Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-08-26

At this point Miss ChestArton APP
peared at the head of the gangway.
Miss Chesterton.' said the captain,
'what do you want with chickens
aboard?''
MY mother must have them" was
the reply. Her digestion is very deli
cate, and she can't eat any other
meat, surely not such as Is usually
| taken aboard ships for voyage"
We'll. you must shut them up where
any sound from them can't be heard
We must pass the blockading feet in
perfect silence or not at all. At the
slightest noise aboard you would lose
all your cotton"
I'm take care Of that, captain"
The commander, who had a crisis to
| meet, hurried away. Miss Chesterton
ordered the chickens taken to the bunk
where her other supplies were kept.
and the door was shut upon them.
During the night every one on the
winifred went about with bated
| breath. 1t was win or lose with every
man aboard. In the middle of the
night the ship left her mOorings, and
when approaching the naval fleet out
side everything that could make the
slightest noise was covered. When the
critical moment arrived Miss Chester
ton left her stateroom, went to her sup
ply bunk and, taking little rooster
from the chicken box, carried him to
| her stateroom. There. holding him up
in an open portfolio, she waited and
watched.
Presently she heard bell out on the
water. II was ships bell and struck
four times. Immediately Miss Ches-
terton began to torture the rooster.
pinching him, twisting his neck. crack
ing his Joints. The sQuawking was
something frightful. Captain Gilbert
on deck heard it and knew that all
was lost Every man on the ship
heard it and knew that his perQuisites
had collapsed.
A United States gunhoat soon loom
ed up before the Winifred, and a voice
on her shouted:
STAND by"
The Winifred stopped her engines,
and in a few minutes a naval officer
came aboard and took possession Of
the ship.
When day broke and preparations
were being made to send the prize
north Captain Gilbert heard the crow
ing OF a rooster.
For heavens saker' he cried. How
did those chickens get aboard?"
''In Miss Chesterton's supplies. sir"
said the steward. Miss Chesterton
brought them on the last thing before
we cast off"
The captain remembered. He sank
down like wet rag. she is Wash
ington emissary to give away block
ade runners"
But her cotton is aboard, sir"
p ''You mean the secretary of the Unit
ed States troasUry's cotton"
And so it proved. Miss Chesterton
had proposed the scheme to the secre-
tary of the treasury. who had secured
for her the necessary means from the
secret service fund. She and her moth
er had gone through the lines and.
knowing Savannah to be q fuvorite
port for departure and entry for block
ade runners. had gone there and OPP
Grated on the Winifred.
Miss Chesterton was allowed the
profit on the cotton she had bought.
which was sold at S120 a pound in
New York. and prize money on the
whole cargo. She was Canadian by
birth and had there acquired her Brit
ish accent. The government desired
her TO make another attempt. but she
declined. She lived TO a good old age
on a fine place she bought with her
prize money. And so long as the roost-
er that secured 1t for her lived be was
cock o. the walk in her chicken prem
ises.