Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-05-25

Ing une-d giant OF VeSSei, Win
fighting tops to her squat masts. and
turrets, sponsors and guns showing
above the glistening white Of her bow.
A man-of-war? What else could she be
except one of that superb type, de-
signed to out-distance nine-tenths OF
the armed ships afloat, or turn, If she
wished, volcano of destruction; a
colossus Of twelve or fourteen thou
sand tons, able at reduced speed to
encircle the globe, and return whence
she had started with coal still to spare
in her Brobdingnagian bunkers.
Matt watched her with parted lips,
and straining. fascinated eyes. Was it
she, then, who had called up the
Esmeralda night after night? Was this
an ocean rendezvous, and the explana-
ton of Brandeis' singular backward
ness to lay the whaler on a course!
Was this the reason of the cheers, the
citation displayed on every side, the
absence Of any attempt to signal or to
make their distress known? It was no
chance meeting assuredly, but pre-
arranged tryst in the waste of the
iimitless sea. The thought, the grow
ing conviction were not without
alarm but how could any private in
dividual own such leviathan? Why.
many a government of Importance had
not the peer of this magnificent vessel
that was racing toward them under
forced draught, and with all the power
of her mighty engines.
AS she drew nearer, sparkling with
white and steel, she offered spec
tacle that stirred the heart. The water
flashed at. her stem as she cut 1t
asunder and tossed it aside in rain
bow spray; her decks rose, tier upon
tier, alive with men; her long, slen-
der guns protruding from the ports,
were backed with human faces; on the
lofty bridge were two officers in uni;
form. the one standing motionless be-
to and fro, occasionally stopping to
use his glass. =
Suddenly the throb of her engines
ceased. and she was gliding toward
the whale-boat under no other i'm
petus than her vast bulk. Shrill
whistles sounded; white-clothed sail
ors we're seen running; and, as though
by magic, the starboard gangway was
lowered, it's base churning the water
or rising high above it as the ship
rolled in the seaway. At this Brandeis
ordered his men to their oars and,
hugging his tiller and swaying with
every stroke, headed the whaler for
the man-of-war's quarter. 1t might
have been one of her own boats from
the swing and precision with which 1t
was brought alongside, the men. ele-
waiting their oars in unison at the word
Of command, and old Krantz in the
bow, smartly ready with his boat
hook. A couple of seamen jumped out
and, oblfvious Of the water that some
times drenched them to the waist, as
sisted Brandeis, Schwartz, Chris and
Matt to escape a similar wetting and
reach the security of the upper steps.
At the head of the gangway, as the
boat was cast off and all the survivors
Of the schooner crowded up, they were
met by a burly officer, who grinned
affably and shook each one. of them
by the hand. AS Matt and Chris passed,
to the quarterback beyond, the form
er raised his cap to group Of officers.
who returned the salute with naval
stiffness. It was moment Of some
embarrassment-to stand there with
no home under the sun save that
strange deck, and to know they were
dependent on the charity of those dis
dainful observers who gave no sign of
welcoming them.
But an instant later they were &C.
costed by a young man, also in uni
form, who, advancing hurriedly, bowed
and. in broken English, said: BEG
pardon, instructed by captain, follow
me- please be so kind" On trying to
make friends with the young man as
he led them toward the companion, he
remarked with faultless politeness:
INSTRUCTED by captain, no communica-
ton is possible. please be so kind
Guiding them down the stairway to
passageway to a cabin, into which
statement: INSTRUCTED by captain,
you are here to remain, please be so
kind" With that he saluted. clicked
his heels with Teutonic formality. and
departed-presumably INSTRUCTED by
captain" to report their incarceration.
1t was without doubt an officers
cabin, and was prettily decorated with
photographs, fans, shells, cotillion
favors and other trifling momentos
with which man surrounds himself
when he makes the sea his profession
and lives the life Of wanderer. The
inevitable mother, and the inevitable
wife or sweetheart, were in specially
embellished frames, holding the place
of honor among the silver-backed
toilet articles and what not on the ma
hogany chest Of drawers 1t was very
reassuring little cabin, breathing Of af-
lection, and simple, honest, manly
tastes; and the pair. thus oddly i'm.
prisoned in it, felt a lessening Of their
tremors, and laughed at the sight of
themselves in the glass.
"They ought to be afraid Of u.s. ex.
claimed Chris, with saucy confidence,
twining her arms about MATHS neck
and studying the effect. ri look like
the widow of an organ-grinder on the
bread-line; and by the time I've
combed your hair bit, you might
pass as Siberian exile who had es-
capped in a garbage cant" H.s.....
It may seem incredible that they
could be so gay, and find amusement
in a situation fraught with unknown