Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-05-20

every order he gave"
/ examined him critically as he sat
facing me. He was about ~forty-five,
with a merry, round, good-natured
face, red with the southern sun, blue
eyes. and a short, fair beard. His
speech was refined and cultivated,
and as we chatted he gave me the i'm
preston that as an enthusiastic lover
of the sea he had cruised the Mediter-
ranean many times from Gibraltar up
to Smyrna. He had, however, never
before put into Leghorn.
After we had arranged that his cap
tain should eome to me in the after
noon and make a formal report of the
accident, We went out together across
the white sunny piazza to Nasi's.
I'VE shall be here quite a week, l
suppose" he said as we we're taking
our vermouth. Were on our way
down to the Greek island, as my friend
Chatter wants to see them. The en-
gineer says there's something strained
that we must get mended. But. by
the way" he added, why don't you
dine with us on board tonight? Do.
We can give you a few English things
that may be a change to you"
This invitation | gladly accepted for
two eason One was because the
suspicious of the captain of the port
had aroused my curiosity, and the 9th
err was because | had, honestly speak
ing, taken a great fancy to Horribly.
The captain of the Lola, a short,
thickset Scotsman from Dundee, with
a barely healed cicatrice across his
left cheek, called at the consulate at
two o'clock and made his report, which
APPEARED to me to be a very lame one.
He struck re as being unworthy his
certificate, Tor he was evidently en-
tirely out of his bearings when the ac-
cident occurred. The owner and his
friend Chatter were in their berths
asleep, when suddenly he discovered
that the vessel was making no head
way. They had, in fact, run upon the
dangerous sloal without being aware
of it. A stroEg sea was running with
a stiff breeze, and although his sea
manship was poor, he was capable
enough to recognize at once that they
were in a very perilous position.
Very fortunate it wasn't more seri-
GUS, sir" he added, after telling me
his story, which l wrote at his dicta.
ton for the ultimate benefit of the
board of trade.
Didn't you Eand up signals of dis
tress?" | inquired.
mo, sir-never thought of it."
"And yet you knew that you might
be lost?" | remarked with recurring
suspicion.
The canny scot, whose name was
Macintosh, hesitated a few moments,
then answered: We'll, sir, you see the
fishing-boat had sighted us, and we
saw her turning back to port to fetch
help"
How long have you been in Mr..
Hornby's service?" l inquired,
six months, sir" was the mans
reply. Before he engaged me, l was
with the Wilson's of Hull, running up
the Baltic. I've held my masters GER
tificate these fifteen years, sir.
was with the Bibbys before the Will
sons, and before that with the Gen
eral Steam. l did eight years in the
Mediterranean with them, when | was
chief mate"
"And you've never been into Leg.
horn before?"
Never, sir"
l dismissed the captain with a dis,
tinct impression that he had not told
me the whole truth. Was it possible
that an attempt had actually beer
made to cast away the yacht, and thai
it had been frustrated by the master
of the felucca, who had sighted the
vessel aground? How, l wondered
had the captain received that yer!
ugly wound across the cheek? l wa!
half-inclined to inquire Of him.
That evening when the fiery SUI
was sinking in its crimson glory
took a cab along the old sea-road t,
the port where, within the inner har
Dor, / found the Lola, one Of the mos
magnificent private vessels / had eve
seen. Her dimensions surprised me
She was painted dead white, witt
shining brass everywhere. At tn,
stern hung Imply the British flag, a
the masthead the ensign Of the Roya
Yacht squadron.
On stepping OF deck Horribly cam
forward to greet me, and took m
along to the stern where, lying in
long wicker deck-chair beneath tn
awning, was a tall, dark-eyed, clear
shaven man Of about forty. His kee
face gave one the impression that h
was a barrister.
"My friend, Hylton Chater--M
Gordon Gregg" he said, introducin
us, and the clean-shaven man e,