The Washington herald., 1914-03-15

least eighty good seamen. But, al
though ] ask for good commander,
the exploit is mine. | command tn,
commander"
"Certainly." said the stout man, 81
you will justify yourself to US. Ex
plain the occasion for this equipment.
Sitting among them. Charles Captain
explained it.
Among the passengers on board til,
6,ooo ton cargo boat Ella leaving
Southampton for Buenos Aires ten day.
later were well-tailored young mar
taking across a consignment of agri
cultural implements. stout man witt
wild eye who nigh, be heard to speak
now and again to an acquaintance oi
cattle and the Argentine and middle.
aged man, insignificant save for his ex.
traordinarily tenacious mouth and rapt
eyes-the acquaintance aforesaid. also
presumably, interested in the cattle
trade The whole list OF passengers
counted some fifty odd, and the officers
and crew-many of the latter picked up
at the docks by the skipper during the
last week-may have numbered about
seventy
Of this gallant and virtuous little boat
was one Beamish, the captain. He was
a little over middle age; very square
set; broad to unwieldiness in the beam
with a pair of strong outlooking eyes
that never seemed I. define the word
danger, and that apparently had never
considered boundaries. either on earth
-or in heaven.
She had been three weeks on her
journey in lovely weather, had passed
the Azores, and had lef. them far back
in the blue distance, IND was churning
on, heartstrong as ever. toward her
goal, when talk to the following tune
might have been heard between the
young man taking over agricultural ma
chinery and the stout cattle ranchcr
with the wild eye.
Leaning over the port rail, pipe in
mouth, Il think" said Charles Captain,
our time has come"
Ragtar said: THE exploit is YOURS.
When you call Time the round will
begin"
Captain smiled good deal. Ragtar
locked him over, not inappreciative in
his mad soul, half poet, half rufian, of
the facts that already the air and wind
had tanned the younger mans cheek,
and the impending adventure set his
eye flashing and longing, so that he pos
sessed at the moment great splendor
of handsome youth.
YES" said Captain, "tonight-or
rather tomorrow morning in the small
hours. About 3 O'Clock Beamish will
be asleep. the watch will have been re-
lieved about an hour, and those below
will be asleep. The few of the. crew
and passengers who are not our friends
can be dealt with very quickly and
quietly. The wireless operator will be
in his cabin: and. the instrument clear
for our use"
He looked, smiling joyfully, over the
water. Ragtar began to suggest
Such little arrangements as are nee
essary," said Charles Captain. will be
fully carried OUT
You are very COOL" said Ragtar.
I have nothing in the world to gain
or lose, replied Captain
Are, you sure of that" asked Rag
tar
Mighty sure!" replied Captain.
He spent that evening singing to an,
who cared to listen, playing his own
accompaniments on the piano in the
saloon.
At 10 o'clock Charles Captain closed
the piano. The women had long since
gone 10 their cabin. The men. who
were left were a mixture of honest
men and otherwise, SO none made other
han ordinary talk with the young man
himself round on the piano
stool. He was very pleasant to all,
sharing the contents OF his cigarette
;ase indiscriminately till he had given
lway the last cigarette. Then he caught
Ragtar's eye, and they went out to stroll
1pon the saloon deck.
The winds were soft, the stars bright,
he sea lazy, tapping the Elias sides like
/ little brook laps pebbles.
Captain went on, Everything is
-eady. At 3 we shall all be out. The
program is, | think. finished down to |
he last item"
Il have seldom seen one better drawn
Ip."
"One thing I omitted" said Captain,
leave the women to me-" !
Things were quiet when the Elias
kipper turned IN between II and II. |
save for the lookout in the bows, the i
'ficer on the bridge, the quartermaster /
I the wheel, and a few stokers feeding
he furnaces, all were in their hunks. I
asst passenger was below.
he cabin doors were all closed: the
Presently the watch was relieved.
An hour later Capt Beamish leaned
wake to sound at his door The
loor opened--letting IN a strange cry
n two-then closed, having admitted a
Dung man who stood considering the
aptain. Beamish's strong outlookinp
yes were met by pair as strong and
which did not seem to de-
me the word danger, or to consider
oundaries in earth. heaven, or hell, /
'eamish rolled out of his bunk-and
ooked down the mizz,e of an auto !
lafic pistol.
est oaths on the intrusion as he tun1-
led out of his bunk. but when. he
ooked down that slim and deadly bar
el he--being wise man as well as a
rave-changed his tone and said
uiely, his blue eyes never leaving the
Tiers face:
Now, sir. What have we here! Ceti
ack to your cabin. and if yo:; want at
.ntion, Ill send the steward"
What precisely are you thinking OF.
aptain?" said the young man smiling.
That yor are mad or drunk" said
.MSoS%