Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-02-23
CHAPTER XVI.

ipltillly WHeN a quarter OF an nOur naO
passed. and was Immediately named by
Cain, the quartermaster, who was at
the wheel. for a collier he had seen
some months back at Cardiff.
She flew a Brazilian flag, sir, n
carried a Russian skipper what had a
picture nose" said he cheerily enough.
Il remember the boys said that some
n tattoed a bit of a circus scene on
his f~igurehead when he was took in
drink at Rio last trip. I'd have lSnowed
the ship anywheres by that dolls house
iabaft the funnel. Leastwise, If there
amt two of 'em. she's the salne."
His logic was commendable, and we
questioned him.
Had She any arms. Cain?"
Nothing that I see, sir, saving the
'shovels."
"And you didn't know where she was
bound to-"
They gave it as Rio. Sir. I had a bit
OF a tumble-to with a Portuguese stew
ard of theirs, and I give him Port Ar
thur for himself. You come cut to
Rio,' says he. and Til d-n well pull
your nose!' 1t seemed to me a long
way to go for the job, sir, and tina I
could get it done cheaper at home. I
never see him again, and next day the
ship sailed"
We laughed at his of telling
1t. but the news proved acceptable
enough. I had already come to a de-
termination, and this l communicated
Immediately to Larry.
we must stop them,'' I said, "if we
are to a v Joan Fordibras; hat
steamer must not put her cargo on the
small enough. captain. I think that a
signal will do lift not a signal, then
q gunshot, anyway. Let US put it to
the proof. The success or failure will
mean more than any of o imagine."
He obeyed me without question, and
MO Cf0oroo1 cfro{rrH Foo kI~ %u1~.-
steering such a course that we over
took her on the port-quarter, and so
were difficult to come at by any for
ward gun. should h carry one. My
own impression was hat she did not.
Her safety from transitional officers
in port would be better assured by the
normal practice of ocean-going cargo
boats. I believed tina the quartermas-
ter had told us the truth, and upon
that supposition I acted.
Signal to her to bring to, Larry"
I said, and he assented Immediately.
1t was pretty to see our flags flut-
tering upon the breeze Of morning, and
to watch the commotion upon the deck
OF the tramp. We Knew that she a
slghted us almost as soon as we set
our engines going. The far horizon
disclosed no trace of the Diamond Ship.
we two appeared alone in all that
vista of the rolling waters.
n r.. 4NOW SiAO III III Oy OCIIldIlue
ing our name and our business. We
could make out the figures OF two or
three men upon her bridge; but the
crew appeared an unusually small one,
and the aft decks were completely de-
serted. To their signal, we replied i'm
'mediately:
British warships.
(2) That their own safety depended
upon their immediate submission.
I MA Ar.0 .l-1- x--Lg
yet. as I hoped, truth enough. 1t had
been in my mind all along that the
government would send at least a pa
troll to the seas I had named. I could
not believe that, after my revelations,
ports would not be watched. So L
not a little expectation for an answer.
To my establishment, their captains
reply was to ask me to go aboard,
meaning. of course, the master of the
yacht.
Come with me, Timothy" said I to
man! Larry will stand by for danger.
We could sink them in i've minutes If
we had the mind. It's as safe as Rot
ten Row"
No safe place at all for a man who
is susceptible to m beauty. Go
aboard, Fan, my bhoy; Til take your
word for it when I come back!"
We put out q gangway and lowered
the lifeboat from the starboard davits.
The collier, lyme some 200 PAGES from
our Lows. let down a pilots ladder for
me. and I caught 1t as 1t swung. and
climbed to her decks. Far down below
me now, the portly Timothy asked me
IL I thought he was q bird. I left him,
full Of strange oaths, in the boat and
1 presented myself Immediately to the
captain of the steamer.
do you speak English ?" I asked.
He shook his head and said Mitch
evo!" emphatically.
A phrase in German. however, OBJ
tanned an immediate answer. per-
.ceived him to be a coarsely built man
OF some so years OF age, his nose
SCARED roughly by a seaman's needle.
- the Quartermaster Cain had told
me. n his manner as threatening and
full Of buster as his master, Imroth,
could have wished.
Whats your business with me?'' he
asked. while his clumsy fingers fondled
2 revolver he carried in his breeches
pocket.
ITO keep your neck out Of the moose"
said I. without any preface whatever.
Your game IL up and Val 1mroth
taken. That's what brought me here!"
He spat on the deck and called a
mate to him-another Russian no more
beautiful than he.
What's this mar to me?" the cap
tain asked. Am I his servant?"
"undoubtedly. since you carry coal
to his Ship"
Suppose I tell you to mind your own
business? 2"
Il am going t give you 10 minutes.
1f you are not steaming eastward at
the end Of that time. I promise you
that I will most certainly send you to
the bottom. Reflect upon It calmly.
You cannot help Imroth. but may ave
yourselves. I'll tell you something else.
ff you nave any coal to sell, I am a
kspS,Aa Nyn~,v ~ ~~k a~-~> AA-A 1890