Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-12-19

command 6n0 naQ D00Q luu0u w
among other things to give full knot
more speed than she had logged
In coming down the North Sea. Yet
(thanks to the genius OF her designer)
she was probably the unhandiest little
thing of her size afloat, and there was
no getting over the fact Of those un-
premidated sheers out Of her course.
When the within seized her, and from
no other ascertainable cause, che
would at intervals, and without tho
slightest warning, take a sudden lungo
to starboard from which no amount OF
helm would steady her until she had
had her fling. The which was an un-
comfortable habit when one was nAvi-.
eating her down narrow fairway.
The run inshore was unnervAng
enough to the spectator. There was q
moderate swell running. and though
the bottle-green water did not break
unless 1t was especially irritated, here
and there little annular gardens OF
surf spoke of dangers out OF sight.
AS they drew nearer the shore. and
rose them to the eye, many OF the reefs
protruded. and the passage grew more
and more ugly. Dog teeth OF rock sud-
denly bit their way through smooth.
oily surfaces of the water, and az sud-
denly were sheathed, and In other,
places smooth whale-backs of sand
were for moment uplifted and 40
quickly eclipsed.
''It isn't what you see in this beastlyI
channel" Sir George muttered to hisj
sister. "as what You don't see. that
make the real dangers"
TITS regular maze Violet aSroed.i
II cant think how any one can threAd1
it. What would happen, do you SUPP
pose, II we touched?"
"The odds are, / should say, tho
swell would break her back within flvo{
minutes, and we should either have TO-
try the hotels on shore, or try cruise
In the boats. Beginning to be sorry
you came old LADY,"
II wouldn't miss 1t for new set or
furs. But II we're anxious, what must
any one responsible be-"
III you mean the skipper, I've Just
walked forward till could get q look
up at him. He's stuck there on tho
upper bridge looking like craven,
image. The man at the wheels got his
eyes about foot out of his head, and
that fellow Smith that he's given
brevet rank to as third mate, Is hang!
ing on to the engtne-room telegraph
as though It was the only friend he'd
left on earth. I took look down the
engineroom skylight as passed, and
saw the old chief caressing the thrOt-l
tie with his own fair fingers, and the /
great McTodd In pairson standing byj
the reversing gear, Oh! tell you,
Violet, everybody's quite up TO the Inn
xxhotpC eyf1n ~ ~, md YAaAHv}
to do every inch he knows II he's
called upon. Great Scot! what's that! |
Pooh, it was only the bafkwash OF that
surf hitting her. BY the, way the olda
tub trembled. thought she'd bumped
on rock"
In and out. first to staTboard and;
then to port, the Wangaroo was
danced, as the record Of the hidden
channel unreeled itself from Captain
Kettle's brain, and was transmitted
Der orders and human hands tQ the
bowers that governed her. Twice an
angle was too acute for her to turn In;
her stride, and Kettle had to send her
hard astern ON q reversed helm TO get
her round.
And up one narrow zig1ag ne backed |.
boldly for a whole hak-mile, with oneHi
a narrow canal Of deep water to allow
for mistakes, and spoudng reefs on
either beam ready to account Tor the
smallest error Of Judgment or peri
Torrance. But still I object to the
word daring. IT was merely an exhtbi-.
ton of iron nerve accompanied By per~
feet skill I
The water grew smoother ~ theyt
CHI ~
reefs. and the channel grew moro'
intricate.
az swear no steamboat could have
lodged In here said Sir George, after1
Kettle had taken the WangArool
through a particularly intricate figursl
Of eight, without engines and u
human crew to help her."
"The answer to that statement 81
that she did," retorted hin sslB41
terra. what can't understand
IA how any man can store upl
in his head all these little bits OF dls.t
tances. and changes OF course, without
a mark to help him except those hail.
dozen trumpery buoys, and with /
prompt sf1ipwreck as penalty Tor thea
least mistake"
J.
hrotherly reply. chat your own pet |
idol is doing it this minute before your
very attractive eyes, so don't talk rot. |;
Don't You think you'd better 80 below
and get the steward to give you cup
Of tea?"
81 do not in the least. But supposei
that's an intimation that you think
we're getting to the end of the trip
and that once round the corner our i
African brothers may shoot at US"
yes by CAD, though, Violet. 81
didn't know we were 50 close. There's
the Norman Towers opening out from
behind that bluff. Did you ever SEQ 1
anything coated with more fawles1'
coat Of rust? By CAD. look QUIT"
Instinctively Sir George stepped Inv
front Of his sister, who just AZ in-i
stinctively took hold Of his loose.
baggy, old shooting coat by the rear,
to drag him aside.
Then there came to them the shat.
/ e.s., ,oor ~ a hra ca rv1,n loaded with