Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1914-03-06


full eight knots of her speed, and
Kettle steered her into the rearmost
kherb, and drove over 1t, and then
held on for the next ahead. Those
Of the lighters crew who were wise
struck out straightway for the shore.
Those who had more talent for fight
ing leaped for the Wangaroo's low
rail as they stamped the wreck of
their own craft under water, and
hauled themselves up, and we're met
| by frenzied white men failing at
them with iron clubs. Whack crash,
crunch went the belaying-pins, and
true believers fell back into Para
disc or the lagoon.
The Wangaroo scraped over the
ruins of the first kherb, crunched
through the second, and of her own
accord put in her celebrated sheer
to starboard and bagged the third.
But she was a slow little tub when
all was said and done, and, anyway,
she was not built for a ram, and
the impacts had shaken her a good
DEAL and knocked off her pace and
upset her steering, and kherb num-
ber four, furiously rowed, managed
to beach itself and emit It's crew
intact.
But still I don't call that bad"
said a quiet voice from behind, and
Captain Kettle rang off his engines
and turned round to gaze on a
lighted cigar and the face of Sidi
Mohammed Bergash.
Get down off my bridget"
The little sailor yapped out the
words with venomous precision, and
then turned to the two other figures
behind And to you, sir, you may
be my owner, but of your own free
will l heard you offer to serve under
my command, and I'm ashamed of
your lack of discipline. AS to your
place, miss. l make no suggestion
but if you've heard all the language
that's been flying about on this
bridge during this last ten minutes,
and liked it, I'm sorry for your taste,
that's ALL"
81 apologize, Skipper" said Sir
George.
VERY good, sir. Make it SO. Take
that native gentleman with the Eng
lish accent down below, and keep
him there till | come. And if he
doesn't want to go. tell the bo's'n
to put hi min irons. BY James, I'm
going to have discipline on this ship,
or I'll know the reason WHY"
When these had left the upper
deck out of sheer delight in his
own skill in seamanship (and Pm
afraid also through knowledge that
| Miss Dubbs was a spectator in the
life-boat behind him) Kettle swung
the steamer round and, plotting "A
course through the unreleved dark
made back for the spot whence h
had started.
He returned as he had come, full
steam ahead, and only slowed up
to bring the steamers forefoot to
a standstill on the anchor buoy
In the meantime argument held
sway in the saloon.
I'm afraid" said the saint, from
your point of view it must look un.
commonly fshy."
Sir George agreed.
well, I'll ask you not to let him
hang me out of hand, which ! gather
would be his agreeable method OF
making all things entirely safe; and,
of course, if you insist on keeping
me on board as a hostage, l shall
have to stay. But, really, / think
should be of more use to you
ashore. These aren't my people, as
I've told you, but as kaid of the big
Berber tribe hereabouts | have a
good deal of local influence"
Sir George Chesterman rubbed his
chin. "This attack will take bit
of explaining, you know"
'Tf you mean your captains un.
provoked attack on some boats that
hadn't harmed him. should sav
will"
The big, untidy Englishman laugh
ed "Of course, those four or five
hundred armed ruffians had come
out merely for quiet evening row
However, my dear man, we won't
worry about past historys The ques.
tion is: What's going to be done
next? We, ! should again like to
remind you, have come here to sal
wage that steamer. and :he sooner
we get it the better 1t will be fol
the neighborhood."
The Berber chief threw back his
head there was hard CLINT in his
blue eyes. well, you will not gel
the steamer. BY the customs oi
this coast she belongs to the people
OF the coast, and l am going tc
see that they get her"
81 thought you said an hour age
that you were a rich man. What
goods this wretched old wreck to
you, even if you can realize on her
which is doubtful?"
'In money, no good whatever, But
my dear Chesterman, you make the
usual superficial Englishman's mis-
take, If any one asks you sudden