THE OMAHA DAILY 15EIJ3 : SATURDAY , FEHHUAltY fi , 18i)7. )
I2 >
The Guns for Cuba.
.
By CIJTCLIHFR IIYNI !
( Copyright. 1897 , by Cutllffe Hj-n * .
"Tho shore part must Ho entirely with
/on , sir , sali ] Captain Kettle. "It's mixed
up with theforalgn enlistment act and the
Alabama cane , and a dozen other things
which may moan anything between Jail and
confiscation , and my head Isn't big enough
to hold It. 1C you'll bo advised by me , sir ,
you'll co a real find-class solicitor , and
stand him a drink , and pay him down what
hc.nsks right there on Uio bar counter , and
gf > t to know exactly how the law of this
business stands before you stir foot In It.
Tlio law hero In England , " said the llttlo
man with a reminiscent nigh , "Is A beastly
thing to fall foul of ; It's Just wickedly offl-
clous and Interfering ; It's never done klck-
In.K. yoii ) pnco It's got a fair start ; and you
never know whcro It will shove out Its ugly
11681 from next. No , Mr. Gedgc , give mo
the states for nice , comfortable law , where
a man can buy It by the yard for. paper
money 'down , and straight pistol shooting
Is'always remembered In his favor. "
The young man who owned the S. S. Sul
tan of Uorneo lapped his blotting paper Im-
imientlytlck to the point , Kettle.
IVe're In England now and have nothing
whatever to do with legal matters In
Xmcrlra. As for your advise , I nm not a
fool ; you ican lay your ticket on It I know
to an Inch how I stand. And I may tell
you this , the shipment Is arranged for , "
"I'd llko to BCD us cleared , " said Captain
Keltic , doubtfully. '
No one will Interfere with the clearance ,
( fife s'ulta'n of Ilornno will leave here In
coal , consigned to Havana. A private yaclit
will meet her at pen and transship the onus
out of sight of land.
"Tyne coal for Cuba ? They'd get their
ccal there from Norfolk , Va. , or else Welsh
steam qoal from Cardiff or Newport. "
v i'It.SAWiM.Jjpt. This contract was placed
long before a ship was asked for to smuggle
icwl the arms. "
"Well , It looks fishy , anyway. "
" "PcSfift'liclp that , " said Gedgc Irritably.
'Tin Jellljg , you the naked truth , and If I 1
truth'as"usu'al looks unlikely , It's not my
fault. .Now , have you got any more objec
tions to make ? "
"No. sir1said Captain Kettle ; "nono I
.that I can see at present. " |
' 'Very well , then , " said Ocdge. "Do you
, .caro to sign on as master for this cruise , !
or are you going to cry off ? "
"They'll hang me If I'm caught , " said
Kettle.
" "Not they. Thny'll only talk big , a'nd the
British consul will get you clear. You bet
they daren't hank an Englishman tor mere
smuggling.In Cuba. And besides , nrn't I
offering to raise your screw from 12 pound
a month to 11 so as to cover the risk ? How
ever , you won't get caught. You'll find
everything ready for you ; you'll slip the
rifles ashore , and then you'll steam on to
Havan.i and discharge your coal In the ordl- j
nary hum drum way of business. And
thorn's a 10 pound bonus If you pull the
thing off successfully. Now , then , captain ,
quick ; you go or you don't ? "
"I go , " said Kettle gloomily. "I'm a poor
man , with a wife and family , Mr. Gedgo ,
mil I can't afford to lose a berth. Hut It's
that coat I can't swallow. I quite bcllevo
what you say about the contract. Only It
doesn't look natural. And It's my belief
the coal will trip us up somewhere before
we're done , and bring about trouble. "
"Which , of course , you are" quite a
Btranger to , " said Gedge slyly.
"Don't taunt 1110 with It , sir , " said Cap
tain Kettle. "I quite well know the kind
of brute I am ; trouble with a crew or any
other set of llv.Ing men at sea Is Just meat
and drink to me , and I am bitterly ashamed
of the taste. Every time I sit underneath
our minister In the chapel here In South
Shields I grow more abhair.cd. And If you
heard the .beautiful poetical way the man
talks of peace , and green fields , and golden
harps , you'd understand. "
"Yes , yes , " said Goilge , "but I don't want
any of your excellent minister's sermons at
second hand Just now , captain , or any of
your own poetry , thanks. I'm very busy.
Good morning. Help yourself to a cigar.
You haul along side the coal shoots to get
your cargo at 2 o'clock , and I'll bo on board
t6 see you at C. Good morning. " And Mr.
Gedgcvrang for the clerk , and was busily
dictating letters before Kettle was clear of
the ofllcv ( -
The little sailor went down the grimy
Btnlrs and Into the street , and made toward
hp smelling .Tyne. The black cigar rested
iinlll In'an 'angle of his mouth , and ho
MAL.TOBAT13D THBM WITH THE
LEO OP A CAMP
gnawed savagely at the .butt with his oyc-
tccth. He cursed the fates as ho walked.
\Vhy did they usu him BO evilly that ho
wr.a forced Into berths like thcso ? As a
bachelor , ho told himself with a sneer , ho
would have Jumped at the excitement of It.
As tliu partner of Mrs. Kettle and the father
pf her children he could have Bhuddorcd
when ho threw his ejo over the future.
