The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-11-18
we'd. | realized that / was under

lowed. realized that was under
guard
A launch bearing the port authori-
ties drew alongside. ! looked down
eagerly in hopes that Peters would he
there He was not. A customs officer
boarded us. He told me that the
steamer on which Peters was due had
been in port two days
As the Bostonia was warped up TO
her dock my eyes strained eagerly
darkness, mist and rain for a
first glimpse of the mammoth figure
of my friend. We made fast The
rain continued to beat down and /
continued to keep watch and make ex-
cuses with a sinking heart.
We began unloading steers. Steers,
steers, steers, went Gathering from
deck to dock. An hour passed.; two
hours; yet Peters did not come. Grim
ly | fought against a growing terror.
Vainly | strove to put out of my mind
a hideous picture that kept coming
back and back and back, causing sue
cessive chills to ripple up my spine
until the wet hair bristled on my neck.
1t was horrid vision that [ had of
Peters body Hopping inertly on the
waves as it suffered a sea change
somewhere off Boston Light.
When several hundred head of cat.
tie were unloaded we cast off and
proceeded to the Manchester Canal
We had hardly got under way when
Captain Evans sent for me. Closely
followed by my guard | went up to his
cabin, where | found him with the
mate.
I'VE have made enquiries" said
the captain coldly; the man Peters
is not here. Ye will appear before the
board of trade tomorrow" Then turn.
ing to the mate he ordered: Mr.. Pee.
bles, do your duty"
Without a word The mate bent over
and clasped a pair of medieval look
ing leg-irons about my ankles Then
I was taken down and thrust into u
little cabin, outside the doors of which
sailor was detailed to watch.
Tired and wet as | was, | could not
think of sleep. Throughout the re
mainder of the night l listened to the
beating rain and thought about poor
Peters. From the moment that | had
begun to. doubt his coming | had
blamed myself severely. ! knew now
that, regardless of his Wishes should
have given the alarm when he jumped
overheard. Why, oh, why had l not
known it then? How could | ever
manage to explain it to his family!
How could | ever face them? | could
see his mother and his sisters stand
ing round me- crying and accusing me
OF course they'd know hadn't thrown
him overheard, but they would hate
me almost as bitterly as though l haC
done it. s...
Dawn and daylight trickled through
the portfolio without my having close,
my eyes. Some one brought me my
breakfast, but l could not eat. We
locked l heard the last steers &C
gathering ashore. | was ordered tc
dress myself. Alphabetically l did so
Then, flanked on either side by ar
enormous British bobby, / left the
boat and took up my position in the
column that was forming to convoy
me to the board of trade.
First marched Captain Evans; l fol
lowed, with my escort; then came the
three mates abreast; after them the
purser, behind whom ranged the cool;
the carpenter, the bo'sun and othel
petty dignitaries and finally a blocF
or two of crew and bull-pushers, step
ping along as joyfully as though the!
were to see a hanging.
The boardroom into which We
marched was a supremely Britist
chamber, dark-paneled, heavily furn
ished ponderously dignified, gloom!
and depressing. In the middle of
dais that ran along one wall sat tn,
chairman, an old Scot, whose vas
beard ran down and disappeared be
meath the surface of his desk. Below
him, grouped about a massive table
were eleven sturdy Britons with face
, like walruses.
The officers of the Bostonia grouped