-to t THE OMAITA DATIA" IMiTEi SATU11DAT , .TtTtfK 12 , 1807.
, i I The Navy and : : : |
j iji ! ? ; T
Ky Ctitcllirc Hync. ttl6 NCWV Ottiail |
f ( Copyright. 1537 , > 'X fMcCliire f Co. )
I think It may bo laken as one of tlm most
romarliablo tiltrlbutes of Captain Owen Kct-
tlo that , whatever circumstances mlglit betide -
tide , ho was always neat and trim In his per-
nonal aipcarancc. | Kvcn In moil affluent
bourn ho had never been able to afford an ex
pensive tailor ; Indeed It Is much to bo
doubted if during nil his life * he ever bought
a scrap of raiment anywhere except at I
teddy-made establishment , but In spite of
this bis clothes were always conspicuously
well fitting , carried tlio creases In exactly
the right place and ecemcil to the critical onlooker -
looker to bo capable of Improvement In no
one point whatsoever. He loohed epruco even
1 In oilskins and thigh boots.
I Of course , being a Kallur , he was handy
I with his needle. I have seen him tnko n
white drill Jacket , torn to ribbons In a rough
\ ami tumble with mutinous nismbers of , his
crow , and Hue-draw the rents so wonderfully
that all traces of the disaster were completely
losT ! 1 believe , too , he was capable of taking
, n roll of material and cutting It out with
his knife upon the deck planks , and fnbrlcat-
t ln Biu-mtmts ab lulllo , and though I never
" * * * J."ajly "aw him do this with my own eyes ,
* V Vffiear thai tlio clothes he appeared In at
Valparaiso were so made , and 1 marveled at
their npatncs-n It was just after bis disas
trous adventure In Cuba ; he trotf the streets
in a Elate of litter pecuniary destitution , his
cheeks were ounk and his eyes were haggard ,
but the red torpedo beard was as trim as
k nvcr ; his cap was slc \ and span , tht- white
drill clothes with their brass button * were
the- usual miracle or perfection ; and even his
tiny canvas shoes had not eo much as a
ninUilgo upon their pipe clay. ; Indeed , In the
first Instance. I think It must have been
this uprucciipss and nothing clso which mudo
him find favor In the cyca of no fastidious a
person aa Clotllde La louche.
nut bo this as It may , It Is a fact that
Uontia Olotildo just saw the man from her
carriage as she walked alotif ; the 1'asco do
Colon , promptly uaUud hlii nnmu und , Kct- .
tlng no Immediate reply , dispatched one of
1 her admirers there and then to mnkn his [ ;
acquaintance. The envoy was instructed ! to
flnd out who ho was and contrive that Donna
Clotlldo pliould meet the little sailor at din
ner In the cafn of the Lion d'Or that very
evening. .
The ( lliincr was given In the patio of the
cafe , wlicio palm frond filtered the
moonbeams mid tlrrllles couipctcd with the
electric llKlits , and at n moderate computa
tion tlio cost of the viands would have kept
t Captain ICettlo supplied with bis average
* rations for 'ten months or n year. He was
quite awnio of Ibis , and appreciated the en
tertainment none tlio worse In consequence.
Kvcn the champagne , highly sweetened to
unit the .South American palate , came moat
pleasantly to him. He liked champagne ac
cording to Its luck of dryncss , and this was
the sweetest wine that had ever passed his
lips.
* The conversation during that curious meal
ran In phrases. With the hors d'oeuvrcs
' came u course of ordinary civilities ; then
( for a space there rolled out un autobio
graphical account of some of Kettle's ex
ploits , skillfully and painlessly extracted by
Donna Clotilde's naive questions , and then
with the coRnau and cigarettes spasm \ of
polltcncts shook the diners Hko an ague
Of a sudden one of the meturecollected him
self , looked to this side and that with a
scared face , and rapped the table with his
knuckkfi.
"Ladles , " ho said Imploringly , "and
Benorifl , the heat is great. It may be dan
gerous.