Per a week or eo ho could draw hla half
pay and live sumptuously at the rate or
seven pounds a month , But afterwords , If
ho got caught by seine angry SpnnlBh war
Btramer with the smuggled rlllcs under his
hatches , and shot , or hanged , or Imprisoned ,
or otherwise debarred from earning Income
at his craft , where vsould Mrs. Kettle bu
then ? Would Gudgo do anything for licr ?
Ho drew the cigar from his lips , and spat
contemptuously at the bare Idea.
With the morality or the affair ho troubled
not 0110 Jof. The Spaiilth government and
the Cuban rebels were two rival' firms who
offered different rates of freight arcordlng
to the risk , and ho was employed as carrier
by those \\ho paid the higher prlco. If there
uas any right or wrong about the question
It was a purely private matter between Mr.
Ocdgo and his GoJ. He , Owen Kettle , was
aa Impersonal In the business as the ancient
Eultan of llornco herpclf ; ho was a mere cog
In noino complex machinery : und If ho was
earning heaven It was by piety Inside the
chapel at-horo , and not by professional ox-
crtlons ( In the Interests or an earthly em
ployer ) elsewhere ,
He tpok furry across the flllliy Tyno , and
ualkiid down alleys and squalid streets ,
tvhero coal dust formed the mud and the air
was tour with foreign vapours , And as he
walked ho champed still at the unlit cigar ,
nnd brooded oycr angularity of his ( ate.
lu ! ( when li'b passed between the gates of
the dock company's premises and exchanged
words wlth'lho policeman on guard , a change
came over him , ' Ho throw away the tlgar
"i
. ' ,
stump , tightened his lips and leftall
thoughts of personal matters outside the
door sill. Ho was Mr. Dodge's hired servant ;
his brain was devoted to furthering dodge's
Interests ; and all the acid ot his tongue was
.ready to spur on those \vbo did the manual
yvork on Gedge's ship.
Within a minute on his arrival on her
decks , the Sultan of Borneo was being un
moored from the bollards on the quay ; within
ten , her winches were clattering and buck
ing as they warped her across to the black
straddling coal shoots , at the other side of
the dock ; and within half an hour- the cargo
was roaring down her hatches as fast as the
railway wagons on the gromy trestle over
head could disgorge. The halo ol coal dust
made day Into dust ; the grit ot It
fllled every cranny , and settled as an
amorphous scum on the water of the
dock ; and laborers hired by the hour
tolled at pleco work pace through sheer
terror at their employer. If his other fall
ings could have been eliminated , the llttlo
skipper with the red peaked beard , would
certainly have been , from an owner's point
of view , the best commander sailing on'
of any English port. No man ever wrenchci
such a magnificent amount of work from hi
hands. Dili It was these other falling
which kept htm what ho was , the pltlfu
knockabout ship master , living from ham
to mouth , never certain of his berth fron-
one month's end to another.
That afternoon Captain Kettle signed m
his crew , got them on hoard and with th
help of his two mates kicked the majorlt :
of them Into sobriety ; ho received a vlsl
and final Instructions from Gcdgo at (
o'clock , and by nightfall he had filled In
his papers , warped out of dock and stoot'
anxiously on the bridge watching the pllo' '
as ho took the steamboat down through th
crowded shipping of the river. His wlf <
stood under the plowing arc lamp on th <
dock head and waved him goodby througl :
the gloom.
Captain Kettle received his first fright a
ho dropped his pilot Just outside the Tyne pie
hi-ads. A man-of-war's launch steamed til
out of the night and the boarding olllcer e.
nmlnod his papers and asked questions. Th
little captain , conscious of having no contra
band of war on board Just then , was brutall"
rude ; but the naval ofllcor remained stol1.
and refused to see the tnsulls which wor
pitched at him. Ho had nn unpalatable dut ;
to perform ; ho quite sympathized with Kct
tlo's feelings ever the -natter , and he go' '
back to his launch thanking many stars tha
the atfalr had ended BO easily. Hut Kettli
rang on his engines again with very un
pleasant feelings. It was clear to him tha
the secret was ooiOng out somewhere ; tha
the Sultan of "Borneo was suspected ; that hla
course to Cuba would be beset with many
well-armed obstacles ; and he forthwith made
his first ruse out of 'ho long succession
which was to follow. He had ben Instructed
by Gedgo to steam oft straight from the
Tyne to a point deep In the North sea , where
a yacht would meet him to hand over th
consignment of smuggled arms. But he fel
the night to ho full of eyes , and for a
Havana-bound ship to leave the usual steam
lane which leads to thu Knglish channel was
equivalent- a confession of her purpose
from the outset. So ho took the parallel
rulers aiui penciled oft on his chart the
stereotyped course which Just clears Whltby
and Flamboro head ; and the Sultan or
Borneo was herd steadily along this , steam
ing at her steady nine knots ; and It was
not till she was out of sight ot laud off Hum-
ber mouth , and the sea chancrd to he deso
late , that he starboarded his helm and stood
oft for the ocean rendezvous.
A hand on the fort-topsail yard plckc
up the yacht out of the gray mists or dawn
and by eight bells they were lying hove-lc
In the trough , with 100 yards , ot cold gray
water tumbling between them. The trans ,
shipment was made In two lifeboats , am
Kettle went across anJ enjoyed an cxtrava
gant breakfast In the yacht's cabin. Tin
talk was all upon the Cuban revolution
Carnforth , the yacht's owner , brimmed with
It.
