The Hartford republican., 1912-05-10
CHAPTER XXI.


Pan5nab came to anchor.
ORourke. from the lower grating of
the steamships accommodation lad
der. signaled to one of the swarm Of
hovering dinghys, and waiting for It to
come In. reviewed the anchored ship
ping. gathered transiently together in
Shat spot from the four corners of the
earth, and shook bis head responding
1y.
A yellow-haired Somali boatman
shot his little craft in to the grating.
ORourke dropped upon the stern-seat
and took the tiller. Post ONCE pier"
he said curtly The dinghy shot away
with dipping. dripping oars. while the
lrishman continued to search among
the vessels for anything that seemed
TO promise the speed necessary for his
purpose. and failed to discover one.
"Tis hopeless" he conceded bitter
ly as the boat wove a serpentine wake
an and out among the heaving bulks.
"And. I'm thinking. It's the ORourke
who will presently be sinking back to
confess he Dragged beyond his pow
ers. The fool that ye are, Terence.
with your big words and your fine
promises, all empty as your purse!
IT'S out Of patience I am with ye en-.
tirely!"
Doubtless he made the very picture
OF unhappiness.
So. at least, seemed to think a man
lounging In a dilapidated canvas deck
chair beneath a dirty awning in the
stern Of a distant tramp steamer:
who, raking the bound with
q pair Of rusty binoculars, had chanced
70 focus upon O'Rourke.
Looks as II he hadn't a friend in
the world" said the man audibly.
Looks as II a letter from home with
cash draft 'ud about all his little bill"
He grunted in pleased appreciation
Of his own subtle wit A short man
he was. stout. very much at home In
grimy pajamas and nothing else, with
eyes small. blue. informed with twin
king humor and set In q Horid coun.
tenance bristling with a three days
growth Of grayish beard.
He swung the glasses again upon
O'Rourke. and. HE'LL" he exclaimed,
sitting up with stimulated interest
well. by jinks!". said the stout man.
who'd a.thunk ~"
He got up with evident haste and
waddled forward to the bridge, where
he came upon what he evidently need.
ed In his business: q huge and bat
tered megaphone. Applying this to
his lips and filling his lungs he bel
lowed with a right good will, and his
hail. not unlike the roaring Of an
amiable bull. awoke Aden's echoes:
100 o-Rourke!"
Good morning." murmured the Irsh-
man. lifting his head to stare about
him with incredulous curiosity.
who's that barking at me?"
! The pajama'd person continuing to
shout at the top OF his voice. by dint
of earnest staring the Irishman event
ually located the source Of the up
roar. Nov who the divvle might ye
be!" he wondered. "Ananias, me
friend"-to the boatman-"row to the
steamer yonder where the noise comes
from"
Whereupon the stout man, seeing
the boat alter its course. put aside the
megaphone. And again peace brooded
over Alden.
On nearer approach to the tramp,
O'Rourke's smile broadened to a
pleased grin. and airily he waved q
hand to the man with the voice.
Jimmy Quick!" he observed with
unfeigned delight. Faith, ! begin to
believe that me luck holds, after ALT"
From the bottom step of the tramp's
ladder he tossed coin to the boat.
man. then mounted to the deck. In.
continently the stout man fell heavily
upon his neck with symptoms Of 'ex.
treme Joy. A lull succeeding his FIRST
transports, he wiped his eyes, beamed
upon his guest and suggested insinuat-
iingly: "Drink!"
"Brevity's ever the soul Of your
wit. captain" said O'Rourke. 81 will"
And he meekly followed Quick's bare
heels forward to the ofacsr's quarters
beneath the bridge.
Having set him in q chair. Quick,
still a-gurgle. wandered on. unearth-
ed q bottle. beamed upon his visitor,
asked q dozen questions In a. many
breaths and. without waiting for an
answer, waddled OF again to return
with Q brace Of dripping soda.water
bottles. "schweppe's." he said. pat
ting their rotund forms tenderly;
''and the last In our locksrs-sll In
your honor, colonel"
"sof" commented 0'Rourks. "Hard
up, u ~ Tis not the 0'Rourks who
would b. wishing 70 III. captain. dear.
but. faith. messlfs not sorry 70 hear
that word this day. I'm thinking mo
huck d sound. after alls
Quick had again vanished. Present
~ 0Rourks hsasd his mighty voice
booming down IN engineroom ventilar
kog. "Dsavosi braves. you. loaferI
Come up end 80. . strange G1shtis
|. h sane hAsk gltQ ythe2ae WITH q