The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1907-02-02


seriousness of ignorance which is half an
education; and being the son of man |
who starved on fine ability for model |
ling things in clay, and plaster moulding, |
l went out presently to make my living |
First to America, to get the experience
of coming home again; then to the Cape,
to watch other men dig diamonds; to
Rome, to Naples, to Genoa, that might |
know what it was to want food; to South !
America as an able seaman to Australia |
in the stoke-hole of South Sea liner /;
home again to my poor father, who lay
dead when l reached Liverpool.
Il was twenty-five years old then, and
glutted with life. BY what chance it was
cannot tell, but l drifted like living
log into the detective force of my city,
and after working up for few years
through the grades, they put me on the
landing stage at Liverpool, to watch for
men who wished to emigrate. 1t was mis-
cradle employment, but educating for it
taught me to read faces that were dis
guised, old men become beardless, young
men made old. l suppose / had more
| than common success, for when l had
been SO employed for five years l was
sent to London by our people, and there
commanded to go to the Admiralty and
get new instructions. Regard this, please
as the first mark in this record am max
| ing. OF my work for our own people l
may not tell even you, since l engaged
upon it under solemn bond of secrecy but
| l can indicate that l was sent to Italy
to pick up facts in the dock yards there,
and that our people relied on my gifts
of disguise, and On my knowledge of Ital-
ian. In short, l was expected to provide
plans and accounts Of many things mate
rial to our own service, and 1 entered on
the business with alacrity, gained admit
lance to the public dock yards, and knew,
in a twelvemonth all that any man could
learn who had his wits only to guide him.
1t was in Italy during my second year
of work that l had cause to be at Spezia,
inspecting there a new type of gunboat
about which there was much talk and
many opinions. 1t was an evening late
in the year, and the sun was just setting.
l watched the changing hues of the peaks
as the light spread from point to point
upon the castle roof, upon the steel hulls
of great ships. And then saw a strange
thing, for amongst all the vessels l saw
one that stood out beyond them all, a
great globe, not of silver, but Of golden
fire. There was no doubt about it at all :;
l rubbed my eyes, used the glass 1 al
ways carried with me viewed the hull
, l saw lying there from half dozen
; heights; and l was sure that what l saw
was no effect of evening light or strange
, rvrIaUtiV". TL.--LiP-I looked was
built either of brass, or of some alloy OF
brass, as it seemed to me, for the notion
( that she could be plated with gold was
preposterous; and yet the more / exam
ined her, the more clearly did make out
! that her hull was constructed of a metal
t infinitely gold-like, and of so beautiful a
4 color in the redeemed stream which shone
: upon it that the whole ship had the aspect
e of a mirror Of the purest gold had ever
8 seen.
r The dark fell. l returned to the towr
t quickly. l went straight to the sea front
f and began, If l could, to find where the
t water lay wherein this extraordinary
: steamer was locked. l had taken the
t bearings of it from the hills, and l wa:
very quickly at that spot where thought
d to have seen the strange vessel. There
!. truly enough, was a dock in which two
v small coasting steamers were moored, bu
n Of sign of that which 1 sought there
4 was none. | should have had the matter
b out there and then, searching the place
to it's extremity; but l had not been a
k my work ten minutes when l knew tina
n l was watched. A man, dressed as rougl
# sailor, and remarkable for the hideousnes
d of his face and curious maformation o
q one tooth, lurked behind the heaps of SCI
n lumber, and followed me from point t,
n point l returned in good disguise O
| ~; ~ +lo folIo
n ing evening, and again entered the docl
yard. The same man was watching, blu
he had no suspicion of me.
"'Any job goingT l asked, and tn
question seemed to interest him.
~ reckon that depends on the man.
he replied, sticking his hands deep int,
n his pockets. What's little wien chal
u like you good for, except to get yer neel
u brokenp
"'All in my line' l answered jauntily
. having fixed my plan; I'm starving
lie amongst these cutthroats here, and In
lie ready for anything
lg chatted with him, and later on wit
T. his companions, about as fine dozen o
d seif-stamped rascals as ever wish +
IL see. Next day, came again to the doe
10 yards, convinced that l was al the foot o
IL mystery, and, to my delight, l got EN-
p ployment from the chief Of the gang
Ell named Roaring John by his friends an
er was soon at work on the simple and mat
n ter-of-fact business of cutting planks. Thi
IL gave me an entry. to the dock yard-al
E. l wished at the moment.
81 had got admission to the dock, bu
N had learnt nothing of the vessel. l wa
admitted only to the outer BASIN, wher
II, the coasting steamers lay, rid, 'Roarin
OF John threatened me if passed the .gat
We which opened into the dock beyond. Mir
IN ute by minute and hour by hour, wal
~ ed my opportunity. 1t came to me o
he the morning of the eighth day, when
90 reached the yard at four o'clock; and tn
% gate being unopen, l lurked ip hidin
until the first man should come. He wa
no other than the one who had engage
me and when he had gone in he did nc
BY close the SECOND door after him, theI
being no men then at their work. l nee
at not tell you that used my eyes well
ou those minute. There, sure enough, Ia
L.. l.. 4 IoI