_ _ Z * "PaUrVLsmld Donna Clotllde , "we arct talk-
I.-.L 1 1' " ing In Engllah. "
i "Which other people besides ourselves un
derstand , even in Valparaiso. "
"Let them listen. " said Captain Kettle.
"I hold the same opinion on politics as Mien
La Toucho hereelnco she has explained to
me how things really are , and 1 don't care
who knows that I think the present govern
ment and the whole eystem rotten. I am not
-In the habit of putting my opinions In
words , Mr. Sllva , and being frightened of
people hearing them. "
"You , " said the cautious man , dryly , "have
llttlo to lose here , captain. Donna Clotllde
lias much. I should be very sorry to read
in my morning paper that she had died from
apoplexy , and the arsenical variety , during
the course of the preceding night. "
" 1'ooh , " said Kettle , "they could never < lo
that. "
"As a resident of Chill , " returned Sllva ,
"let me venture to disagree with you , cap
tain. It Is a disease to which the opponents
of President Quijurra are singularly addicted
whenever they show any marked political
activity. The palm trees In this patio have
a rcputa'lon , too , for being phenomenally
long-cared. So If It pleases you all , suppose
I LIKE THEM I1ETTKH THAN A HAW-
MAN'S VWTUES.
wo go out on the roof ? The moon will afford
'tis'a fine prcapect , and the air tip there Is
reputed healthy , " Ho picked up Donna
Cotllde's ] fan and mantilla , The other two
JauMea rrno to their feet ; Donna Clotllde
with a slight frown of reluctance , did the
eamo. and they all moved off ton arc ! the
otalrway. Sllva laid detaining fingers upon
'Captain Kettle's aim ,
"Captain. " he eald , "If I may glvo you a
friendly hint , slip away now and go to your
"
quarter * ,
" 1 fancy , sir. " nald Captain Kettle , " ( hat
lllsa La Toucho has employment to offer
me. "
"If eho has , " rotorte.l Sllva , "which I
Icubt , It will not bo employment you will
care about.
' 'I ' am what they call hero 'on the
beach , ' " eald Kettle , " * nd I cannot afford
to miss chanrcs. I am a married man , Mr.
eilva. wllh children to think about. "
"Ah , " the Civilian murmured thought
fully , "I wonder If the knows he's married ?
Well , captain , If you will go up , come along ,
and I'm sure I wish you luck , "
I1io Hat roof of the cafe of the Lion d'Or
Is set out aa a garden , with orange trees
KJowing ngalnit the parapets , and elephant's
cars and other tropical milage plants stood
It are the other rbota of the city , which , with
U arc the other roofs of the city , which with
the streets between , look like some white ,
rocky plain cut up by Bleep canyons. A glow
cornea from these depths below , aud wllh It
the blurred bum of people. Hut nothing
articulate gets up to the Lion d'Or , and In
the very mistiness of the noleo there ls
eaniethliiK Indescribably fascinating. More
over , ft Is a place , too , where the tlrclllw of
Valpara'-oo most do congregate. Saving for
tlio Janinj of heaven , they have no other
lighting on that roof. The owners ( who are
Israelites ) , pride themselves on this : It i
gives the garden an air of mystery ; it ha.
made It the natural birthplace of plots abov
numbering , and It ha brought them profit
almost beyond belief. Your line plotter ,
when hl ecutacy comes upon him , 1 not the
man to be nlggrudly with the purse. He Is
alive and glowing then ; he may ery pos
sibly bo dead tomorrow ; and In the mean
while money Is timeless , and , the tilings that
money can buy ami the very best of their
FOH are most desirable.
One whispered hint did Mr. Sllva give to
Captain Kettle Hf , they made their way to
gether up the white stone steps.
"Do you know who and what our hostess
Is ? " he asked.