"If you can run the blockade , captain , '
said he "and land these rifles and thr
maxims and the cartridges , they'll be grate
fill enough to put up a statue to you. Tin
revolution-will end In a snap. The Spanish
troops are , halt of them , fever-ridden , and
all of them discouraged. With these gun"
you are carrying , the patriots can shoot thel
enemies over the edges of the Island Into th' '
Caribbean sea. And there Is no reason whj
you should got stopped. There are filibuster
ing expeditions fitted out every week fron :
Key West and Tampa ani > the other FlorlJa
ports , and one or two have oven started Trou
N'ew York Itself. "
"But they haven't got through , " suggested
Captain Kettle.
"Not all of them , " Mr. Carnforth admit'
ted. "But then , you see , they sailed In
schooners , and you have got steam. Besides ,
they started from the states , where the news-
papera knew all about' them , and so their
arrival was cabled on to" Cuba.ahead , and
you have the advantage of sailing from an
Rngllsh port. "
"I don't see where the pull comes In , "
said Kottla , gloomily. "There Isn't a blessed
country on the face of the glebe more In
terfering with her own people than Eng
land. A Yankee can do as he darn well
pleases In the filibustering line ; but If a
Britisher makes a move that way the
blessed law hero stretches out twenty hands
and pluolia him back by the tall be-fore he's
half started. No , Mr. Carnforth , I'm not
swest on the chances. "I'm ' u poor nnn , and
this means a lot to mc'that's ; why I'm anx
ious. You're rich ; you.only stand to lose
tha cost of the consignment ; und If that
grto confiscated It won't mean much to
you. "
Ciirnfortli grinned. "You pay my busi
ness qualities a poor compliment , captain.
You can bet your lire I had money- down
In hard cash before I stirred foot In the
matter , Tho. weapons and ( he ammunition
were paid for nt 50 per cent above list prices ,
BO as to cover the trouble of secrecy , and
I got a charter for the. yacht to bring the
stuff out hero which would astonish you
If you saw the figures. No , I'm clear of
the matter from this moment , captain ; hut
I'll not deny that J shill take nn Interest
In your future adventures with the cargo
help yoqreolf to a cigarette. " ,
"Then It seems fo me , " ' said Kettle , acidly ,
' 'that you'll ' look at mo Jqat as a hare set on
to run for your .amusement ? "
Tlw yaclit owner > laughed. "You put it
brutally , " ho said , "but that's about the size
of Jt. And , if you want further truths ,
hero's one : I shouldn't particularly mind
If you wore caught. " '
"How's that ? "
"Because , my dear skipper , If the Span
ish captured this consignment , the patrloto
would want another , and I should get the
order. Whereas , If you land the stuff safely ,
It will eep them through to the end of the
war. and my chance ot making further
profit will bo at an end. "
"You have a very clear way of putting
It , " suld Captain Kettle.
"Haven't 17 Which will you take , green
chartrrciiso or yellow ? "
"And , Mr. Hedge , can you tell me. sir ,
how ho stands over this business ? "
"O , > ou bet , dodge knows when to como ;
In out or the wet. He's got the old Sultan
unilorwrlttcn by the Insurance and by the
Cuban iigentB tip to double her value , and
nothing would suit his books better than
for a fc'panUh cruiser to diop upon you , "
Captain Kettle got up , reached for his
cap , and swung It aggressively on to one
Blilo of his bead , '
"Very well , " ho said , "that's your side
ar the question ; now hear mine. That
cargo's golnc through , and those rebels or
patriots or whatever they are shall have
their guns If half the Spanish navy was
there to try and stop mo. You and Mr.
Jeclgo have started about this business the
ivrong way. Treat me on the square and
I'm a man a child might handle ; but I'd
not bo driven by the queen of Hnglaud , no ,
not with the emperor of Germany to help
lior. "
" .0. Ipok her ? , captalu. " said Camfonh ,
'don't got your back up. "
"I'll not trade with you. " replied Kettle.
"You're a fool to your own Interests , "
"I know it" said the sailor grlmjy. "I've '
iiiown U all my life. If I'd not been that ,
I'd not bavu found myself In such shady
: ompany as there Is hero now-
"Look here , you rulflan , U you luault me
I'll kick you out of this cabin , and over
the side Into your own boat "
"All right , " said Kettle , "start In. "
Carnforth halt rose from his seat and
measured Captain Kettle with his eye. Ap
parently the scrutiny Impressed him , for
he tank back to his seat Again with an em-
barraseed laugh. "You're an ugly little
devil , " he said.
"I'm all that , " sold Keltic.
"And I'm not going to play at rough and
tumble with you here. We've neither of
us anything to gain by It. and I've A lot lo
lose. I bellsvc you'll run that cargo through
now , that you're put on your mettle , but I
guess there'll bo trouble for somebody be
fore It's dealt out to the patriot troops.
Gad , I'd llko to be somewhat on hand to
watch you do It. "
"I don't object to an audlcnro , " said Ket
tle.
"By Jove , I've ' half a mind to como with
you. "
. "Yoa'd better not , " ynld the llttlo sailor ,
with glib contempt. "You're not the sort
that cares to risk his skin , and I can't bo
bothered with deadhead passengers. "
"That settles' It , " said Carnforth. "I'm
coming with you to run that blockade , and
It the chance comes , my .cantankerous friend.
