Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1907-01-17
CHAPTER IN.


There were two great ships abreast o
each other, and they were steaming wit
so great a pressure of steam that tn
dark green water was cleaved into tw,
huge waves of foam before their bows
and the spray fell in tons upon thei
decks.
The more distant of the two ships was
long in shape and dark in color; she hat
two tunnels painted white. but marked
with the anchor which clearly set hel
down to be one of the famous Black An
chor fleet. Her decks were dark with the
figures of passengers and crew all crowd
ing to the port side, wherefrom the other
ship was approaching her.
1t was this other ship which drew our
gaze. Almost of the same length as the
passenger steamer. which she now APP
preached obliQuely she rode the long swell
with perfect grace. and many of her deck
houses and part of her PROV shone with
the brightness of pure gold. Full the sun
fell upon her in sheen of shimmering
splendor, throwing great reflected lights
which dazzled the eye. Every ornament
on her seemed to be made of the precious
metal, now glowing to exceeding brilliance
in the full power of the sunlight.
She was very big ship. and she had
all the shape of ship of war, while the
tGrrets fore and aft of her capacious fun
mel showed the muzzles of two big guns.
I could see by my glass a whole wealth
of armament in the foretop of her short
mast forward. There was great deck
erection, with a gallery and bridge for
navigation; but no men showed upon the
platform, and, for the matter of that, no
soul trod her decks, so far as our obServ-
alton went. Yet her speed was such as |
do not believe any ship achieved before.
Now rising majestically on the long roll
of the swell now falling into the concave
of the sea, she rushed onward towards the
steamer she was evidently pursuing as
though driven by all the furies of the
deep.
AS we watched her the gunsin her fore
most turret h"lrhod ~. ntri?e ana smoke,
ana we observed the rise and fall of a
shell, which cut the water cables length
ahead of the straining steamer. At that
moment she ran up a flag upon her signal
mast, and, as l read it with my glass, H.
saw that it was the flag of the Chilan
republic.
1t was a matter of satisfaction to me
that Mary still slept, and l looked for
the appearance Of Paolo with some ques-
ton. But he remained below through it |
all. The skipper was the first to speak.
That ship yonder.' said he, jerking |
his thumb to starboard, SIS it any business
of ours?'
''None that know Of" l replied; '''but
t+'c Trrh+r -;,rh+ ,I- Io,,'
think, a Chilan warship running after
liner in broad daylight? What's your
opinion"
IFS fine sight enough. but would |
give half I'm worth to be a hundred miles
away from it; do you want me to get
this boat into port again?"
''Of course"
Then I'm going to put up the helm
and sheer off. I'm not a man that loves
fighting myself. and, with a ship and crew
to look after I've no business in any af
fair of this sort"
Hold on a bit, skipper" said Roder-
lex, las we are, if you please why, man,
it's a sight l wouldn't miss for for
tune"
had my glass to my eye in a moment
and the light was so run upon tne veSSel,
which must have then been a mile and
half away from us. There was now some
one moving upon the bridge, and could
the shape of man.
Throughout the strange scene, this yes
sci of mystery never gave one sign that
men worked at her furnaces below No
evidence of that terrible power which was
then driving her through the seas at
such fearful speed.
But of the activity of her human crew
we had speedily further sign; for, there
was some belchng of fams-fEss
-urret, and 1IiuEl:zeiia'sse e-.zbed fuIl ;,