"A very nlro joting lady , " replied the
mariner promptly , "with a flue taste In sup
pers. "
"Phe In all that , " Raid Sllva. "Dill she
also happers to be the rlclust woman In
Chill. Her father owned mlnca Innumera
ble , and when he came by bis end In our
last revolution be left every dollar he had
at Uontm Clolllde's entire disposal. ly ) somt
tinfoitunate oversight personal fear has been
left out of her composition , and slie cetns
anxious to add It to the list of her acquire
ments. "
Captain. Kettle puckered his brows. " 1
don't rtccm to nnderntand you , " ho said.
"I say thla. " Sllva murmured , "because
there seems no other way to explain the
keenness with which she hunts after personal
danger. At present ehc Is Intriguing against
President QuIJarra's government. Well , we all
know that Quljarra Is a brigand. Jtttjt aa his
successor was before him. The man who
succeeds him In the presidency of Chill \\lll
bo a brigand nlao. It Is the custom of my
couiltry. Hut Interfering with biigandnge h
n. ticklish operation , anil Quljarra Is nlwaya
scrupuloun to wring the neck of any one
whom he thinks at all likely to Interfere
with his peculiar methods. "
"I should say that from Ills point of view , "
said Kettle , "he WBH acting quite rightly ,
sir. "
"I thought you'd look at It sensibly , " said
Sllva. "Well , captain , here we arc at the
top of the Btalr. Don't you think you had
bettor change your mind and clip away now ,
and go back to your quarleis ? "
"Why , no. sir , " sold Captain Kettle.
"From what you tell me It seems possible
I thai Miss La Touehe may shortly be seeing
trouble and It would give me pleasure to bo
near and ready to btur a hand. She Is u
lady for whom I have got considerable
regard. That supper , sir , which we have
Jim ! eaten and the wine are things which
will live In my memory. "
He stepped out on the roof and Uaqna
Clotllde came to meet him. She linked her
fingers upon his arm and led him apart from
the rest. At the further angle of the
gardens they leaned their elbows upon the
parapet and talked , whilst the glow from
the street below faintly lit their faces am !
the fireflies winked -behind their bacliK.
"Jt thank you , captain , for your offer , '
she said at length , "and 1 accept It as ficoly
as It was given. I have had proposals ol
similar service before , but they came fron :
the wrong sort. I wanted a man and I
found out that you were that before yoi :
had been at the dinner table five minutes. '
Captain Kettle bowed to the compliment
"Bur , " said he , "it I am that I have al !
of a man's fallings. "
"I lllco them better , " said the lady , "than
a half man's virtues. And ah a proof I
offer you command of my navy. "
"Your navy , miss ? "
"It has yet to bo formed , " said Donna
Clotllde. "and you must form It. Hut once
wu make the nucleus other ships of the
existing force will desert to us and with
those we must fight ami heat the rest. Once
we have the navy we can bombard the ports
Into submission till the country thrusts out
President Qnljarra of its own accord am
sets me up In his place. "
"O , " said Kettle. "I didn't understand
Then you want to be queen of Chill ? "
" 1'rosUIent. "
"Jut n president Is a man. Isn't he ? '
"Why ? Answer me that. "
"Because , well because they always have
been , miss. "
' Because men up to now have always taken
tlm best things to themselves. Well , cap
tain , all that ls > changing ; the woild is mov
ing on , and women are forcing their way In
and taking their proper place. You say thai
no Htato has yet had a woman president ?
You are quite right. I shall be the first "
Captain Kettle puckered his brow am :
looked thoughtfully down Into tbe lighted
street beneath. But presently he made up
his mind and tpoke again. "I'll accept your
offer , miss , to command the navy , and I'l
do the work well. You may rely on that.
