The Detroit times., 1912-11-09
CHAPTER Nv.

OH the shoulders OF the marooned
crew, white-hot rage thrilled through
every artery zpf their officers small
body IL wasNnot so much the brutal
desertion. which left them 20 perish
there is the desert OF the ocean that
affected him, as the insolence OF a
mere German daring TO do this thing.
Like all Britons and Americans
who use the sea, he looked down upon
the Dago and the Dutchman as in
feriors in craft, wit. pluck. and bodily
strength. Time after time he had
driven whole crews of these men 10
do his bidding with no heavier weap-
ons that a greenheart Delaying
pin and a mouthful OF hard words. SO
that for a Dutchman TO disregard his
slgnal-his urgency signal-was un-
believable.
He re-rigged his boat, and once
more got her under way. But pas
sion did not interfere with his clear
ness OF head For a seA-sodden ships
! life-boat TO give chase TO a steamboat,
however low her power, was ridicu.
lous. The mate was the last man on
earth to wish for this. His plan was
20 patrol once more the steam lane,
pick up q more genial rescuer, and
take her on to the help OF the Nor
man Towers rs already arranged;
and to this end land with the aid OF
the oak tiller) he once more ham
mered his disheartened crew into ac-
tivity and submission.
| But halfway TO the horizno hung a
portent which for long enough he dis.
regarded. The Rhein had shown
them her stern, had steamed away,
ana grown smaller and smaller still.
But at a certain point this diminution
lost Its fixed progression; and the
over gentle swells, and remaining OF
constant bigness.
Between boat and steamer lay
many blue acres of the Sargasso Sea,
patched here and there with neat
gardens OF orange-yellow heritage:
and the fact OF her having come to a
standstill was slow In making itself
understood, The men glared after
the steamer sullenly, resentfully.
mutteringly; and not till their officer
mad made the discovery himself, and
called aPeH-tAem- to Aatten- in sheets
SO that the life boat might bear up
In her wake, did the fact of her stop
page dawn upon them.
The change in their demeanor was
natural enough Jenkins and the Ger
man stood up together, twined arms.
and footed 1t In an uncouth dance.
I Olsen, the Dane. tainted. Badly drop
ped to his knees, shut his eyes tight
and babbled incoherent prayers. The
! big gross Negro alone was ungrateful
He stared after the Rhein with barred
teeth and starting eyeballs: he NUT
tered evilly to himself; and present
J ", slipping a hand to the knife sheath
/ beneath his belt, he drew upon his
I weapon, and made vicious stabs with
1t into the bodies OF imaginary en-
emies.
| The little mate watched all this
with a grim smile. and the life-boat
had run half mile over the cobalt
swells before he gave speech
Il suppose, said he, that most OF
you ducks think that glorified Dutch
man is smitten with sudden pangs OF
hospitality. Don't you believe it. He's
broken down, and | guess the Sene-
gambian here with the Sheffield ware
b
myself, who's tumbled to It."
Yes, sat, said the black, AN Use
gwine to slice his liver out"
"You will cut just what parts OF
his anatomy order. neither more nor
less. In the meanwhile put that cut
/, lery out OF sight D'you hear me?
That's a good Niger Now all hands.
listen. We're going to range up along
side, and we're going to board.
don't suppose they'll help us-being
! Dutchmen. But thank the Lord there
arc a couple OF boat-hooks In the boat
that we can hitch on to his rail IL he
won't throw US rope, and we must
make shift 10 go hand over fist up
those. You're all steamer sailors, and
you don't know how TO climb; but IL
any man doesn't learn enough for this
occasion, he'll have me TO deal with
afterwar;l. and ] don't recommend the
experience. Once on board, IL there's
any argument. you're 10 attend To
officers only If one OF you pulls a
knife, I'll throw him overheard. This
scrap is~to be gone through English
fashion. II scrap there is TO be.
There's 10 be no killing. But IL they
SHOW ugly, you may hammer them as
hard az you like And remember also
lnObody's 10 tackle the Old Man. He's
my meat And you needn't worry
about deck-hands. Go for the officers
If there's trouble--bowl them ovtr
lash them up, and throw them into
| the chart house. Savyy all that Mr.
| Jenkins
Yes. sir, and what afterward?'
THAT III attend to- and let you
know my wishes in due time
The Rhein, with stopped propeller
Ilay rolling in the dark blue troushs
and the white life-boat, mdgnTftCFuttt
handled raced down TO her. close
hauled to spanking breeze. Half Q
dozen fathoms short Of the steamers
! lee Mr. Kettle smartly rounded-to
let drop his lug-sail and jib He sheer
ed up alongside, and the crew Tended
of cannily with oar looms, so that
the steamer should not crush them
with her downward roll.
But though men stood az the rail-
that swooped and scared above them.
the hospitable rope OF invitation was
not throwu--ds MIR Kettle had antici-
lpated. So he gave sharp orders, ana
al the next downward roll two boat
tnOUkB were suudrufy upcnued art
thooked to her rail: and gripping these
! with their hands. Mr. Kettle and JCn
I lins walked up the Rheims rusty
black side. and over the barrier above.
The Germans, 1t is true. had not