The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1911-02-16
CHAPTER XVI.

tiC "toLNdiu, LONSu htl u WY
plainly when a quarter of an hour had
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.
Sls flew a Brazilian flag, sir, and
carried a Russian skipper what had a
picture nose" said he cheerily enough.
II remember the boys said that some
one tattoed a bit Of a circus scene on
his fgurehead when he was o o in
drink at Rio last trip. I'd AVE knowed
the ship anywheres by that dolls house
,abaft the funnel. Leastwise. il there
amt two of 'em. she's the same"
questioned him.
Had she any arms, Cain
Nothing that l see, sir, saving the
shoyels."
And you didn't know where she was
bound to?"
They gave it as Rio. sir. 1 had a bit
Of a tumble-to with a Portuguese stew
thur for himself. You come out to
Rio say he, and III d-n well pull
your nose!' 1t seemed to me a long
way to go for the job, sir, and that l
could get it done cheaper at home. 1
never see him again, II next day the
ship sailed"
We laughed at his manner of telling
1t, but the news proved acceptable
enough. l had already CONF to a de
termination, and his I communicated
Immediately to Larry.
1--WE must stop them" I said, "if we
are to save Joan ~Fordibras; that
steamer must not put her cargo on the
deck of the Diamond Ship. The risk is
small enough, captain. l think that a
signal will do tiff not q signal, then
a gunshot, anyway. Let us put 1t to
the proof. The success or failure viii
mean more than any OF you imagine"
He obeyed me without question, and
We steamed straight for the tramp,
steering such a course that we over
took her on the port-quarter, n so
We're difficult to come at by any for
ward gun, should she carry one. My
own impression was that she did not.
Her safety from inquisitional 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 o
that supposition I acted.
Signal to her to bring to, Larry"
I said. and he assented Immediately,
It was pretty to see our flags hut-
tertng upon the breeze of morning, and
to watch the commotion upon the deck
of the tramp. We knew that she had
sighted us almost as soon as we set
our engines going. The far horizon
&fS ~ AS i
We two appeared alone in all that
vista OF the rolling waters.
Now the ship answered by demand
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,
n the aft decks were completely de-
serted. To their signal, we replied i'm
mediately:
~ That Imroth was flying from
British warships.
(2) That their own safety depended
upon their immediate submission.
Not whole truth perhaps. and
yet, as I hoped, truth enough. It had
in my mind all along thai the
government would send at least a pa
troll to the seas I had AIMED. I could
believe that, after nay resolutions.
ports would not be watched. So I
stgnalled this message and waited with
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 L to
McShanus; don't talk about pistols,
mani Larry Will stand by for danger.
We could sink them in five minutes if
we had the mind. It's as safe as Pot
ten Row"
mo safe place at all for a mar who
Is susceptible to woman's beauty. Go
aboard. Fan. my bhoy: I'll take your
TOT IL wnen I come bacErr
We put out a gangway and lowered
the hfeboat from the starboard dayfts.
The collier, lyme some 200 PAGES from
-ows, let down a pilots ladder for
and I caught 1t as it swung, and
cHrnbed to her decks. Far down below
ne now. the portly Timothy asked me
II l thought he was a bird I left him,
fun of strange oaths, in the boat and
presented myself Immediately to the
captain OF the steamer.
do you speak English?" I asked.
He shook his head and said Mitch
evo!" emphaticaIly.
a phrase IN German, however. OBJ
tanned an immediate answer. per
OF some SO years of age, his nose
scarred roughly by a seamar's needle,
as h Q~uartermaster Cain had told
me, and his as threatening and
full of buster as his master. Imroth,
could have wished.
Whats % business with m e?, he
asked. while his clumsy fingers fondied
q revolver he carried in his breeches
pocket.
ITO keep your neck ont of the noose,'
said I, without any preface whatever.
Your game is up and Val Imroth
TAKEN. lildt . WHat bfouSnt me hefetD
He spat on the deck and called a
mate to him-another Russian no more
beautiful than he.
What's this maj to me?" the cap
tain asked. Am I his s~ervantg,
Undoubtedly, since o carry coal
to his ship"
Suppose / tell you to mind your own
business?"
i am going to give you 10 minutes.
II you are not steaming eastward at
h n Of that time, I promise you
that I will most certainly send you to
he bottom. Reflect upon 1t calmly.
Ye. ammo. help Ifnroth, but may save
yourselves. I'll tell you something else.
II you have any coal to sell. / am a
buyer. Now. do o finger that pistol
Of our for 1t might go off, and as
sure as Gods In heaven. IL it did this
crew would be on the floor OF the At
lantic in less than five minutes. Rattle
your senses, my man, and speak up.
II yonder warship spies us out, she'll
not deal 50 tenderly with you. What is
Imroth to o and why should you sell
your liberty for him? Come, think OF
It'll I am not q patient man, but I will
give you time enough not to make a
fool of yourself"
They were brazen words, upon my
life! When ! pointed westward to q
loom of smoke upon the horizon scarce
II l.. ---- - MAFL4 =