Although I say it myself , you'll find It hare
to get a. better man. I know the kind o !
brutes one has to ship as seamen along this
South American coast , and I'm the sort of
brute to handle them. By James , yes
and you ehall too me make them do mosl
things , fhort of miracles. But there's one
other thing miss I ought to say , and I musl
apologize for mentioning It , teplng thai
you're not < i business pcrnon. 1 must have
my 12 a month , and all found. 1 know It's
n lot , and I know you'll tell mo wages are
down Juft now. But I couldn't do It for le-s ,
miss. Commanding a nuvy'H a strong order ,
and besides , there's considerable risk to be
counted in as well. "
Donna Clotllde took hla hand In both
hers. "I thanlc you , captain , " she eald , "for
jour offer , amf I beghi to tee success ahead
frrui this moment. You need hive no fear
on the question of remuneration. "
"I liopo you did not mind my mentioning
It , " said Kettle nervously. "J know It's
not a thing generally spoken of to ladies.
But. you see , miss , I'm a poor nun , and fed
the need of money sometimes. Of course ,
12 a month la high , but "
"My dear .captain , ' 'the lady broke In ,
"what you ask l moderation Itself ; and bo-
llevo me , I respect you for It , no other ir.nn
In Chill would have hebltated to ask" she
had on her tongue to say " a hundred times
ns much. " but suppressed that and said
"more. But in the meantime , " said she ,
"will you accept thU 100 note for nny cur
rent expenses which may occur to you ? "
II.
A little old green-painteO bark lay hove
to under sail , disseminating the ficeiH of
guano through the sweet tioplcal day , JlTmler
her square counter the name , 131 Almlranto
Cochrane. appeared In clean white lettering.
The long Sputh PacificHWI.HB lifted lcr )
lazily from hill to valley o"f the blue water ,
to the accompaniment of squealing gear' and
a certain groaning of fabric. The Chilian
coant lay afar off , UK a uhlto feathery Ijne
agalnbt one fragment of the wa rim.
green-painted bark wps old. For many
a weary year had eho carried guano from
ralnliiis Chilian Island * to the ports of Ktt
rope ; and though none of that uusnvoiy
cargo at present festered beneath ' her
hatches , though Indeed Mio was In single
ballast and had her holdd scrubbed down
and fitted with bunks for men , the aroma
of It liad entered Into the very soul of her
fabric , and not all the washings of the oca
could remove It.
A white whale boat lay astern , riding to u
grass-rope painter , and Scnor Cat Irs Sllva ,
whom the whale boat had brought off from
tlio Chilian beach , fat In the bark's deck
house talking to Captain Kettlp.
"The eenorlta will be very disappointed , "
ea'd ' Sllva.
"I can Imagine her disappointment. " re
turned the eallor. "I can measure It by my
own. I can tell you , elr , when I saw this
louoy , sinking old wind-jammer waiting for
mo In Gallon i could have bat down right
where I wa and cried. I'd got my men to-
get her , and I guess I'd talked big about HI
Almlranto Coehrane , the flno new armored
cruiser wo were to do wondero In. The
only thing I knew about tier was the name ,
but Mlra La Toucho had promUcd me the
finest ship that could be got , and I only
described what I thought a really line ship
would be , And then when the agent stuck
out his nngcr and pointed out thla foul old
violet bed , I tell you It was a bit of a let
down. "
"There's been eomo desperate robbery
eomowhere , " said Sllva.
"it didn't take roe long to guess that , "
said Kettle , ' and I concluded the agent was
the thief and started In to take It out of
him without further talk. Ho hadn't a
pistol , no I only used my hands to htm , but
1 guess I fingered him enough In three
nlnutcs to stop bis dancing fpr another
jionth. Ho swore by all the saluts be wag
Innocent and that be wu only the tool of
* V
other men , and porhapn thai WAR so. Dut
he deserved what he pot for being In such
shady employment. "
"Still that didn't procure you another
ship ? "
"Hammering the agent couldn't make him
do an Impossibility , sir. There wasn't such
a vessel as I wanted In all the ports of
Peru , So I Just took this nosegay that
was offered , lured my crew aboard and put
out past San Lorenzo Island and got to sea ,
It's a bit of a comedown , sir , for a steamer
sailor like me , " the little man added with
a sigh , "to put an old wind-Jammer through
her gymnastics again. I thought I'd done
with 'mainsail haul * and rawhide chafing
gear , and all the white wings nonsense for
good and always. "
"But , captain , what did you come out
for ? What earthly good can you do wllh
an old wreck like this ? "
"Why. sir , I shall carry out what wa *
arranged with Miss La Toucho. I shall conic
up with one of President QuIJarra's govern
ment vessels , capttire her and then start In
to collar the rest. There's no alteration In
the program. It's only made more dlfllcult ,
that's all. "
" 1 rowed out hero to the rendezvous to
tell you the Cancclarlo Is at moorings In
Tatnplquo bay ami that the scnorlta would
like to sec you make your beginning upon
her. But what's the good of that news now ?
