Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1910-11-10
CHAPTER ".
sHELLED BY A MYSTERIOUS FOE on sHo

~OKE remained on the bridge un-
E Ill long after Iris had seen and
W admired the cluster of stars
which old time navigators used
TO regard with awe. When shafts of
white light began to taper pennon-like
in the eastern sky the girl went back to
her cabin. Contrary to Hozier's eXpec-
tation, Coke did not attempt to draw
from him any account of their CONVEX
sation prior to the inexplicable mishap
to the wheel. He examined u couple
of charts, made u slight alteration in
the course and at O'Clock took charge
of the bridge
Just ave look around now while
things is quiet" he said, nodding to
Hozier coniidentially. I'm tell you
wot | fancy. a rat dragged a bit OF
bone into a gear box. If the plankin
Is badly worn anywhere, get the car
penIer tu see to it, | do ate to ave
feelin thar the wheel can let you
down Spnse we was maxim Bahia
on the homeward run an that 'appen-
ed. II I'D be the end of the pore ole
ship, az Oo'd credit it? Not soul
They'd all say, Jimmie threw er
away"
Hozier found gnawed piece of ham
bone lying in the exact position aDtici-
pated by Coke.
The carpenter busted himself with
saving and hammering during the
whole of the next two days, for the
Andromeda revealed many gaps in her
woodwork, but the escapade of an err
rant ham bone was utterly ecipsed by
a new sensation. at daybreak one
morning every drop of water in the
vessels tanks suddenly assumed
rich blood red tint. This unnerving
discovery was made by the cook. who
was mortified to see ruby stream
pouring INTO the earliest kettle. Think
ing that an iron pipe had become oXi-
died with startling rapidity, he tried
another tap Finally there could be no
blinking the fact that by some un-
canny meanS the whole of the fresh
water on b. t4 bad acquired the color
If not the I He of n thin burgundy.
N'ht W do hdSIly' lNO-
blesse oblige, being captain, he val
iantly eSsayed the task of sampling
this strange beverage.
at aip't p'iSOn." he announced. gaZ-
ing suSplcIouSly at the little group OF
anxious faced men who awaited his
verdict III sartinly ain't p'ison, but
it's wusS nor any teetotal brew I've
tackled in n! me born days. Ere,
Watts. YOU kuoW the tang of every
kind o likkei ave sup"
Not me said Watts. Il don't like
the look of ID, First time I've ever
seen req uis ~ tap For the rest of
this trip sti"k to bottled beer or
something wi II Il label"
at smells like an infusion of per-
manGAnate of potash" volunteered Ho-
zier
Does it," growled Coke, who seem
ed to be greatly annoyed. "Not pity
II amt an infusion of whisky an pot
ashr' and he glared vindictively at
Watts Some iijit as bin playin'
trick on us that's wot it is-some
blank soaker 90 don't give a hooraw
in h,ldeS for tea an coffee an cocoa,
but wants tonic Stooard!'
Yes, sir." said the mess room attend
ant
Portion out all the soda water in
the lockers an whack 1t on the table
every meal till it gives out See that
nobody puts away more'n is proper
allowance too. I'm not goin' to cry
hush baby wen the Andromeda gets
this sort Of kids dodge worked off on
'er'
IF gou allpodin' to me" put In
the incensed chief" whose teItfi
rose on this direct provocation, 81 wur
to tell you now
Does the cap ft?' sneered Coke.
NO. it doesn't. l never card of I'll
kind of potash in me life. Dye tai
me for chemists shop"
Never card Of it~ cried the incens
ed skipper. who had obviously made
up his mind as to the person respOnsi
bic for the Outrage There's art
dozen cases Of it in the after holder
there was wen we put the 'atches on
Even if some of the cases were bro
ken. sir, the contents could not reach
the tanks" said Hozier But the com
nsander's wrath