Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-02

on you again, you'd better Try ana 90
1t. I've Just sent the mate to his room.
So you're mate, and you'd better 60 on
deck and stand your watch"
II thank you for the promotion, but
do not want 1t. dislike responsi.
bility. hold masters ticket. as you
know, and tried using It once for six
months, but never no more. It's Sec
ond mate for me to the end of my
days at sea. and I'm not going to be
hustled into anything bigger"
"If you don't 90 on deck" the little
sailor snarled at him, "1'll kick you
there. And II you don't do duty when
you are on deck. I'll disrate you, and
send you below to trim Goals, and pro-
mote one Of the ash cats to be mate In
your place. Now. will you budge?"
"l suppose have to, II you put it
that way. But l." humble, humble,
humble.
He hoisted his fat hairy legs over
the edge OF the bunk and dropped on
deck. slowly he found slippers, and
ulster and uniform cap, and went out
Of his room still grumbling. Captain
Kettle with twitching fingers, followed
at his heels. ...
"You will set an anchor watch Of
six hands, and have them report to
you every half-bell."
aye"
"Let the rest of the hands turn in.
shall want them early"
AYE. aye" l.
"Take accurate bearings Of any
lights you may see ashore. Is your
log written up?'
mot up to date. There might be"
Bring 1t to me after breakfast to-
morrow. filled I'D to breakfast time.
And Mr.. Forster"
"Aye?"
IF l hear Of or see any shore fare
that you don't report accurately. I'll
send you to your room. and see that
that your tickets Endorsed for incom-
potency. ThatIl do
appear to be enjoying yourself"
said McTodd, when very worried
Kettle let himself into the chart house.
"You see the hopeless material I
have to work on" .,
cts only the fools that come to sea"
said the Scot sententiouslv. "You
and me are the exceptions. There was
a letter in my room put in the tumb-
Ter rack with whisky bottle as paper
weight Iwonder Why"
ITO insure its being seen. How was
1t addressed?"
ITO you. It's there, under the
parallel rulers on the chart table. And
I've brought you tot of the whisky
Captain Kettle tore and read:
"Mv Dear Skipper: y "
There's a devil OF a mess My
sister, who you'll know by this time, Is
quite unaccountable to anybody for
her movements, took it into her head
as soon as you had left the ship to go
ashore with old Mrs Bergash and her
retinue They've got the stewardness
with them. did not know what had
happened till I, by accident. came on
deck and saw them riding of on camels
up over the sand-dunes at the back OF
the Leach, and presumably making for
the mountains. They'd got the body
guard in attendance, and the camp fol
lower were striking camp for all
they were worth The saint saw what
! had happened the same time l did, and
| to give him his due, seemed consider
/ ably ratified. 1t was, according to
him, kismet, and all the rest Of It.: but
he obviously didn't like the look OF
things one little bit. He said must
remember that the customs and appli
ances In his fortress wese much the
same as they had been in the days OF
Ancient Rome. and my sister would
find them abominably crude and say
age. The one thing to do (by his way
of thinkingj is to head her of. So
we're just starting for the shore for
that purpose. There are horses still
at their pickets. Rely on it we shall
ret back as soon as we can"
Eyes, l guarantee they WILL My
James, what a mess! knew there was
what it is" ..
There's another word or two Of the
letter"
"Oh, yes. He says:
II hope you found all we'll on the
Norman Towers. II there's any hitch,
| I'm sure you will ind the saint is only
too anxious to assist. So please treat
him with decent civility when next
you meet.
"Yours,
&c. c. H. G. Chesterman."
81 shall treat that wronglyeducated
African exactly as he deserves when
catch him. Mac?"
I'm listening" ....
"I'm going ashore-now. I shall
take a rifle and a bag of biscuit, and
bottle of Horner's Perfect Cure, and
follow on the trail Of that caravan,
and see what happens. II am wanted
I shall be there II the unlikely hap.
pens, and all goes we'll, I'll be free to
let any one who feels inclined that
way, kick me-if he can. I leave you
in charge here, not because you're GER
tificated, not because you're competent
but because you're the best man out
of the bad lot on board"
Man, your compliments overwhelm
me-" H.
"As a favor I ask you to give the
whisky to a miss, and keep your end
up"
Drunk or sober can do that last
with the crowd on board here. But
being now in a position Of vast re,
sponsibility, I want all points made
clear to me in case have to make
choice. II it's a case Of losing you or
losing the owner, which do take?'
Help the owner, by James, every
time, because he is the owner. And