The Cancelarlo Is a fine new war ship of
3.000 tons. She'fi filled with everything
modern In guns and machinery ; she's 300
men of n cicw , and she lays always with
steam up and an armed watch set. To go
near her In this clumsy little bark would be
to make > oursclf a laughing stock. Why.
your English Coclirutio wouldn't have done
It. "
"I know nothing about Lord Cochrane , Mr.
Slho. He was dead before my time. Hut
whatever people may have done to him , I
can tell any one who cares to hear , that the
man who's talking to you now Is a bit of an
awkward handful to laugh at. No , air ; 1 ex
pect tliero'll he trouble over It. but jou may
tell ' .Mlsa La Touehe wn rhall hove the Can-
celarlo If she'll stay In Tamplque bay till I
an hour from now , ml ? . 'But ' I mut ask
you to take your laiincrt to a distance. Aa
I tell you , I have tnau > all my own boat *
so that thpy won't dwlm , but If your little
craft was bandy my-crmv would Jump over
board and risk the ittks and try to reach
her In spite of all I coftld do to etop them.
They won't bo anxious to fight that Can
cclarlo when the time- tomes , If there's any
way of wriggling out of It. "
"You are quite right , captain , the launch
must go , only I do not. I must be yout
guest hero till you can put mts on the Can
cclarlo. "
Captain Kcitto frawned. "What's coming
Is no Job for a woman to be In at , miss. "
"You must leave mete my own opinion
about that. You see , wo differ upon whal
a woman should do , c&ptaln. You say a
woman should not bo president of a re
public ; you think a woman should not be
a sharer In a fight ; I nm going to show yoi
how a woman can bo bothSho leanei
her shoulders over Iho rail find balled tlio
naphtha launch with a sharp command. A
man In tbe bows cast off the line with whlcl
It towed , the man aft put over his tiller am
set the engines a-golng. and like a slim
gray ghcet tlio launch slid quietly away Into
the gloom. "You se , " she uald , "I'n
bound to stay with you now. " And die
looked upon him with a burning glance.
But Kettle replied coldly. "You are mj
owne.1 , mlsy , and can do as you wish. 1
Is not for me now to say that you are
fooltah. Do I understand you still wish mete
to carry out my oiiglnal plan ? "
"Yis , " she said , curtly.
"Very well , miss , then we shall be aboan
of that war steamer In less than ( Ifteci
minutes. " Hu bade hid second mate cal
aft the crew , but Instead of remaining to
! meet them ho took a keen glance at the
! bark's canvas , another at her wake , another
' at the imxircd cruiser ahead , an 1 then , after
peering thoughfully : at th ? clouds which
railed in the sky. he. wont to the companloi
\\a > and dlvcj below. The erew trooped at
and stood at the break of the quartcrdecl
waiting for him. And In the meanwhile
CAPTAIN KK1TI.K LIGHTS T HE ' 1 WBNTY-MINTJTi : FUSE.
