Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-11-30

needn't worry about deck-hands. Go
for the officers--f there's trouble
bowl them over, lash them up, and
throw them into the chart house.
Savvy all that, Mr.. Jenkins?"
"Yes, sir, and what afterward?"
THAT I'll attend to, and let you know
my wishes in due time"
The Rhein, with stopped propeller,
lay rolling in the dark blue troughs,
and the white life boat, magnificently
handled. raced down to her, close
hauled to spanking breeze. Half .
dozen fathoms. short of the steamers
lee Mr.. Kettle rounded to, let drop his
lug-sail and jib. He sheered up along
side. and the crew Tended off cannily
with oar looms, so that the steamer
should not crush them with her down
ward roll
But though men stood at the rail
that swooped and scared above them,
tho hospitable rope Of invitation wn1
not thrown--as Mr.. Kettle had anti"'.
pated So he gave sharp orders, ami
at the next downward roll two boat
hooks were suddenly upended ard
hooked to her rail and gripping these
with their hands. Mr.. Kettle and
Jenkins walked up the Rheims rusty
black side. and over the barrier above.
The Germans, 1t Is true, had not In.
vited them; but throwing men back
into their boat to starve to death, once
they had made their way on board,
was another matter and SO, though
the life-boat's crew stepped inboard
over the rail without help, they did it
also without interference.
Mr.. Kettle rounded up his men with
their backs against deck-house. "Mr.
Jenkins" said he, II leave you in
charge. I'm going topside to interview
the Old Man on matter OF business.
I'm quite competent to tackle the
crowd on the bridge, but II these ducks
down here feel called upon to inter-
fere, I'd be obliged If you'd keep them
amused"
AYE. aye, sir"
The little mate turned and stepped
lightly up the ladder. to the upper
bridge.
The big square-shouldered German
captain met him. You come on my
bridge unasked," he roaredss'Are these
your English manners?"
Yes" said Kettle cheerfully. "arid
I've come here specially to teach YOU
more of them, you glass.eyed Dutch.
man" On which he seized the big Ger
mans beard in his iron fist, and jerked
It to this side and to that till the un.
fortunate owner felt that his head was
being wrenched adrift from It's moor.
ings. And then, when he had his man
half-dazed, and before the other two
officers and the quartermaster on the
bridge had recovered sufficiently from
their establishment at the sudden At.
tack to offer assistance, he swung his
victim round and using him as a bat
tering-ram, drove the others before
him till he had cleared the bridge ami
had the captain to himself.
And now" said he, I'VE have room
for little, quiet, thoughtful talk
What do you suppose / was sitting ont
IN that boat for In the middle Of the
Sargasso sea? Good of my health?
The German felt his head gingerly
to make sure it waA still in it's socket
and murmured something about own.
ers insisting on no breakage of pas.
sage. N-st
Quite so. They're Dutch owners
with no manners. You mustn't be guild.
cd by them. | left my steamboat two
and half degrees north of this In a
state or some distress. Our chief has
gone luny and had figured short On
coal. So I've come down here to find
enough to fill the deficiency"
You have come for? do not un-
derstand."
Coal. said. take it you've enough
70 see you to Tampico and back to
happy sausage-land?"
Vera Cruz is my port. carry
enough coal to steam from there to
NYork. No more"
1T will be plenty You can come
with me and deliver up enough to see
us home, and we'll leave you the
change You can run into Tampico and
re bunker from the coal shoots down
river there, before you turn her nose
for Vera Cruz harbor walls"
"But'--the big German spread the
palms Of expostulation-"bu am NOT
a collier ship. do not wish to sell
coal"
IF you don't sell, it will be taken
from you. You are going to part with
1t, anyway"
7 can not think you mean this.
What you propose is piracy on the
high seas, no less"
Put 1t In poetry and set it to music
If you think that will ease you. But
your coal my steamboat is going to
have. I don't know that the point in
terests me very much, but for the sake
of formality and for entering in the
log. Id like to hear If you'll give it
up on reasonable terms"
The German captain was cowaii,
maltreated shaken, but he found his
backbone here.
"Yon may kill me if you like and I
suppose you will. But It shall never
be said that of free will betrayed the
trust my owner has given me. NY
honor is all that have left, and will
keep that
xiii you?" said the little mate con-
temptuously. What's your value as
cold meat to me? You're no use as
fuel now, though / daresay you'll be
used as that in the sweet by and by.
Goals what I'm after. and the side
issues have been brought In by your
lack of manners"