Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1915-05-21
CHAPTER I.

mere was mysterious AFFAIR last
night, signore."
OH" exclaimed. Anything that
interests us!"
Yes. signore," replied the tall. thin
ttaiian consular clerk. speaking with
q strong accent. AN English steam
yacht ran aground on the Meloria
ABOUT ten miles out. and was discov-
cred by a fishing boat that brought
the news to harbor. The admiral sent
out two torpedo boats, which managed
after a lot Of difficulty to bring in the
yacht safely, but the captain Of the
port has suspicion that the crew
were trying to make away with the
vessel"
10 lose her. you mean?"
francesca nodded.
Sounds curious" remarked.
Since the consul went away on leave
things seem to have been humminR-
two stabbing ARRAYS. eight drunken
seamen locked up. mutiny on a
tramp steamer. and now yacht being
cast away-a fairly decent list! And
yet some stay.at-home people COM
plain that British consuls are only
paid to be ornamental! They should
spend a week here. at Leghorn, and
they'd soon alter their opinion"
Yes. they. would. .signore," respond.
ed the thin-lipped old fellow with a
grin, as he twisted his fierce gray mus.
taehe. Franceso Carducci was a we'll
known character in Leghorn. An
honest, good.hearted. easy-going fel.
low. who for twenty years had occu.
pied the same position under half a
dozen different consuls.
My old friend. Frank Hutchinson, his
Britannia majesty's viceconsul at the
port Of Leghorn, was away on leave
In England. his duties being relocated
to young Bertram Cavendish, the pro.
consul The latter, however. had gone
down with bad touch of malaria, and
!, the only other Englishman in Leg.
horn, had been asked by the consul.
general in Florence to act as pro.con.
SUI until Hutcheson's return.
1t was mid-July. and the weather
was blazing In the glaring sun
blanched Mediterranean town. II you
know Leghorn. you probably know
the consulate. large. handsome suite
OF huge. airy Offices facing the cathe.
dral. The legend painted upon the
door. "Ofice hours, 10 to g." gives
one the idea Of an easy appointment,
but such is certainly not the case, for
consul's life at q port of discharge
must necessarily be very active one.
Carducci had left me to the CORE.
spondence for a half an hour or so.
when he re-entered, saying:
There is an English signore wait.
ing to see you"
Who is he?"
i don't know him. He will give no
name. but wants to see the signore
console"
"All right, show him In" said lazi.
ly. and few moments later tall,
smartly- dressed. middle-aged English.
man entered. and bowling, inquired
whether was the British consul.
When he had seated himself 1 ex-
planned my position. whereupon he
said: couldn't make much out of
your clerk. He speaks SO brokenly,
and don't know word of Italian.
But perhaps ought to first introduce
myself. My name is Philip Horribly"
and he handed me card bearing the
name with the addresses "Woodcroft
Park, Somerset - Brooks" Then
he added: Il am cruising on board
my yacht. the Lola, and last night we
unfortunately went aground on the
Meloria. Very fortunately for us a
.fshing-boat saw our plight and gave
the alarm at port. The admiral sent
out two torpedo.boats and tug, and
after about three hours they managed
to get us or"
And you are now in harbor?"
Yes. But the reason I've called is
to ask you to do me a favor and write
me letter of thanks in Italian to the
admiral. and one to the captain of the
port-polite letters that can copy
and send to them. You know the kind
of thing"
Certainly" replied. the more in.
terested In him on account of the Gu.
rious suspicion that the port authori.
ties seemed to entertain. He was EVIL
IDENTIFY gentleman. and after l had
been with"him ten minutes secuted
the idea that he had endeavored to
cast away the Lola.
scrubbed the drafts of two letters.
Fortunately. left my wife in Eng.
land. or she would have been ter.
ribly frightened" he remarked pres.
emily. There was q nasty wind blow.
ing all night. and the fool Of cap.
tain seemed to add to our peril by
evy 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 short. fair beard. His
speech was refined and cultivated,
aud as we chattad he gave me the i'm.
precision that as an enthusiastic lover
al. the sea he had cruised the Mediter.