The Owosso times., 1910-06-03

1t was then half past 2 O'Clock. ant
the sun would rise soon after 3. Nov
or never the launch must make her ef
fort. Ready hands tore away her dis
guise, she was tilted by crowding il
the poop nearly every man on board
the engines throbbed and she was
afioat
AT daybreak the thousand foot peal
or Fernando Noronha was q dark bul
on the western horizon. No sail OF
smudge of smoke broke the remainder
of the far flung circle. The fugitives
could breathe freely once more. They
were not pursued.
Iris fell asleep when assured that the
dreaded warship was not in sight. Ho.
zier, too, utterly exhausted by all that
he had gone through. slept as if he
were dead. Coke took the first watch
in person. lie chatted with the men,
surprised them by his candor on the
question Of compensation and announc.
ed his resolve TO make for the 800 mile
channel between Fernando Noronha
and the mainland.
When Hozier awoke to find the
launch heading west he was vastly as
tonished by Coke's program.
Watts let the cat out of the bag later.
'ThoSe of us 'oo don't leave Dom
Wots-his-name In the lurch are to get
ten years full pay, eXtry an over an
above Wot the court allows" he said.
Ten years pay an a ten years drunk i!
tn 1-n eli nf
man."
Hozier laughed. Two days ago he
would have asked no better luck than
the helping Of Dom Corria to regain
his presidentship. Now there was Iris
to protect He would not be content
to leave her in charge of the first
grimy collier they encountered, nor
was he by any means sure that she
would agree to be thus disposed of.
He was puzzled by the singular una
nimity Of purpose displayed by his
shipmates. But that was their affair.
His was to insure Iris safety. The
future he must leave to Providence.
And, indeed, Providence contrived
things very differently.
BY nightfall the launch was hun
dred miles west of the island. Norrie
got eight knots out of her. but 1t need
ed no special calculation to discover
that she would barely make the coast
Of Brazil if she consumed every ounce
Of coal and wood on board. Were 1t
not for Hozier's foresight she would
have been drifting with the gulf
stream four hours after leaving the is.
land. AS it was, unless they received
a fresh supplX of fuel from another
ship, they must unquestionably take
the straightest line to the mainland.
During the day they had sighted
three vessels, but at such distances
that signaling was useless. Moreover.
they had to be cautious. The cruiser,
trusting to her speed, might try a long
cast north and south Of the launch's
supposed path. The hours of daylight
were tortured by constant fear. Even
Iris was glad when the darkness came
and they were hidden.
At o'clock in the morning. by
general reckoning, they were midway
L..
were all wide awake, too weary and
miserable to sleep. Suddenly a fog
horn smote the oppressive gloom. 1t
drew near. A huge blotch crossed
their bows. They heard some order
given in a foreign language, and De
Sylvia whispered:
The Sac Geronimo! The cruiser!
tn
they heard another siren. 1t
sounded different note, quantity
harsh blend of discords. Whatsoever
ship this might be, it was not the Sac
Geronimo.
Coke's gruff voice reached every ear:
"Ths time we're nabbed for keeps
unless you all do as l bid you," he
said. when the fog lifts the cruiser
will see us. There's only one thing for
{. Somewhere, close in, is steamer.
She's tramp by the wheeZe of er
norm. We've got to board 'er an sink
he launch. If she's British or Amer
can, o. X, as 'er people will stand
)y us. If she's dago, we've got to
'ollar 'er run every whelp into the
orehold an answer the cruisers sig
lals ourselves"
HoZier, who had contrived to draw
lear Iris while Coke was speaking,
,reathed softly, so that none other
ould hear:
"This is rank piracy. But what else
an we do?"
as it wrongT she asked.
"Well--no, provided we kill no one.
We are justified in saving our own
ives. and the average German or
Italian shipmaster would hand us over
o tho Brazilians without scruple."
Iris was far from Bootle and it's
81 don't care what happens so long
s you are not hurt" she whispered.
"Mr. Hozier." said Coke thickly.
"Yes. sir"
"You've got good eyes an quick ears.
.ay out as far forrard as you can an
ass the word for steerin'"
HoZier obeyed. The discordant bleat
{ foghorn came again, apparently
ght ahead. In few seconds he .
lught the Tapping Of propeller and
lenced the launch's engines.