The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-07-18
XII

1E1xSnAA IW
Now, my lads said Kettle, you've
rot to hump yourselves, or wesN have
HI steamer swamping beneath US. It'll
be touch n go anyway. Mr.. Cambel.
youth have the deck alto yourAelf. at
ter you've done your Job on the fore-|
hold. Of course, and you'd better Jump
lively afterthat at nee. Every gill OF
water tells now, and 1t striker me If
we've very much more OF the Mexican
gulf IN board the decks will blow IN.
and she'll 70 down like kentledge bal
last
Cambel darted through the doorway.
And now, Mr.. Sullivan. understand
that. although I stilI continue to ate
as skipper of this craft. for the present
I'm going to work an fireman and coal
trimmer. You Will be chief engineer.
and I'm the sum total OF your crew,
and between us we've got to do the
work OF seven horses and one mule.
Are the bilge pumps clear?'
Yes. sor."
And has h still q rood head Of
steam"
She has. None's been blown OF. -
to your hardware shop and start In
work"
wait a BIT. sor." said the donkey
nan There's things here / don't un-
d~ersetand. Aren't the lives Of us In
beastly danger? Didn't them boats 60
Oll 0NCd0 SG lAS SICdxIlGE = SHRINK aFN
do you" retorted Kettle. consider
me one Of those fancy sort OF maniac
who have no wish to survive The loss
Of a ship? / tell you I should have been
drowned eight times already II that
had been my lay. No. Mr.. Chief. Fair
to Nick in that and value my life At
less than a rice mat. but at other times
you bet TIM no fool to chuck 1t away,
But" said h donkeyman, what
gets mes this: If the blooming steam
(er's bottoms shot out, what's the fun in
will circulate through that hole longer
than our bilge pumps will u
You tire me" said the little man.
Who said she'd her bottom blown out1
I tell you this steamer was sunk a Few
plates below her Usual trim-for rea-
sons-and now we are going to pull her
up again. See here, new Mr.. Chief.
take the cinch from me and ask no
more questions, and you'll get told no
Hes. TIN pay you. II you do as you're
bid abroad Of me, youll have sover-
elgns enough given you to work
through the biggest spree that was
ever spread out in a seaport town"
The big donkeyman appreciatively
drew the back of a hand across his
muzzle. "Ah. captain. DEAR" he said
coaxingly. I'd Just like to hear ye
mention a figure"
Call 1t two G10 notes.
Then. be Christopher, I'm yer man
for any piece OF devilrnent in the cal
endar. Come along, captain, dear. IT'S
a melodious little man We are, for all
they say against yez.n
Meanwhile the steamer was becom-
ing more and more water logged with
every plunge and roll, and Patrick
Cambel feared that his dangerous
strategem for driving away the crew
mad been carried too far. 1t seemed to
him innnccih1n that t1,4,r - -, - y-.LL-
her now. True, she was brought up to
the wind by the after canvas, and her
roll1ngs We're not of such sickenfng
strength, U the stern doomed high in
the wild night air, and theb bows lunged
deep into every successive sea that
rolled up from the stormy south. TAX
ing the green water over the forecastle
head in masses which secured anchors
and windlass to the naked iron.
The wash found its way below
through that Jagged gap In the lower
deck in crashing waterfalls, and every
moment, too, the opened valve beside
her keel was gushing In fresh gallons
to her swapping holds. Any larger sea
which swept up now might well settle
over her solidly and launch her with
nursted decks onto the sponges and
the coral growths 100 fathoms below,
Some men, In the face of such condf-
TONS, would have been amazed help-
less, physically incapable in the pres
ence Of that solitude to making any
necessary effort, for it Is one thing to
DO a desperate matter before the eyes
of an a%pplauding crowd and another
when the devil below is your only an
precfative onlooker. 1t would have
been beyond the capabilities Of Can
tain Kettle, for instance. Cambel, how
ever, was the one mar in the rniilinn
to whom the adventure was as rnaat
and drink. If he succeeded. then the
profit was his If he failed, death
would be useful to him, and ANYWAY
there was the wild excitement Of the
moment, which was a meal to be
Joyed, and one which nothing could
snatch away.
Continued Next Weekly