things that no one can understand It
always was SO and always will be-
When the documents that trans
ferred forty thousand pounds from the
poor German Empire to Sphinx had
been signed and slowed away in
Spink's pocket, he said he was peek
ish, and was induced to have an early
lunch with them. They enjoyed it
very much, for he told them all about
Glo'ster and his unfortunate nature |
and his relations with Day and Ward |
He also related some troubles with !
Spain, and gave them to understand |
that the English Foreign Office had |
the greatest trust in his discernment |
And my name is Captain Harry |
Sphinx, of Glo'ster and
Gloster is the English county where /
the best men come FROM said Sphinx !
joyfully. Il should like to meet some
of you chaps in Glo'ster where they
know and love me. If they saw you
with me they would be civil, for when
go about with any one. even if he
is a German, it is a certificate of his
character, though 1 say it that
shouldn't
They said he was ''wunderbar," and
he said that he knew it,
Il know I'm a wonder" he remark
ed modestly, "but I'm a gentleman
and L know when I'm among 'em. I'm
4 stranger here, my friends, but l feel
quite at home, and l hope YOU won't
have any more disasters before you
fetch China. 1 wish I was comm with
you to take care of you. for I'm as
good as pilot as any for all the East
and a sight better than most"
We wish you We're, too" said the
Germans
I'm very much pleased with you
ILL., said Sphinx, land it will always
De a pleasant thought to me that I
saved you as you were fioatin' about
ike as If you were an old tin kettle
n a duck pond, as 1 told your skipper
lere. And though I'm dom you a
service, I don't want to insist on it.
is I'm gettin' paid for it. and I want ]
o do you one that I'm not paid for
1 may. May II"
They asked him what he proposed
o do for them, and he stood up and {
old them.
"Gentlemen, my name is Captain s
Harry Sharpness Sphinx, and I come I
rom the best county in England, and t
have an uncommon deal of pride in Y
ne in spite of my nature which COM Y
els me, as I said. to ship mates I
hat can lick me and speak to me in
'rr''s sometimes that any deck-hand t
hight resent if they were used to him s
Y a drunken admiral And, havin' S
hat pride, I can feel for the pride a
Others, and I want to save you and s
man Empire from 7erision. s
- nd your Empire will GER il