can drive this old lavender box up to her. "
For a rnlnuto Sllva sta\cd In silent wonder ,
"Then , captain. " said ho , "all I can think Is
you must have enormous trust in jour crow. '
Captain Kettle bit the end from a frerh
cljar. "You should go and look at them fcr
joureelf , " bald he , "and hear their tal'J , and
then you'd know. The beasts are fit to cat
mo already. "
"How did you gel them on board ? "
"Well , you lei1 , sir , I collected them by
ptomlsrs fin" pay , fins ship , line cruise ,
fine chances and so on and when I'd only
thla smelling bcttle hero to show them they
Iiuiii ; back a bit If thcrc'd been only twenty
of them I don't say but w-at I coul.l have
trusted them on board with a gun an.l borne
ugly words , but sixty were too irany to
tackle , eo I just said to them that KAl \ -
mlranto Cochrano was only a ferry to take
us across to a fine war steamer that was
lying cut of sight elsewhere , and they swal
lowed tbo yarn and stepped In over the side.
I ean'l say they've behaved like lambs since ;
the grub's nol been lo their fancy , and 1
must say the biscull was crawling , and It
seems that as a bedroom thfi hold hurt their
dcllcato noses , and between one thing and
another I've had to shoot slv of them h = -
fern they understood I was skipper here.
You see , sir , they were , most of thorn , living
In Callao before they shipped , because
Micro's no extradition there , and so they're
rather toughhh crowd to handle. "
"What a hoirlble time you must have
had. "
"There lm been no kid glove work for me ,
sir. since I got to sea with this roiie garden ,
and I must say It would have knocked the
pt .ry right out of mest men. But person
ally I can't say It has done that to me.
You'd hardly believe it sir , but , once or twice ,
when the whole lot of the brutes have been
i aging against me , I've been very nearly
happy. And afterwards , "when I've gel n
spell of rent , I've picked up pen and paper
and knocked off one or two of the prettlrat
sonnets a man could wish to see In print.
If you like nlr , I'll read you a couple before
you go back to your whaleboat. "
"I thank you , skipper , but not now. Time
Is on the move , and Donna Clotlldo Is wait
ing for me. What am I to tell her ? "
"Say , of course , that her orders are being
carried out , and her pay being earned. "
"My poor fellow , " said Sllva , with a sud
den gush of remorse , "you are only sicrilc
Ing yourself uselessly. What can you In a
email calling vessel like this do with your
rlllcfi against a srilcmlldly armed vessel like
the Cancelarlo ? " " *
"Not much In the shooting line , that's cer
tain , " said Kettle' , cheerfully. "That beauti
ful agent sold us even over tbo ammunition.
There wrro ktgs pul on board marked
'cartr'dges ' , ' but when I came to break one
or two bo as to serve out a little ammuni
tion , for practice , be hanged if tho. kegs
were'nt full of powder ! And It wasn't the
stuff for guns , even ; It wao blasting powder ,
eanio as they use In the mines. O , sir , that
agent was the holiest kind of fraud. "
Sllva wrung his hands. "Captain , " ho cried ,
"you must "not go on with thin mad cruise.
It would be sheer suicide for you to Und the
Cancclarlo. "
"You shall glvo me news of It again after
I've met her. " said Captain Kettle' . "For
the present , sir , I follow out Mlrs La Touche's
orders , and earn my 12 a month. But If
you're my friend , Mr. Sllva , and want to dome
mo a good turn , you might hint that If things
go well I could do with a rise to 14 a month
when I'm calling the Cancolarlo for her , "
III.
The outllno of Tamplquo bay stood out
clearly In bright moonshine and the sea
down the path of the moon's rays showed a
canal of silver cut through rolling fields of
purple' The green painted bark was heading
Into the bay on the port tack and at moor
ings before the town In the curve of tha
shore the grotesque spars of a modern war
ship showed In black allhnurttc against the
moonbeams. A slate-colored naphtha launch
was sliding out over the swells toward the
bark.