I'll show you I can bo useful. Always sup
posing , that Is , wo don't murder one an
other before we get there , "
A white mist shut the channel sea Into
a ring , and the air was noisy with the
grunts and screams of steamer's syrens.
Captain Kettle was standing on the Sultan
of Borneo's upper bridge , with hla hand .on
the engine room telegraph , which was
pointed at "Full speed astern ; " Carnforth
and the old second mate stood with their
chins over the top of the starboard dodger ,
and all three ot them peered Into the opal
escent banks of the fog.
They had reason for their anxiety. Not
live minutes before a long , lean torpedo
catcher had raced up gut of the thickness ,
and slowed down alongside , with the channel
spindrift blowing over her low superstruc-
watchfulness , It wotildi not be true to say
that he never took , oft his clothes or never
dleptf but whether- was In pajamas In
the chart hoiine , or- whether ho WAS sitting
on an upturned ginger beer case under the
shelter of one of the- upper bridge canvas
dodgem , with hi * tlroili eyes shut and the
red peaked beard upon his chest , H WAS al
ways the same , ho was always reAdy In
stantly to spring upon the alert. Ono dark
night an Iron belaying pin flew out of the
blackness of thn foreo stle and whizzed
within an Inch of his sleeping head , but he
roused so quickly that he w-AB.ablo to shoot
the thrower through the shoulder before ho
could dlvo back again through the fore
castle door. A ml i anp-jnrr time when a
powdering galp had. kcp.t' ' him on the brldco
for forty-eight consecutive hours , and a
deputation of the ilcck hands raided him
In the chart house on the supposition that
exhaustion would have laid him out In a
dead sleep , ho woke before their fingers
touched him , broke the Jaw of
one with a tamp stool , and so maltreated ,
the others with the same weapon that they
were glad ei ough to run away even with
the exasperating knowledge that they left
their trt krnaker undamaged behind them.
Bo although this all-nation crew of the
Sultan of Borneo dreaded the Spaniards
much , they feared Captain Kettle far more ,
and by the time the otcamcr closed up with
the Island of Cuba they had concluded to
follow out their skipper's orders , as being
the least of the two cvlls-whlch lay bofoio
them.
Carnforlh'u way of looking at the mat
ter was peculiar. He had all a hearty man's
appetite for adventure , and all n prosperous-
man's dUtanto for using wrecked. He had
taken a sirens pcrional liking for the true-
ulcnt llltle skipper , and , other things being
equal , would have cheerfully helped him ;
but , on the other hand , ho cculd not avoid
seeing that It wto to his own Interests that
the crew should get their way and' keep the
steamer out of dangerous waters. And so
when finally ho decided to stand by non
Intcrferent , ho prided himself a good deal
HE TOL1) THIS MALCONTENT HB WAS GLAD TO GIVE THEM. HIS VIEWS ON
THINGS GENERALLY.
turo In white hall storms. An olflcer on the
upper bridgeIn glistening oilskins had sent
acrora .1 sharp authoritative hall , and had
bscn answered , "Sultan of Borneo ; Kettle ,
master ; from South Shields to the Havana. "
"What cargo ? ' came the next question.
"Coal. "
"What ? "
"Coal. "
"Then , Mr. Tyno Coal for the Havana. Just
heave-to whilst I send away a brat to look
ct > ou. I fpncy you will bs the steamboat
I'm sent to find and fetch hack. "
The decks of tha uncomfcrtablc war shli
had hummed with men ; n pair of boat davits
had swung outboai-d , and the boat had bcn
armed and manned with naval noise am"
quickness. But Just then a billow of th
Cog had driven down upon them , blanket-
like In Us thickness , which all human vhloi
bcycnd the range of a dozen yards , an
Captain Kettle JumpeJ like a ten lor on hi
opportunity. Ho sent his steamer liar
astern , with a slightly ported helm , an *
whilst the torpjdo catcher's boat waa starch
ing for him toward the French shore and
sending vain halls into the white banks of
the mist , he was dueling slowly and silently
round toward ths English coast.
So long as the mist held the Sultan of
Borneo was as hard to find as a needle In a
cargo o ! hay ; did the air clear for so much
as a dingle Instant she would bo notlce-d anu
stand Eclf-posscsscd by her attempt to es
cape , and as a result the suspense waa vivid
enough to make Cam forth feel physical
nausea. He had notreckoncd on this com
plication. He was quite prepared to risk ,
capture in Cuban waters , where the glamor
of distance and the dazzle of helping Insur
rectionists would cast a glow of romance
over whatever occurred. Hut to bo caught
In the English channel as a vulgar smuggler
for the sake of commercial profit , and to 'be
r-aulod back for hard labor in an English
5201 , was. a ( MUcr.nt rattier He WES a mem
ber of Parliament , and he understood theia
details In all their nlcctlra.
But Captain Kettle took the situation dif
ferently. The sight of the torpedo-catcher
EtlfTcnol all the doubt and limpness cut of
his composition ; his oyu brightened unl hU
lips grew fetlit ; the scheming to escape acted
on him like a tonic ; and when an hour later
the Sultju or Borneo was steaming merrily
down channel at top speed ( through the sam ?
Impenetrable fog ) the llttlo skipper whistled
dance music on the upper bridge , and caught
the notion for a most pleasing sonnet. Thai
evening the crow came aft in a state of mild
mutiny , and Kettle attended to their needs
with gusto.
