Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-29
THE CAPTAIN OF THE KANSAS
By LOUIS TRACY,
(Copyrisht, 1905. By Edward J. Clode.)
CHAPTER XvI-Continued.
>Author of 1.-THE Wings of the Morning." Etc.

CHAPTER XVI-Continued.
For once her expressions of gratitude
were heartfelt. Mrs. Somerville even
wept for joy. This poor woman after liv-
ing twenty-fv years in the oasis of a
mission house was a strange subject for
storm-tossed wandering and fights with
cannibals. Seldom has fate conspired
with the tickle sea to sport with such
helpless human fiotsam. save. perhaps. in
that crowning caprice Of the waves which
once cast ashore live baby in cradle.
But the baby's emotions were crude,
and probably in no wise connected with
the tremors of shipwreck, whereas Mrs
Somerville. during these full days, was
constantly asking herself how it could be
possible that she was living at all.
ut will be real manifestation OF
Providence IL we ever reach England
again." she cried, dabbing her eyes with
a handkerchief I'm sure John and I
have said so many time during the past
week. To think of the ships blowing up
in the way she did, 1t makes me all OF
tremble, 1t does"
oh" broke in Elsie. thinking that the
Information she possessed would help to
calm the older woman. we have made a
boat went away without me, 1 mean. But
do tell me. how did those horrid Chileans
manage to cast off the tackle before Mr..
Gray or some Of the other men were able
to stop them? OF course. 1t is matterless
now, in a sense, but at that moment 1t
looked like leaving those on the ship to
certain DEATH
Mrs. Somerville was stricken dumb.
The Americans shooting Of two men on
White Horse Island had naturally called
for complete explanation on his part.
and she did not know how to answer
Elsies question. Before she could gather
her wits. Isobel interviewed.
'If you had been in that boat, dear"
she said. sweetly, you would realize the
topsy-turvy condition of our brains Even
Mr.. Gray himself, the coolest man on
board, imagined we might sink any mo-
ment. So what can you expect of those
excitable Chileans? Besides, the thing
was done so quickly that we were swept
away by the tide before any one fully
understood what was happening. ANY,
how, you had the best of it. as events
transpired. What are the discoveries you
spoke OFF,
Well. some one placed dynamite
among the COAL
But who would do such thing?"
THAT is hard to say. The captain be-
lieves that the culprit will be found out
through the insurance policies. He and
the others were discussing the affair one
day in the charthouse-soon after the
dynamite cartridges were discovered-and
you cannot tell how surprised I was to
hear him mention Ventana's name In
connection with it.
"VentanaS name!'
The blood ebbed away from 1sobers
cheeks, leaving her pallid as a statue.
There was gasp in her voice. which
startled her own ears. Lest her agita-
ton should be noted too keenly, she bent
forward and propped her face on her
clenched hands. staring fixedly at the dis
tant cliffs in a supreme effort to appear
apathetic. Elsie heard that dry sob. but
her friends seeming Indifference misled
her.
YES" she said. wondering a little
whether or not Christobal's yelled hint
regarding a bygone tenderness between
the two might account for Isobel's hys-
terical outburst on the night Of the ships
breakdown. Indeed, so warm hearted was
she that she hesitated a moment before
continuing; but she felt that it would be
altogether better for Isobel to be prepared
end Of the ships voyage would assuredly
bring forth. So. pondering unspoken
thoughts the while, she told the others
exactly what Tollemache, Christobal and
Courtenay had said. and even revealed to
them that which Courtenay himself did
not yet know.
You remember the poor fellow who got
into trouble soon after we sailed from
Valparaiso?" she said. His name is
Frascuelo. He was wounded again in last
nights fight. but not seriously. and he
and I are quite chums. He assures me
that he was drugged by man named
Jose Anacleto. who took his place among
the coal trimmers-
"Oh, Miss Maxwell. come quick!'
screamed Mrs. Somerville. for Isobel had
lurched sideways out of her chair in a
fainting fit and the missionary's wife
was barely able to save her head from
striking the ships rails.
Joey was shot out of Elsie's lap with
such surprising speed that he trotted
away without any exhibition of lameness.
He was quite Disguised. for at least five
minutes, but it is reasonable to suppose
that a dog of his intelligence would
brighten up when he heard the wholly
unlooked-for story which Christobal was
translating to Courtenay, word for word,
as 1t was dragged hesitatingly out of
Suarez.
The Argentine miner had been badly
injured during the struggle for possession
of the promenade deck. Owing to loss of
consciousness, supplemented by an awk-
ward fall, he might have choked to death
had he not been rescued within few
minutes. He was very i'll all night, and
it was not until midday that he recovered
sufficient strength to enable him to ques-
ton the Indians on board.
Courtenay wished specially to find out
what chance, If any, there was of the
Alaculof attack being renewed. When
Christobal assured him that Suarez might
safely leave his bunk. he asked the doc
tor to bring the Spaniard to the fore
| cabin, in which the wounded savages lay
| under an armed guard.
!. It was obvious that some of the manned
wretches recognized Suarez, notwith-
standing his changed appearance, the in
slant he spoke to them. At once they
broke out into an excited chattering, and
Suarez was so disconnected by the tidings