Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-06-07
come on board and be a stoker."

the stern.
The captain Of the press help
ed Heating safely to bunk in the cab
in and received his instructions to pro.
ceed to Santiago harbor. Then hi
joined Claiming. Mr. Heating Is
feeling bad tonight. That lombard.
ment off Morro." he explained tactful.
ly, was too exciting. We always lei
him sleep going across. and when we
get there he's fresh as a daisy. What's
! this he tells me Of your doing stok.
ing?"
Il thought there might be another
fight tomorrow, so 1 said I'd come as
a stoker."
The captain grinned.
Our Sam, that deck hand. was tell
ing me- He said Mr.. Heating put II
on you, sort of to spite you-is that
so?"
"Oh, I wanted to come" said Chan
ming.
The captain laughed comprehend
ingly. II guess we'll be in bad way,
he said, when we need you in the en-
gine-room." He settled himself for
conversation, with his feet against the
rail and his thumbs in his suspenders
The lamps of Port Antonio were sink
ing into the water, the moonlight was
flooding the deck.
THAT was quite something Of a
bombardment Sampson put up against
Morro Castle this morning." he began,
critically. He spoke Of bombardments
from the full experience Of man who
had seen shells strike off Coney Island
from the proving grounds at Sandy
Hook. But Claiming heard him, eager
ly. He begged the tugboat captain to
tell him what 1t looked like, and as the
captain told him he filled 1t in and saw
it as 1t really was.
Perhaps they'll lombard again to-
morrow" he hazarded, hopefully.
I'VE can't tell till we see how they're
placed on the station" the captain an
swered. IF there's any firing we ought
to hear it about eight o'clock tomorrow
morning. Well hear 'em before we
see EN-"
Channing's conscience began to
tweak him. It was time, he thought,
that Keating should be aroused and
brought up to the reviving air Of the
sea, but when he reached the foot OF
the companion ladder he found that
Heating was already awake and in the
act of drawing a cork from bottle.
His irritation against Claiming had
evaporated and he greeted him with
sleepy good humor.
why, it's OIL Charlie Claiming" he
exclaimed drowsily. Charming ad-
vanced upon him swiftly.
Here, you've had enough Of that"
he commanded. We'll be off MORO by
breakfast t-time. You don't want that"
Heating, giggling furiously, pushed
him from him and retreated with the
bottle toward his berth. He lurched
into 1t, rolled over with his face to the
ships side, and began breathing heav-
lily.
You leave me lone" he murmured,
from the darkness Of the bunk. You
mind your own business, you leave me
lone"
Charming returned to the bow and
placed the situation before the captain.
That gentleman did not hesitate. He
disappeared down the companionway,
and, when an instant later he returned,
hurled a bottle over the ships side.
The next morning when Charming
came on deck the land was just In
sight, a rampant Of dark green noun
tains rising in heavy masses against
the bright, glaring blue Of the sky. He
strained his eyes for the first sight of
the ships, and his ears for the faintest
echoes Of distant firing, but there was
no sound save the swift rush Of the
waters at the bow. The sea lay smooth
and fiat before him, the sun flashed
upon 1t; the calm and hush Of early
morning hung over the whole coast of
Cuba.
An hour later the captain came for
ward and stood at his elbow.
"Hows Keating?" Charming asked.
Il tried to wake him, but couldn't"
The captain kept his binoculars to
his eyes, and shut his lips grimly.
"Mr. Keating's very bad" he said. He
had another bottle hidden somewhere,
and all last night" he broke off with
a relieved sigh. IT'S lucky for him,
he added, lowering the glasses, that
thereIl be no fight today"
Charming gave a gasp of disappoint-
ment. What do you mean?" he pro-
tested
You can look for yourself" said the
captain, handing him the glasses.
They're at their same old stations.
There'll be no bombardment today
That's the Iowa. nearest us, the Ore
gon' s to starboard of her, and the
next is the Indiana That little fel-
low close under the land is the 'Glou-
cester.'
He glanced up at the mast to see
that the press boats signal was con-
spicuous; they were drawing within
range.
With the naked eye, Charming could
see the monster mouse e-colored war
ships, basking in the sun, solemn and
motionless in a great crescent, with It's
one horn resting off the harbor-mouth.
They made great blots on the spark
ling, glancing surface of the water.
Above each superstructure, their fight
ing tops, giant davits, tunnels, ana
gibbet- like yards twisted into the air.
fantastic and incomprehensible; but
the bulk below seemed to rest solidly
on the bottom of the ocean, like an is
land of lead. The muzzles of their
guns peered from the turrets as from
ramparts Of rock.
Claiming gave a sigh Of admiration.
Don't tell me they move" he said'
They're not ships, they're fortresses!
(To Be Continued).
A Poser.-Speaking of common sense
DR.. Faulkner, head of the vineianu,
n. j., hospital, told the following
story:
A mysterious building had been e.