The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-05-13
CHAPTER vi.
In Which We Attain N. or.r {,

| DuT adventure had been successful
/ " accomplished through its first step:
/ now il remained to get safely out 10
| sea. As | turned to retrace my steps
/ to the deck I encountered De Nova
| coming up.
Pretty lucky job, monsieur" he
| said. iovially. 1T was wat you call
ze picnic, bet. Ze companion was
/ lock. an re guard posted Wat more
! now for me?"
| Relieve Mr.. futile in the engine
room Keep three men below there
! with You, and arm them as guards.
! Make the Kanakas do the firing and
| hold the engineer to it with a gun at
| his head You know enough about
| sjoke-hole to tell whether things are
| going right, don't you?"
He nodded. and l could see the
! CLEAN Of his white teeth.
"Ghen get your steam up but don't
| let those fellows fire so as to drive
/ any flame out of the stack, and watch
! that Johnny Bull so that he can't put
| any kinks in the machinery. Don't
take your eyes off him. DO you under
/ stand the signalS?"
| "Ay. ay. monsieur"
Then stand by. Well tow out at
once with the boats. but | want you
! ready for business the very moment
! We cast off the lines Send all the
| rest of the men on deck and ask Mr.
| futile to report to me here imme-
| diately."
/ was not kept waiting. Two men
came stumbling up the companionway
| together | peered at them. uncertain
OF their identity in the gloom.
/ is that you, Mr.. Tuttle?"
Yes. sir. This is Johnson. one OF
! the wheelsmen; thought YOU would
likely need him, so I brought him
/ along"
Very good. Johnson go on up
( into the WheelhOuse and sec that all is
clear. I'll give you directions later.
/ Mr.. futile. we'll tow out until we get
! the sweep of the sea fairly under our
I fore foot. Get the lines out to the
boats at once. with full crew at the
I oars. You are to take command and
| shall have to trust you for the
( course, as we cant risk signaling
presume you are acquainted with the
/ harbor lights?"
Been in here eight times in ten
years without a pilot"
Then you ought to know the
course. but take no chances; feel your
way, only keep The ropes taut. Have
you any man fit to take charge Of the
second boat? | need De Nova below"
THE boatswain, sir that big fellow
with the scar"
What's his Nance"
"Bill Anderson"
An right; put him in the cutter.
Leave me three men on deck. and post
the best one of the lot at the stern
line ready to cast off As soon as you
get the ropes out I'll slip the anchor
chain, and leave the flullcs in the mud.
/ Work lively now: We must be well out
at sea before daylight"
/ He stood leaning against the rail.
peerinG ont over the water, his hands
shading his eyes
Have yon spotted any guardboats
with your classes" he questioned. I'M
ca lily.
Only that one yonder; see. the yell
low light Just rounding the stem of that
big brig. There was a steamlaunch
ont there to the west about 90 minutes
ago, but ii seems to have disap-
/ peared."
Swallowed mp in the fog likely" he
admitted. snufiing the air like a
pointer dog. Wen find it banked
| pretty heavy outside. or I'm a luhber
Wen, so much the better for our job
All right, Mr. Stephens I'm off. and
well have you in tow in a iiffy. I'll
put the niger at the stern line: he's
the best all-round hand on board"
However ] may have disliked and
diStruSted the whaleman he certainly
proved himself an able seaman and a
smart officer. He comprehended every
detail of his work, and held his men to
II finely. Within 90 minutes we were
in motion. moving slowly, vet steadily
toward the black vacancy outlined by
the harbor lights on either hand
There was no disturbing sound TO be-
tray progress. the yachts sharp cut
water cleaving its passage through
the liquid with the merest faint ripple
scarcely leaving a CLEAN of white foam
behind, the oars dipping silently. the
two lines held taut to the strain. Ex.
utant, ! climbed once again TO the
bridge, gave a few directions to the
obseryant Johnson standing motion
less at the wheel and leaned anxious
ly over the rail. studying the water.
front through leveled glasses
II was a barren. deserted waste. ex-
cept for deeply laden schooner beat.
Ing slowly up along the north shore
under closely reefed topsails. and the
cleaning lights OF a large steamer
lust beginning TO emerge family
through the curtain Of fog a triae TO