The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-03-15
SORAKICHI.-.PROMETHEUS
An Imaginary Fight Between an American and
japanese War Vessel in the Midst of
the Pacific Ocean.

about two feet freeboard, apparently
disconnected from the hull proper
wagged slowly from side to side like
the tail of prehistoric saurian.
1 The quartermasters on the bridge
! leveled their glasses at her with rap
turous grins, the officer of the deck
regarded her with amazement through
his binocular, and Jacky, from various
perches on the forecastle and forward
barbette, relieved his feeling in ex-
pressions of unholy joy.
II kin die happy" said one. 'I've
| seen the sea-serpent."
! de horned beast off de Refela-
| tions," murmured a Hebrew coal
HEAVIER, raising his eyes ecstatically to
| heaven.
"Ah, get out, Jonah!" cried another.
"Put on life-belt. Here comes your
whale"
| Slowly the little monster threaded
| her way to the port quarter of the
cruiser, where she came to rest. Volu-
| minous buildings near her nose indi-
Gated that she had cast anchor, though
nothing aboard showed her means of
doing so.
| A water-tight slide opened aft, and
small dingy slid into the water
From the narrow hatchway emerged
civilian and two sailors, who stepped
into the little boat, which was pulled
swiftly to the starboard gangway. The
civilian skipped up the ladder, and was
met by a group OF officers.
ssWell Adams" said Bowers, STEP
ping forward to meet him. you have
done it now!''
Done what?" asked Adams, look
ing down at his clothes to see If ref
erence was intended to new paint or
greasy brass-work.
"It," answered Bowers. "Why, man.
as you came down the bay you threw
the compaSseS out of adjustment on
every ship in port, and I saw the old
Chicago shying like three-year- old"
sfWorse'n that said the navigator.
"The doctor here says that since you
anchored three cases of insanity have
developed forward. You ought not to
be allowed to go around terrifying sea-
faring men this way
ST don't see," began Adams, with
preternatural gravity, "why I should
have injured any compasses. Ny ship
has very little steel in her, and
ooh, my dear old Tartar Interrupt
ted Bowers, Twill you never see a
joke? Come down below and look at
our steering-gear."
They all went below, and Adams
busted himself for a few moments be-
fore the wardroom looking-glass, ar
ranging his tie and folding his lapels
with mathematical precision.
.'By George, you look more Celestial
n
surveyed himself with calm approval
Ought to-" said Adams; "been
taken for Jap by Japs for fifteen
years"
In truth, he was a queer type of the
Down His hair was black
and straight. his complexion sallow to
yellowness. his eyes dark, almond, and
penetrating, between high Mongolian
cheekbones. In his black string tie
and long frock-coat he looked more
like an Oriental proselyte than Yam
kee sailor.
did you happen to run foul of one
Sorakichi in any of your Asiatic
larks?" asked the junior watch.
who? Sorakichi? Oh, yes!" said
Adams. HE was working in my
line: began experiments when I did.
Queer beggar; shut himself up in a
machine shop for ten years and guard
ed his secrets with a private army. |
Guess he never made much of a sue
cess of things ~or we'd have heard
from him.
1.-THE paymaster's been filling us up
with yarns about him." remarked Bow
ers. "Says he's built airships to beat
the Dutch
HE has; but they haven't flown any
more than mine have" said Adams. |
And if mine had been worth 'shucks
I'd have sold 'em to the Mikado. He's
out with a searchlight for such |
You'd better try him with that APP
partition you just brought down the
harbor," announced the navigator.
HE might buy her for a new kind of
patent dragon"
What! the automobfle?'' asked
|
auto Oh, heavens!" exclaimed
Bowers. call her the automosinker;
in the first gale she's liable to be-
come her own anchor. By-the-by,
what's ner name?''
II call her the Franklin"
/
remarked the junior watch, that's
early Saxon for farmer
'"She's named after a great electrical
sharp of the eighteenth century" was
the impressive response.
land he expects her to go 'kfting,
continued the engineer.
It was three days after this that
asst cruiser came flying into port with
he news of Japan's startling seizure
# Honolulu and Pearl Harbor. II
vas too late to carp at the govern
nent,s policy of leaving the city with
tut the protection of the fleet. but the
otal destruction of the islands nne
lew Notifications on the night OF the
7th filed the country with amazement
md Indignation. There were those
Who believed that the fortress ana the
orts had been destroyed by accidental
xpIosions from within, but the general
conclusion seemed TO be that the Jap
.nese cruiser Fujiyama, which was
to be armed with improved
Iynamite guns of great power hao
rent nm under the darkness TO an