Ho prefaced his re-marks by a slight ex
hibition of marksmanship. Ho cut away the
vane which showed dimly on the fcrctopmast
truck and a single bullet , and then , after
dexterously reloading his revolver , loungol
over the white rail of the upper bridge with
Ibo weapon In his hands.
Ho told the malcontents ho was glad of the
npportunlty to give- them his views oa mat
ters generally. He Informed them genially
that for their personal wishes he cared not
ano decimal of a Jot. He stated plainly that
lie had got them on board , and intended by
their help to carry out his owner's Instruc
tions , whether they hated them or nor , and
finally he gave them his candid assurancn
that If any cur among them presumed to dls-
rbcy the IcasS of his orders he would shoot
that man neatly through the he.ul , without
fiiitlicr preamble.
This elegant harangue" did not go homo
to all hands at once , because being a British
ship , the Sultan of Borneo's crew naturally
spoke In five different languages , and few
of them had oven a working knowledge of
English. But the look of Kettle's savage
llttlrf face as bet talked , and the red torpedo
beard which wagged beneath It. conveyed to
them thn tone of his speech , and for the time
they did not requlro a morn accurate transla
tion. They had como off big with the Inten
tlon of forcing him ( If necessary with via
lencc ) to run tha.Btc.amcr there and then Into
in English port' ; they went forward 'again
llko a pack of sheep , merely because ono
man had lot him hear the virulence of his
bark and had shown them with what ac
curacy ho could bite It necessary "And
Hint's the beauty or n mongrel crew , " said
Kettle complacently , "If they'd been Eng
lish , I'd have had to shoot at least two of
ho beasts to keep my cud up like that. "
"You'ro a marvel , " Carnforth admitted.
'I'm a hit of a speaker myself , but I never
icard a man with a gift of tongue like you
mvo got. "
"I'm poisonous when I spre-ad myself , "
; alcl Kettle.
"I wish I was clear of you , " eald Cam-
'orth , with an awkward laugh. "Whatever
losscHsfd mo to leave the yacht and como
in thliy crulso I can't think , "
"Somo people never do know when they're
veil off , " said Kettle. "Well , sir , you're
n for It now , und you may see things which
vlll bo of service to you afterward , You
night to maka your mark In parliament U
ou do get back from this trip. You'll have
lomcthlng to talk about that men will like
o listen to. Instead of merely chattering
vlnd , which Is what most of them are put
o , so far as I can see from the papers. And
low , sir , hero's ( ho steward como to tell
IB tea's ready. You go below and tuck In.
'II take mineon the bridge here. It won't
lo for mo to turn my back yet awhile , or
ilso thono beasts forrard will jump on us
rom behind and murder the whole lot
whilst wo aren't looking , "
The voyage from that time onward was
or Captain Kettle a period of constant
on his forbearance , anl slid EO to Kettl
In as many words. Tpat worthy marine
quite agreed with him , "It's the very bes
thins you could dq , sli ; , " hs answered. " 1
would have cnnoycd mo terribly to hav :
had to shoot you , , out ; of mischief's way
because you've bo.cn kind enough to sa ;
you like my poetry , and because I've com
to see , sir , you'rera cfmtlcmnn. "
They came to this arrangement on th
morning ot the dny they opened out thi
secluded bay In the southern Cuban shore
where the contraband of war was to be run
Kettle calculated hjs whereabouts with nice
ncns , end after thq midday observation , la ;
the steame-r to fop a couple of hours ain
ilmsclf supervised [ ills engineers , whilst the
* ave a good overhaul , to the machinery
Then he gave her steam again and mad
its landfall four houru-nftcr the sunset.
1 They saw the caast'first .as a. black lln
Utinlng across the'dim Jgray ot-the night
t rose as thsy nearcd It , and showed a cres
'ringed with trees end a foot steeped 1
white mist , from out of which came tin
faint bellow ot surf. Capti Kettle , after a
cast or two , picked up his marks ant
steamed In confidently , with his sidelight
dowsed and three red lanterns In n trlanql
at his foremast head. He was feeling pleas
cntly surprised with the easiness of It all.
But when the steamer had got well Int
the bight of the bay , and all the glasses or
the bridge were peering at the shore li :
search of answering lights , a blaze of radi
ance FUddenly flickered on to her fron
astern , and was as suddenly eclipsed , leav
ing them for a moment blinded by its dazzle.
It was a long truncheon of light whlcl :
spouted from a glowing center away betwcei :
the heads of the bay , and they watched I
owccp away from them over the surface o
the water , and then sweep back again. Fin
ally , after a little moic dalliance , It settled
on the steamer , nnd lit her and the rlns of
water on which Ehj swam like a chip in a
lantern picture.
Carnfoith swore aloud , and Capt. Kettle
lit a fresh cigar. Thoseof the mongrel
crew who were on dock went below to pack
their bags.
"Well , sir , " said Kettle , cheerfully , "here
we are. That's n Spanish gunboat , will
searchlight , all complete. " lie screwed up
his cje3 anil gazed astern , meditatively
"She's got the heels on us , too , by about
five knots , I should say. Just look at the
flames coming cut of her funnels. Aren't
they Jtikt giving her ginger down In the
r.tokc hold ? Shooting will begin directly ,
and thu othe-r blackguards ashore have ap
parently forgotten all about us. There
Isn't a light nnywhcie. "
"What are you going to do ? " asked Cam
forth.
