Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-12-24


the deck, and then send you to your
r0om--you---you dissolute mechanic"
And II I think myself to useful on
deck to be inCar--I should say in-car.
cerated. what then?" r--s
Then, by James, II you cane re-
member you're an officer now, and
you won't 80 peacefully when you're
ordered, I'll have you frogs marched
there by the watch and put in, irong.
I'm captain aboard here, and you've
got to know it." .s8Ts.s 4.5. 4,
The vara words Miss Dlbbs said
to me when telled her she could
twiddle ye round her little finger II
she felt that way inclined. And, paGh!
she seemed to think that because. We
held masters certificate ye'd be ln-
approachable. I telled her that men
with masters tickets could be bought
at threepence a dozen near the docks
in any seaport town, but she preferred
her own way Of It. It's curious, come
to think OF 1t, why she should care fol
YOU"
"Ill trouble you not to couple Miss
Dubbs' name with mine"
But. man, you're engaged OF her.
II was. But she found reason to dis
like me, and very wisely broke 1t off,
"Weel. I'm no. questioning her wis
dom. She's capable buddy. She
sewed button on ma uniform coat as
neat as I could have done It myself
And you say she's no engaged at the
moment? Gosh! I'll spark the lassie
maseP." IL
Captain Kettles fingers twitched.
''If you'll no. be wanting that bril-
liantine you used for your hair. I'd be
glad Of the loan Of it."
Get down off this bridge"
I'm going to bask in the arrums OF
beauty"
Captain Kettles hand shot out and
caught the engineers collar before he
had descended three steps Of the steep
bridge ladder. and jerked him sudden.
ly backward, and deposited him sitting
on the deck of the upper bridge.
stop It,. he said in sharp whisper.
"and sober up. and look there
I He stretched out an arm into the
night, and pointed to the south and
east. The black velvet darkness was
flawed by flicker OF infinitesimal
flames
''Phosphorescence." said McTodd.
The outer splashes Of light'll be oars
Gosh, but she's a big craft. yon.- She'll
have a dozen oars aside. She'll be one
OF those big kherbs."-
"A lighter"
"The Moorish words kherb, as we'd
know IL ye'd my education, don't see
for why ye're surprised It's the natural
sequence Of events that the other
hlackguards should come of to Join
their chief who's tucked his way in
among us so cannily. should say that
the throat-cutting will begin within
five seconds Of their coming over the
side" ~. I'd,
That's my idea OF It, and I've made
my preparations accordingly. The
mates know, and the deckhands are
standing by. But rye another surprise
packet for them first. What steam
have your" est
Enough. maybe, to just turn@her
over with" 500 f9 sfi
"I told that old fool Of 4 chief Is
keep steam for full speed al night. ny
, James. I'll log that man for incompc-
tence!" NJ ~
"You should have given your order
through me, and I" would have seen Il
carried out The chiefs vera canny ON
coal, and in private may tell ye lssuSL
pect him Of being an Aberdonian. hut
I'll away below and get a boost On
those cages" 5sssq n
The oasis Of phosphorescence
crawled slowly across the black desert
Of the night, and presently second
Pickering oasis disclosed itself, and
then third. and fourth.
-Four big lighters .crammed with
men. and all Of them OF the true fight.
/; ing trade" unused Captain Kettle. III
they're the ordinary cargo kherb ~
the northwest coast they'll carry q
hundred and twenty hands apiece In
smooth water like this lagoon. That
means four to five hundred en-
thusiasts coming to call, and all carry
ing cutlery. Well. If they 80 direct 70
my old anchorage I'm free toaown
they'll get SURPRISE" $500
Silence and secrecy was the order
OF the night. Mr.. Trethewy the mate,
received orders and departed swiftly
to the forecastle head. The carpenter
was dropped into the cable-locker, and
battened down there 30 that the noise
of his knocking out a shackle should
not make itself heard. Then the heavy
cable was muffled In every way DOG
sible, and dropped through the hawse-
hole, link by link, and finally let 60
with rope and buoy to mark H.
Phosphorescence. now that they were
looking for 1t, showed them the line
! OF the cable right down to tho laEoon.s
floor, and to the mon on board seemed
an open advertisement Of their posi-
ton; but no trace Of this reached tina
kherbs, and they plodded steadily
along their course to the Wangaroo,s
old anchorage. Steam meanwhile swas
beginning to pour quietly through the.
escape pipe. and Captain Kettle
nodded appreciatively to himself az he
took the temperature from time TO
time from the outside of the funnel
casing.
Tho leading kherb reached the spot
whore the steamer should have been,
eased her phosphorescence stirring
oars, and disappeared into the black
ness Of the night, and as the others
came up and lost their way they also
vanished into nothingness.