The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-12-10
CHAPTER XIV.
(COnfIn uedl

AHCathCh Oh pS"N'a ohN eAhbe
hId been spent on whisky. and dis
thbuted I'm Glasgow, half of the sec
ond city In the empire would have
been happy for a day. And their
firing, thanks 10 my ingenuity, was
all wasted. Il was yara humorous
10 see the way they went on bonn
harding the coal bags l erected to
shelter the men. We talked back At
them, too, in a language they could
understand.
II let the watch on deck-I mean
those that weren't engaged for the
moment on the diving-take their
rifles and loose on cartridges from
behind coal bags. | hear that some
of them quite pride themselves on
being marksmen, and that bald-headed
old pirate, with experience in the,
China seas, says he's further bag
of, thirteen to his credit. They shot
atlevery native they could see. Man.
it'd laughabie To think they lombard
ed. the saints own messengers, and
nearly lost US yon cargo OF gold.
lost which?" Captain Kettle and
Sig George ChesIerman bounced In
their chairs and put the question sim
ultaneously.
You medina shout. Your nerves
are suffering from drought, and as an
expert | should recommend a lubri-
cant. The saint sent the gold TO foot
his bill all right, and there was
message which said there was no
hurry about the rifles, as you'd all be
staying with him for some time"
Sir George and Captain Kettle
wln NJ Tho
thought flashed across each of them.
Had Sid MohGmmed Bergash an idea
that with the GOLD once on board, the
wangaroo would vanish forthwith
from his calculations? II was little he
knew McTodd.
IL offered the messengers some
slight refreshment," said the engineer
"and as they wouldna take il owing
to Religious scrupies. | just swal
lowed Il myself to prove 10 them the
superiority OF my own northern creed.
and then | locked up the gold in a
state-room, and got on with my en-
ployment. But I'd an idea there
might be mischief in the background.
SO I gave the old chief job. He's a
very intelligent man, the chief engi-
neer of the Wangaroo, IL he's proyid-
ed with ideas, and working drawing.
and has tools put into his hands just
as they are required"
what on earth are you maunder-
ing about now"
You ken yon brass signaLgun on
the old Towers they bombarded US
with as we came into the lagoon
yes, useless toy.
AYE, there speaks your layman's
ignorance. Man, gave our chief the
idea-it was a brilliant little thing OF
my own, but Til not waste the details
ON your unmechanical Intelligence
and he put rifiing into the barrel.
and turned up some scrap brass we
had into shells and fitted them with
studs to correspond with the rifiing.
For want of a better explosive We
filed the shells with water, and | tell
you fine din they made when they
burst. She'll carry three-quarters OF
a mile, viii that twopenny brass can
non in her new state, and one shell
she threw landed among a committee
meeting of true believers and sent ten
OF them there and then 10 the place
where they fry gratis. | watched u
myself with the bridge binoculars.
Gosh, YOU should have seen the cd
chief He'd let no one sairve the gun
but himself You may call him cyni-
cab you may know him to be sar- ,
castle, but nv idea is that the world
has mislaid IN him natural artillery
man.'
The carpenter raped smartly at
the door opened il. and waited to be
spoken to-
'Yes?" said Captain Kettle
i've sounded tie Towers in every
hold, sir She's tight everywhere. So
are all the COMPARTMENTS OF the double
bottom that | could get at,
Very good said Kettle. and the
carpenter went out And what's your
Idea Of her engines. Mac"
'Weel, | have ma had time to take I,
turn out OF them, and there's no de-
nying that outwardly they're disgrace {
full ANY engines with sea water on
them and three months neglect would
be that. But with three days labor,
and some good nursing. ] don't see
they would be any WORSE than many
OF the marine engines that are now
earning deeyidpnds all over the seas.
Gosh there's that noisy-minded stew.
; ard ringing The things he calls a gong
for supper II would mean a bath at
least for me x | was 10 come down,
so with leave I'll stay in comfort as
am, and nave a snack on deck. And
so, Captain, az / see you're aching TO
beauty yourself, III leave ye. Aboot
that bottle OF brilliantine | begged the
loan Of"
II have none" snapped ettle.
'Weel,' drawled the Scot I've no
used the half OF IT," and muttering to
himself "vara humorous" ne pulled
himself UP and rolled out OF the chart
house.
"McTodd's a great taste for pulling
your leg" said Sir George, as he fol.
lowed more slowly.
TAT sea- Tetortcd Captain Kettle
sharply, II don't appreciate 1t. My
idea is, sir. that the englne-room
should always give the deck officers
proper respect. And by James, sir, Il
they don't know how, I'm the man K
teach them"
Captain owen Kettle ripped of jel
lab and head.robe and dropped then
on the floor With a gesture Of disgust
# II Is also on record that punctua
man though he is known % be, HI
was twenty minutes late when he sa
down that night at the head of tn
table before the plate OF tepid SOU
which the anxious steward nad save'
n