"Follow out Mr. Gedge's Instructions , sir ,
and put his cargo on the beach , Whether
the old Sultan goes there , too , remains to
be seen. "
'That gunboat will cut you off In a quarter
of an hour If you keep on this course. "
"With that extra five knots she can do
as she likes with us , so I shan't shift my
helm. It would only look suspicious. "
"Good Lord ! " tald Curnforth , ' as ir our
being hero lit all Isn't suspicion Itself. "
But Kettle did not answer. He had to
ues his own expressions , "got his wits workIng -
Ing under forced draft , " and ho could not
afford tlmo for Idle speculation and chatter.
It was the want of the answering signal
ashore that upset him. Had that showed
igalnst ( lie bbck background of the hills
tie would have- known what to do.
Meanwhile lhc\ \ Spanish war ship was clo- -
Ing up with him hand ever fist , and a decl
tlon was necessary. Any way , the choice
was n iror one. , If , he surrcndored , he
would bo searched , uqd with that damag
ing cargo of rlflcH and .machine guns and
aminunillr.n under-his hatches , It was not at
all Improbable that his- captors might string
him up out of hand , They would have
right on their tide fordoing , so , The Insur
rectionists were not "recognized belliger
ents ; " he would stand as a filibuster con-
fes rd , and as such would bo due to suffer
Under that rough tnl icany rrar'lal ' law which
cannot tpart * time ID feed and Jail prisoners
On the other hand If he refused to heave tu
the result would 1)2 equally simple ; the waf
: hlp would rink him iwlth her gum Inside n
dozen minutes , nnd rocklots dare-devil
though ho might lid , ICettlu know quite well
there was no chance of avoiding this. With
another crew li ? might have bosn tempted
lo lay his old steamer alongside the other
and try to carry her by boarding and sheer
1'ind-to-lmnd fighting ; but excepting for
tl-QEs nn watch In the stockhold , his present
set cf nun were all below packing their be
longings Into portahla shape , and he knew
quite well that nothing would please them
better than to ice hm | discomfited. Carn-
'orth was neutral ; he had only his two niatsi
and the engineer ofllcers to depend upon In
all the available world ; and he recognized
between deep drafts of his cigar that he was
In a very tight place.
Still the dark chore ahead remained tin-
be&coned and the Spanltrd was racing up
astern , lit for battle , with her crew at quar
ters and the guns run out and loaded. She
leaped nearer by fathoms to the second , till
Kettle could hear the panting of her engines
as the chase ; ! htm down. His teeth chewed
on the cigar butt and dark rings grew under
his eyes. He could have raged aloud at bis
Impotence ,
The war steamer ranged up alongside ,
slowed to some sixty revolutions so as to
keep her placf , and an officer on the top
ol her chart house hailed In Spanish :
"Gunboat ahoy ! " Kettle bawled back ,
"You must speak English or 1 can't bo clvl
lo you. "
"What ship Is that ? " I
"Sultan of Borneo , Kettle , master. Out o
Shields. "
"Where for ? "
"Tho Havana. "
Promptly the query CAWO back , "Thei
what Are you doing In hero ? "
Carnforth whispered n suggestion. "Frcsl
WAter run out ; condenser water given M
hands dysentery ; put In hero to fill U |
tanks. " " 1 thank you , sir , " said Kettle It
the same undertone , "I'm no hand at lylnr
myself , or I might have thought of thai
before. " And he shouted an excuse ncrosi
to the spokesman on the chart house roof
To his surprise they seemed to glvi
weight to It. There was a short consulta
tlon and the steamers slipped along ovci
the smooth black waters of the bay or
parallel courses.
"Havo you got dysentery bad abroad ? '
came flic next question.
Once more. Carnforlh prompted , and Ket
tle repeated his words : "Look at my
ccks , " said he. "All my crew are below ,
I've hardly a man to stand by me. "
There was more consultation among the
gunboat's officers , nnd then came the fatal
tiqulry , "What's your eargo , captain ? "
"O , coals , " said Kettle resignedly.
"What , you're bringing Tyne coal to the
Havana ? "
"Just coals , " said Captain Kettle with n
bitter laugh.
The tone of the Spaniard changed ,
"Hcavo to nt on.ce , " ho ordered , "whilst 1
send a boat to search you. Refuse , nnd I'll
blow you out of water. "
On the Sultan ot Borcno's upper
bridge Carnforth swore. "Eh-ho , skip
per , " he said , "the game's up , and
( hero's no way out of It. You won't be n
fool , will you , and sacrifice the ship and
the whole lot of us ? Come , I fay , man ,
ring off you * engines , or that fellow will
tlicot , and we shall all be muidercd use
lessly , I tell you ( he game's up. "
"By James. " said Kettle. "Is U ? Look
there , " and he pointed with outstretched
arm | o the hills on the nliore ahead. "Three
fires ! " he cried. "Two above one hi a tri
angle , burning llko Elswlck furnaces amongst
the trees. They're readv for us ever yon
der , Mr. Carnforth , and that's their wel
come. Do you think I'm going to let my
cargo bo stepped after getting It thus far ? "
He turned to the Danish quartermaster
it the wheel , With his savage face close
lo the men's cor.
