Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-12-03

streaming from tnem, SOuseu III Iue
water or bumped against the plating
as tho steamer rolled.
Mr.. Kettle summed up the situation.
"old man standing by the whisky bot.
tie. Others too slack to carry on with
out orders"
He glanced round rather nervously
at Miss Chesterman who (by special
was on the upper bridge at
his side. He obviously expected COM
ment, and with the nervousness of a
man who sees the infelicities of his
own fireside exposed to stranger,
dreaded 1t. 49,.
She skirted the subject tactfully.
"How delighted your friends will be to
see you back"
bringing coal?"
nc you like to put it that way. But
come to think of It. isn't It natural one
should always admire success? You
set out on for1orn hope and you've
succeeded. What could be more salts
factory" "a
Miss Chesterman was tall and gen.
erously proportioned. She was all that
one means by the description "a fine
handsome woman" and like many
girls Of her build. she was frankly and
openly attracted by man half a head
shorter than herself. In fact. during
the four days In which the Rhein hunt
ed for the disabled Norman Towers
she had worked up between herself
and the little sailor something that
might be described as hot filtration.
But at this moment on the upper
bridge OF his captured steamboat, Mr..
Kettle was ships officer and moth
ing beyond. In reply to the whistle-toot
q dozen apathetic figures appeared on
the Norman Towers untidy decks, but
there was no Captain Farnish, and no
trace of organized discipline, and for
a moment Mr.. Kettle gritted his teeth
in a spasm Of rage at the spectacle.
Miss" he said, turning to the lady,
what you see there is entirely my
fault. Captain Farnish suffers from
malaria. and l guess he's down with
bad attack. He deliberately signed on
inferior mates and engineers, as he
did me the honor to intrust the disci-
pline OF the boat to his chief officer,
an6 that's me. When my backs turned
you see what happens. When get
back on board there. you'll see disci-
pine come back like conjuring
trick"
He hailed, addressing the second
and and third mates by name. and de-
handing a beat, but none was forth
coming. Apathy had bitten into that
crew too deeply, and finally 1t was IN
the Rheims uuarter-boat, rowed by the
negro and the German. and escorted
by school of flying-fish that he
passed across to his own ship.
BY way of emphasizing his home
&C ming he knocked down the first
three men who stood in his path, and
then marched hrisklv into the chart
house. Captain Farnish. with the usual
tear in his eye. sat huddled in his red
velvet chair, and Mr.. Kettle noted
with fresh distaste that the caster Of
the lame leg was still absent
"Come back on board, sir. I've
brought that coal" ..a ags
Very pleased to see you, Mr.. Ket-
tie, me man, But don't think coal in
.terests me now My professional repu-
Itation's eternally punctured; n all on
account Of that psalm-singing Mr.. Lit
tie. Never YOU take up psalm-singing
Mr.. Little. me man, or if you do, take
dam good care to pick out the right
psalms
"Ill remember that. sir. But I'd like
to point out that whatever else the
owners may be. at any rate they're
business men. 1t isn't as if the old
Towers was fully insured. They stand
to lose twenty-five per cent If she's
total loss. and to pay according on
salvage. Now you've saved them that. :
'Captain Farnish shook a blowsy
head.
Think that Dutch boat won't put in
a big claim for salvage?"
..She might said the chief officer
dryly, "if anybody aboard her knew
our name. But you see, I've every soul
of her people under matches, and there
if you'll give me my way, Sir, they'll
stay till we've got the coal we want,
and are away out OF sight.
"But your own boats crew won't
they tell the Dutch skipper If he
asks?" ".,.
well there are two reasons
against that, sir. First. the Rhein
didn't treat us very civilly. and my
men were mad enough to eat her, fun,
mel and all. by the time we did get on
board. And, secondly, | had the
handling of these men for consider.
able number of days In our life-ooat
sir, and | can guarantee that-with
me In command of them-theyre the
best disciplined handful of toughs In
the western ocean today"
II can believe it. You have knack
with you in handling crew, Mir. ket'
tie, me man Must have got 1t from
me- suppose. My whiskers! but was
fine bucko mate in my day before
got command and had to take so many
precautions against malaria But 1t
would have to come out sooner or
later who we are. We can't take the
Dutchman's coal without paying for
It, That's blame near piracy"
beg your pardon, sir, but l wasn't
proposing anything Of the sort. You've
money in that drawer next to the
chronometer, in hard cash. suppose
there's some one among those in.
competents down in the engine-room
who can figure out how many tons 1t
will take to steam us home, and we
will pny the Rhein at Newport rates
plus five shillings ton added for the