Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-11-30
CHAPTER w. n

The Watch on the "Nhein."
Though black despair rose heavy on
the shoulders Of the marooned crew,
white-hot rage thrilled through every
artery of their officers small body. It
was not SO much the brutal desertion.
which left them to perish there in the
desert OF the ocean that affected him,
as the insolence of 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 interiors
In craft, wit, pluck, and bodily
strength. Time after time he had
driven whole crews Of these men to do
his bidding with no heavier weapons
than a, greenheart belaying-pin and a
mouthful of hard words, so that for
Dutchman to disregard his signal-his
signaE-was unbelievable.
He rerigged his boat, and once more
got her under way. But passion Gid not
For sea-sodden ships nfe-boat to
give chase to a steamboat, however
low her power, was ridiculous. The
mate was the last man on earth to
wish for this. His, plan was to patrol
once more the steam lane, pick up a
more genial rescuer and take her off
to tho help Of the Norman Towers, as
already arranged and to this end
land with the aid of the oak tiller) he
once more hammered his disheart-
ened crew into activity and submis.
sion.
But halfway to the horizon hung a
portent which for long enough he dis
regarded. The Rhein had shown them
her stern, had steamed away, and
grown smaller and smaller still. But
at certain point this diminution lost
it's fixed progression; and the vessel
lay there saving up and down over
gentle swells, and remaining Of a con.
slant bigness.
Between boat and steamer lay many
blue acres of the Sargasso sea,
patched here and there with neat gar
dena of orange-yellow heritage; and
the fact of her having come to stand
still was slow in making itself under.
stood The men glared after the steam
er sullenly, resentfully, mutteringiy;
and not till their officer had made the
discovery himself, and called upon
them to flatten in sheets so that the
life boat might bear up in her wake.
did the fact of her stoppage dawn
upon them. @p
The change in their demeanor was
natural enough. Jenkins and the Ger
man stood up together, twined arms,
and footed it in an uncouth dance. o.
sen, the Dane, tainted Badly dropped
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
ly. slipping hand to the knife sheath
beneath his belt, he drew his weapon
and made vicious stabs with 1t into the
bodies Of imaginary enemies
The little mate watched all this
with grim smile. and the life-boat
had run half mile over the cobalt
swells before he gave speech.
II suppose" said he, that most Of
you. ducks think that glorified Dutch
man is smitten with sudden pangs Of
hospitality. Don't you believe 1t. He's
broken down, and I guess the sene-
gambian here with the Sheffield ware
10 LuS oIAu0I LAc DOdI,
myself, who's tumbled to It."
Eyes, sar," said the black, IAN Use
gwine to slice his liver out.
"You will cut just what parts of his
anatomy I order, neither more nor
less. In the meanwhile. put that
cutlery 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 Dutch
men. But thank the Lord there are 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 to go hand over fist up those.
You're all steamer sailors, and you
don't know how to climb; but If any
man doesn't learn enough for this oc.
casicn, he'll have me to deal with
afterward. and don't recommend the
experience. Once on board, If there's
any argument, you're to attend to Of
ficers only II one Of you pulls knife
I'll throw him overheard This scrap
is to be gone through English fashion,
il scrap there is to be- There's to be
no killing. But II they show ugly, you
may hammer them as hard as you like.
Ay1J wan, 1,ap ale - - ~, :,