" Starboard , " ho said ; "hard over , you
JUliK-eyed Dutchman. Starboard , as tel
as shs'll go. "
The wheel engines clattered briskly In
ho house underneath , and the Sultan of
tlorneo's head swung oft quickly to port.
i or eight seconds the officer commanding
: ho cunboat did not sec what was happen
ing , and that "Iglit seconds was fatal to
them. When tin Int-plrntlon came he bub
bled In noisy orders ; he starboarded hit-
own helm , he rang "full speed ahead" to
his own engines , and he ordered every rifle
and machine- gun on the ship to owccp the
British steamer's bridge. But the space of
time was too small. The gunboat could not
turn with enough quickness ; on so short a
notice the engines could not get her Into
her stride again ; nnd the shooting , though
well-intentioned and prodigious In quantity.
was pcnr In aim. The bullets whistled
through the nlr and pelted on the plating
llko n hailstorm , and one of them flicked
out the brains of the Danlah quartermaster
on the brldgr ; but Kettle took the wheel
from his hands , nnd a moment later the
Sultan of Borneo's stem crashed Into the
Ktinbjat's unprotected side just abaft thr
pponson of her starboard quarter gun.
The steamers thrilled like kicked biscuit
boxes and n nolso went up Into the hot night
sky as of 10.000 bollcrmahcrs all heading up
*
a rivet at onco.
On both ships the propellers stopped , as If
by Instinct , and then , In answer to the tele
graph , the grimy collier backed astern. But
the war steamer did not move. Her machin
ery was broken down. She had already got
a heavy list toward her wounded side and
every second the list was Increasing as the
water poured In through the shattered plates
Her crew was buzzing with disorder. It was
evident that the vessel had but a short time
longer to hwim , and their lives were sweet
to them. They had no thought of vengeance.
Their weapons lay deserted on the sloping
decks. The grimy crews from the stoke
holds poured up from below and one and all
they clustered about the boats , , with frenzied
haite to HOC them floating In the water.
There was no moreto be fearej at thel
hands for the present.
Carnforth clapped Kettle on the shouldc :
In Involuntary admiration. "By God ! " h
crUd , "what a daring llttlo scoundrel yo
are. Look here. I'm on your tide now , I
I can be of any help. Can you give mo
Job ? "
"I'm afraid , sir , " said Captain Kettle
"that the old Sultan's work Is about done ,
She's settling down by the head already
Didn't I see those rats of men scuttling up
from forrard directly after we'd rammed th' '
Don ? I guess that was a bit of surpris' '
packet for them , anyway. They though
they'd got down there to be clear of the
shooting , and they found themselves In thi
most ticklish part of the ship. "
"There's humor In the situation , " sal
Carntorth. "But the case will keep. Fo
the present its strikes me that this ol
steamboat Is swamping fast. "
"She Is doing that , " Kettle admitted
"She'll have a lot of plates started forrard ,
gutss. But I think fho's come out of 1
very creditably , sir. I didn't spare her , an
she's not exactly built for a ram. "
"I suppose It's a case of putting her o
the beach ? "
' "There's nothing else for It , " said Kettle ,
with a. sigh. "I should like to have carriec
these blasted coals Into the Havana If I
could have been done. Just to show pcopl
cms was a bona fide contract , as Mr. Gcdge
said , In spite of Its fishy look. But this ol
steamboat's done her whack , and that's th
square truth. It will take her all she can
manage to reach shore with dry decka
Look , she's In now nearly to her forccastc
head. Luckily the shore's not steep to here ,
or else "
From beneath there came n bump and a
rattle , and the steamer for a moment haltct :
In her progress , and a whitecrested wave
surged past her rusty flanks. Then she llftcc ]
again and swooped farther In , with the pro
pellcr still squatterlng astern , and then
once more she thundered down again Into
the sand , and so , lifting and striking , made
her way In through the surf. Gradually
her stern was forced round , and she was
beaten up the beach broadside 9n , with the
green and white water nl time's making a
clean breach over her. She was past all
control , Moro than one of the hands wcs
swept from her decks and reached the shore
swimming. But as the ebb made the hungry
li-ft her stranded dry under the mor -
Ing's light , nnd a crowd of Insurrectionists
waded out and climbed on board by ropes
which wsre thrown to them , They were men
of every tint , from gray black of the pure
negro to the sallow , lemon tint of the blue-
blooded Spalnard. They were streaked with
wounds , thin as skeletons , and clad more
with nakedness than rags , and so wolfleh did
they look that oven Kettle , callous llttlo
rulllnn though ho was , ha'lf regretted bring
ing arms for such a t-rew to wreak vengeance
DI ) ( heir neighbors ,
But they gave him small time tor scntl
mcnt of this brand , They clustered round
lilm with leaping hands , till the morning sea
fowl fled affrighted from the beach. El Senor
Captain Ingleso was the savior of Ouba. and
let every cuie remember It ; alone , with his
.inarmed vessel , ha had sunk a warship or
lielr Imteil enemies , and they prayed him , In
.heir florid compliment , to stay on the Island
mil rule over them as Hlng.
