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


book from the shelf above the wash
stand and fitted 1t under the casterless
leg Of the red velvet chair when 1t
lurched upward to the roll Of the ship,
and then pressed on the bell-push till
the captains steward came.
"My man." said the mate, I've
come back on board this packet, and
don't you forget it. Next time you fall
a dose of smartening powder that will
take week to digest. Now turn to and
clean out that big starboard state
room below, and make up a bed In the
lower bunk. II find a speck Of dirt
when come to inspect, I'll make you
wash the whole place out with your
tongue. 1t Is probable that lady pas.
senger will travel in that room, and
If / hear so much as word Of COM
plant from her, I'll attend to you In
a way that'll make you hate the sea
for the remainder OF your natural
life."
Mr.. Kettle went out on deck then,
sent certain messages, and presently
was holding meeting Of the second
and third mates and the second and
third engineers in the saloon below.
Proceedings were entirely private
and no report of them, official or un-
official, was ever issued, which goes
to show that whatever differences Of
ficers of the mercantile marine may
have among themselves, 1t Is q point
of strictest etiquette with them to
keep these away from outsiders
It was, however, matter of common
note that after the meeting broke up
the second mate (who hated responsi
bility) had puffed and darkened left
eye which showed signs of rapidly
closing: that the thirds collar was
burst at both ends; and that both the
second and third engineers, young men
who were always sallow, were both so
white as to suggest that anger and in
suit burned holly within them. But
the next thing noticeable about the
quartette was their briskness. They
had gone into that meeting limp and
dispirited. They emerged angry but
energetic. And, incidentally the
record also tells that Mr.. Kettle mad
contrived to break both sets Of his
own knuckles.
Affairs marched rapidly from now
onward. The infection of briskness
spread. The lethargic crew woke up
or were rudely awakened. A boatload
of them went across to the Rhein, and
to their surprise found themselves I'M
der the crisp command OF truculent~
officer in whom they recognized one
Jenkins. ex-incompetent deck-hand OF
the Norman Towers.
But Mr.. Jenkins soon proved him
self an officer~of affairs He yapped
out orders with the true buckle mates
bark. Derricks were lifted and wiurhes
rugged to raise the coal from below,
bags were found to carry it in; tar
paulins were stripped and matches re-
moved: and 10. at the bottom of the
hold, among the coal. there stood
ready the Scots engineer McTodd fac
ing latter the manner of drill sar-
geant) squad of German firemen
and trimmers who carried their shov.
els before them stiffly at the salute
"Yap-yap-ya barked jenkins,
and the work was carried out at tae
run A towing hawser was passed, and
the Rhein steamed ahead to keep 1t
taut. Then with the distance constant
between the two vessels. Temporary
transporter was rugged. A wire was
stretched from the Rheims maintop to
the Norman Towers .foretoD, and on
this travelled the usual mechanism OF
sheaves and blocks. Mr.. jenkins stood
beside the Rheims poop staff and
threw up hand to signify that all was
ready at his end Mr.. Kettle. on the
forecastle head of the Norman Towers
gave a similar arm signal for go
ahead
Coal from below was loaded into
bags, whipped on deck. slung aloft,
and sent dancing out above the dip.
ping towing hawser. The bags were
dumped on the Norman Towers fore
deck, and their contents We're emptied
into the hungry bunkers The steam.
ers rolled crisscross to the swells ina
halo of coal dust, and work was
pushed forward at a pace that nearly
satisfied even that master Of the art
OF driving, Mr.. owen Kettle. ss
All helped except Captain Farnish,
who attended to his malaria; the
Rheims officers and crew who We're
battened down in the Rheims number
one hold, and ragged together there
furiously; and Miss Violet Chester
man, who sat in the captains own
Madeira chair on the Rheims upper
bridge and watched proceedings with
absorbed interest.
Miss Violet Chesterman was a
young lady of some considerable ex-
perience of life. Her years numbered
only twenty-three. but she had lived
every minute of them. She. had gone
through seasons in London, New York,
and Paris; she had lived In Swiss
mountain hotel in winter, and In a
salmon fishers log house in Norway;
she had yachted bicycled, danced.
golfed; she knew the delights Of win
ter cock-shooting in the west of Ire
land, and the gorgeous boredom Of
court functions in London. She had
money and a fascinating manner, and
knew the thrills of many proposals:
and month before the date on which
this chronicle opens, found herself
formally engaged to be married.
will not give away the adventur-
GUS mans name, as he Is husband now
Of far more suitable young woman,
and do not wish to disturb them. But
r NAV aav that he was a peer who