The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-19

thelr own against the muddy tide OF
tho Ki-ang that flowed down with Z
strong but sluggish force.
There were four of these lieutcnants
besides Mckenzie. All were bright
eyed, clean shaven boys, who thought
themselves IN great luck in their pres
ent duty In addition to their sur
prising youthfulncss, one of them, Bal
estler, was heir to an earldom and had
ten thousand pounds a year of his
own. As such Admiral Harbord viewed
MN with the greatest distrust. Bal
estier s executive officer, chubby, pink
checked boy, Hyde. was an honorable
and, worse still. played the violin in
an acceptable manner. There is nat.
ural antagonism between violins and
torpedoes, rs everybody will admit.
Admiral Harbord, looking over his
subordinates, concluded that, except
Lieutenant Mckenzie, none of them
was qualified to take care Of himself
Also, that Balestier needed the foster
ing care of an admiral moro than any
of the rest. He announced, therefore
that he would make a cruise Of obser'
walton up the river in Number One
In the course Of a day or two. At this
a pail of gloom settled upon the coun
tenance Of Balestier and Lieutenant Nc
S spirits suddenly rose. The nd
miral would not in any circumstances
have called his conference in the bare
little cabin of Number Five, with these
youngsters, a council Of war. He brief
ly dictated to them their business in
those waters. This was, under the guise
of torpedo-boat evolutions. to find ont
things the Chinese river officials did
not wish known. If anything was really
wrong 1t could be rapidly conveyed to
the Porcupine, which, having lately
hDpn 1al ,bai lp
her seventeen knots easily, and mete
out justice from her main and sec
ondary batteries. Also she had boats
and men enough to punish any recalci-
trants. On no account were the tor
pedo boats to do more than act as
scouts
"Above all things, gentlemen" said
the admiral in an awful voice, looking
around the table upon his young com
manders, remember this IS an expcdi-
ton of observation only. If a force
is needed to strike a blow it Will be
done by the gunboat.''
This remark was received in respect.
ful silence, hut ut that moment. the
armiral happened TO knock a marine
glass of the table, and in the clatter
BalcStIer. the heir to the earldom. whis-
pered 10 Russell, the commander of
Number Two:
>'Not if 7 can help it,"
To this Russell returned an intel
ligent wink.
Presently the admiral dismissed his
subordinates. Balestier received the
silent tribute of sympathy from his col
leagues. and was so depressed bv the
prospect of an admiral presence on
Number One that he asked the com
mauders of Two, Three and Four. to-
gether with Hyde. his executive officer,
TO luncheon with him in Number One,
The japanese Spy,
When The FIVE Young officers were
gathered around the table in the little
cabin of Number One and good lunch
con was being served, the conversation
was general, No names were used but
the japanese stewards. who had spent
couple Of years at the naval college
At Toxic, made note in the japanese
cipher TO this effect:
All the lieutenants commanding
much dissatisfied with the admiral IS
orders. They have no taste for run
ming down pirates and Boxers and let.
ting the gunboatS strike the blow anl
get the credit. When the cigars were
served we were turned out Of the room,
but through devices heretofore explained
we heard the conversation.
And this was the conversation:
- know this river pretty we'll, -
Balestier was saying 'The admiral
didn't ask me, and 7 didn't mention
that only five years ago I cruised all
over this ground and know lot about
it: Twenty miles. up the river grows
wider and becomes something like a
shallow lake. Al the further end.
on it is Il granarY built on piles Avlwin
of the Aletta told me yesterday it was
reported that this was a queer sort of
a granarY, chock-a-b block with small
arms and ammunition collected by the
Boxers -
"What a find for the gunboats. -
groaned Lieutenant Frederick Charles
Reginald Russell, commonly known as
Freddy.
"And after we have found it,
gloomily remarked Langton, who com
manded Number Three; the only thing
we can do is to get Tommy Hyde to
play Rule Britannia on his fiddle while
we kneel aud give thanks that the gun
boat has saved the empire. -
Tommy Hyde, the cherubic, innocent
" remarked
81 don u see why we should act mere
" as pigs TO find the truffles for the
gunboat, Why can't we dig 'em up
ourselves?''
MY DON, Tcpllcn bAlSSNlBI, III
voice Of fatherly admonition, "you for
get that torpedo boat is made Of
Dresden china. and the paint on our
sides was laid there by the brush OF
Raphael, or some one equally as good
To rub little of it off means court
Of inquiry, and TO damage n torpedo
tube is to be dismissed the ship, Tor
pedo boats in the eyes Of our gallant
admiral, are choice objects of biiou'
tcrie, to be handled like valuable cary,
ings by Benvenuto CelIini Oh. our
admiral knows the value Of torpedo
boats in time of peace!'
After little more grumbling the
commanders of Numbers Two, Three
and Four departed, leaving Balcsticl
and Hyde alone together in the Sitting
hot little cabin. Then and there he
tween these two young Officers was
hatchcd a conspiracy against the peace
and dignity Of Admiral Harbord, c. i
That afternoon the torpedo boat d.
vision including Number Five. will
| The admiral on board. skinned M tho
river and scattered into the creeks IL
| see what was going on. Number One