But the llttlo uullor .took them literally ,
'What's this ? " herald. "You want mo to
jo your blooming king ? "
"El rey , " tl-ey Hhouted ; "E'l ' roy do los
Juliancs. "
"By James. " said Kettle , "I'll do It. I
vas never asked lo bo king before , and the
ihanco may never come again. Besides ,
'm out of a berth Just now , and England
vlll bo too hot to hold mo yet awhile. Yes ,
'H stay and boss you , and If you can act
ialf as ugly as you look , we'll give the dons
. lively time. Only remember , there's no
nmfoolery about me. If I'm king of this
how , I'm going to carry a full king's
Ickct , and If there's any man tries to med-
lo without being Invited , that man will go
o his own funeral before ho can think
wlcu. And now , we'll Just begin business
t onco. Off with those hatches and break
ut that cargo , I've been at some pains
o run these guns out here , so be careful
n carrying them up the beach , Jump
ively now , you black-faced scum , "
Carnforth listened with staring eyes.
I'hat sort of broil was this truculent little
camp going to mix In next ? He knew
nough of Spanish character to understand
learly that the oiler of the crown was
A NEW AND GREAT SERIAL
JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS
ILLUSTRATED BY
OLIVER HERFORD
A SEQUKL TO
ONE OP THE MOST POPULAR HOOKS OF 180K
Will begin publication in The Omaha Sunday Bee Feb. 7.
[ JS WITH "Uncle Remus" and "Little Mr. Thim-
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far to enhance the value of the story.
The Omaha Sunday Bee c
@ e
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SERIAL STORY.
Primary , Secondary or Ter
tiary III neil I'olsou iicrnui-
ncntly cured In IS to : i5
days. You can bo treated at homo
for the carne prlco uudcr saao
guaranty. If you prefer to come hero no will
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no charge If wo fall to euro. If you have takcc
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nches and pains , Mucous " B 3 1f , 4 0 < k * IT& Bo I 1'atcliCH in mouth ,
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Hair or Eyebrows Hilling out , it Is this BJOOI > POISON that wo guarantee to
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CUREH . ' > most obstinate CUMJS ol ( ionorrlioeu mm'tucn
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ild by all
" "
TlibBreatVcRctablo
Vltullzcr.tliciircscrlp-
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vous or diseases of the goncratlvo cirpaiu , such as Lost Manhood.
Insomnia , I'alnsln the Jluck.Bcniliml Emission * , Nervous PoWllty.
I'lmplos , Unfltncsa to Marry , KxliatiiUne Drains , Vnrlcocelo mill
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BEFORE AFTER " " Uio horrors of Impotent1)iTl : ll > ll\J5clcautca ! tucllvcr , tIJa
AND
.
tidncysandthonrlnaryorttaiioof alltopurltlea.
.R ntrcnBtbcnsandrcstoressmallwcakoiBnns. . ,
The reason unnercri are not cured by Doctors Is bccimso ninety per cent nro tronblcd with
Proitnlltl * . CUl'IDCNIJls the only known remedy to euro wllhout un optrntlon. euooicnllmnid-
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Address I > A Vo L , 31EDICINK CO. , V. O. Vex 2078 , Han Francisco , Cnl. fin- Sale by '
Myers-Dillon Drug Co. , 8.E. Cor. ICth and Fnrnam , Omaha , Neb , -
In doubt uhat to use lei
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I in potency , Alrormy. Varicocclc and
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use Sexine rills. Drains checked
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1 f Ufftloettd , tocb troablri rtxuU f Ultr ,
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& M'CONNELL , JJUUO CO. . Omahn , Neb.
merely nn empty civility ; ho understood
enough of Kettle to bo sure that ho had nqt
taken It as such , and would assert lilu rights
lo the bitter end. And when ho thought of
what that end must cnevltably be , sighed
over Owen Kettle's fato.
Hut the person ho was chiefly sorry for
lust then was Martin Carnforlh , M , 1 * .
lie remembered with clearness that a few
lioura before ho had offered Kettle personal
service , and ho saw no practical mcaus of
avoiding the pledge ,
Poor man , lio'cl a lot to go through before
10 got back to London town ,
( TH13 END , )
I'liNlliiifH of N U1 AVnmiMi ,
Apropos of holiday pastimes It IB of In-
crest to know that the queen ot the Ilelglans
i fond of games that savor of chance , magic
md mystlclim. Queen Victoria's favorite
lastlmo la a game of whist and her majesty
9an excellent player. '
Ellen Terry collects photographs and Is a
; oo.i amateur photographer herself. Mme ,
Jordica Is devoted to boxing and the ducheos
if Klfe la a very clever fencer. Lady Henry
Somerset enjoys driving and Is very fond uf
lapses. She Is alto an artUt In oils , Mrs.
iaqulth spends most of her time visiting the i
irlsoiiB and ministering to the unfortunate ,
flie duchess of Westminster h an entliunl-
.stlc cricketer and Countess Cowpcr tpends |
ior leisure In organ playing. Olive Schrelncr .
llvldw her attention now between her wru
ng and caring for her domestic : affairs. She
ml her hutband live In three small roaira
nd together do all their work. The thlsf
ncome Is derived from the royalty which.
ouies to the wife from the sale of her books. |
8Pt CUl ISIS IN
Nervous , Chronic * J *
and
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srxiMiLr.
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[ -ConHiiltotlou fro * .
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STRICTURE AND BlEETnS5S.
fly new method without pain or cutting.
Call on or address with tamp ,
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The Soft Glow of thu Tea Rose
Is acquired by ladles who use I'OZZOHI'B
COMI'LBZIOX POWDEU. Try It.
* i * 1