Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1914-03-20

have they gone?"
"On q circular tour round Africa,
for anything know. did ask miss.
said hoped 1t wouldn't rain, and
they'd find the roads good, and
where were they going? But she
wouldn't hear me. Then asked
Sir George, and he told me straight
enough to mind my own bally bust
ness"
'Tf you don't take care of your
language" said Kettle, furiously, "Ill
fling you overheard, you blooming
lump of incompetence! leave you
in charge of steamboat at anchor
for matter of three hours, and you
capsize every arrangement"
Appear to be enjoying yourself"
said McTodd when a very worried
Kettle let himself into the chart
house.
"You see the hopeless material
I have to work on"
tits only the fools that come to
Bea," said the Scot sententiously.
you and me are the exceptions.
There was letter in my room put
In the tumbler rack with a whisky
bottle as paper weight. l wonder
why?"
"To insure it's being seen. How
was it 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:
"My Dear Skipper:
There's a devil of a mess. My sis
ter, who you'll know by this time,
Is quite unaccountable to anybody
for her movements, took it into her
head as soon as you left the ship
to go ashore with old Mrs. Bergash
and her retinue. They've got the
stewardess with them. | did not
know what had happened till 1, by
accident, came on deck and saw
them riding off on camels up over
the sand-dunes at the back of the
beach, and presumably making for
the mountains. They'd got the body
guard in attendance, and the camp
they were worth. The saint saw
what had happened the same time
did, and to give him his due, seemed
considerably ratified. 1t was, accord
Ing 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 Gus
toms and appliances in his fortress
were much the same as they had
been in the days of Ancient Rome,
and my sister would find them abom-
lnally crude and savage. The one
thing to do (by his way of thinking)
Is to head her off. So we're Just
starting for the shore for that pur-
pose. There are horses still at
their pickets. Rely on it, we shall
get back as soon as we can"
Eyes, / guarantee they will. My
James, what a muss! knew there
was something hanging over US, and
that's what it is."
"Theres another word or two of
the letter"
"Oh, yes. He says:
81 hope you found all we'll on the
Norman Towers. If there's any hitch,
I'm sure you will find the saint is
Dnly too anxious to assist. So please
treat him with decent civility when
next you meet. Yours,
&c. G. H. c. Chesterman."
81 shall treat that wrongly-educat,
ed African exactly as he deserves
when catch him. Mac?"
I'm listening"
I'm going ashore-now. 1 shall
take rife and a bag of biscuit,
and a bottle Of Horner's Perfect
Cure, and follow on the trail of that
caravan, and see what hapens. 1t
am wanted, / shall be there II
the unlikely happens, and all goes
well, I'll be free to let any one who
feels inclined that way, kick me-
II he can. / leave you in charge
here. not because you're certifcated
not because you're competent, but
because you're the best man out OF
the bad lot on board"
Man, your compliments over
whelm me-"
"As favor ask you to give the
whiskey 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
responsibility, want all points made
clear to me in case / have to make
choice. It it's case of losing
you or the owner, which do
take?"
Help the owner. by James, every
time, because he is the owner. And
anyway, can look after myself"
Does that include his sister"
"T guess they'll have to come
level"
/