Captain Kettle camp up from below and
watched tbe naphtha launch with throbbing
Interest. Ho had hatched a scheme for
capturing the Cancelarlo and had made his
preparations , and here was an Interruption
coming which might very well upsel any
thing most ruinously. Nor was he alone In
his Interest. The bark's topgallant rail was
lined with faces , all her complement were
wondering who these folk might be who
were BO confidently coming out to meet
them ,
A Jacob's ladder was thrown over the
side , the slate-colored launch swept up and
emitted a woman. Captain Kettle started
and went down Into the waist to meet her.
A minute later ho was wondering whether
lie dreamed or whether ho was really walkIng -
Ing his quarterdeck In company with Donna
Clotllde La Touehe. But meanwhile the
lark held steadily along her course.
The talk between them was not for long.
"I must beseech you , miss , to go back
from where you came , " said Kettle. "You
must trust me to carry out this business
without your supervision. "
"Is your method very dangerous1' she
asked.
"I couldn't recommend It to the Pru
dential Insurance , " said Kettle , thoughtfully.
"Tell mo your scheme. "
Kettle did EO In EOIIIO forty words. He
was pithy , and Donna Clotildo was cool ,
iho heard him without change of color ,
Ah. " she eald , "I think you will do It. "
'l'ou will know ono way or another within
{ T _
I th y feasted their e > ycu with maiiv dlfferen
i thoughts on Donna Clotlldn La Touehe.
1 Presently Captain Kettle1 returned to deck
[ oggrt-'slvu and cheerful , and faced the mcu
' with liruds In his jnckot pockets. Each pocke
I bulged wlt.i .something heavy , and the men
j whe > bv tills time" had ! c"ine to iinderutimi
i Captain Kettle's ways , began to grow qule
i'.ivl nervous. Ho eamo to the point wlthou
I anv showy oictory.
\ , "Now , my luds , " said ! he , "I told you whci
! | you shipped aboard thia lavender bo * In Cal-
J 1 laj that she was' ' merely a ferry to carr\
] i you to n line v.-ari sJcamer which was lylnr
, elsewhere. Well. thcroG the steamer just of
the fctsrboari1 bow yrinler. Her name's the
Catv-ielarlo end at present she bcems to bc-
long to President Quijarra's government. Bui
I Miss La Touehe here , who In employing hot !
, you and me , just for the present , Intends to
] i set up n.gc\ernmont of her' own , and as a
! preliminary she wauts that ship. We've go
I to grab It for her. "
| f.iptain Ke'tlo broke off and for a full mlu-
j ute there wco silcnre. Then some one
| amongst the iren laughed and a dozen others
1 joined In.
"That's right , " said Kettle. "Cackle away
you scum. You'd be singing n different tune
if you knew what was beneath you. "
A voice from the gloom an educated voice
answered him :
"Don't be foolish , skipper. We're not going
to ram our heads against a brick wall like
tliat. \\e set some value on our lives. "
"Do you ? " said Kettle. "Then pray tha
this breeze doesn't drop ( as It .seems llkelj
to do ) or ycu'll lose them. Shall I tell yoi
whet I was up to below jun , now ? You re
member those kegs of blasting powder" Well
tucy'ra In the lazaretto , where-some of vou
Et-.wed them , but they're all of them un-
lioadcd , and one of them carries the end of
a fuse. That fuse Is cut to burn Just twcntj
minutes and the end's lighted. Walt a hit
' Us no uae going to try and dow&e it. There's
u p.stol fixed to the lazaretto batch ami If
| you try to lift It that pistol will blioot Into
the powder , and we 11 all go up together with
out further palaver. Steady now , there , and
hear mo out. You can't lower away boats
and get cleui that way. The boats' bottomb
them off ! the ° T ? } ' EOEOon , a you try to hoist
skids. I saw to that last night
And you can't require nny telling to know
thereure far too many sharks about to make
a swim healthy exercise. "
The men began to riK-tlo and talk
"
- . on > t sn ? " your " " 'y ' " "co. " said
! wider ' they uy fci"lnS think there's OUL " anything on the cruiser
they 11 run out u gun or two , and 'blow wrong lib
cut of the water before we can come near
them. I vo got no arms to give you , but you
have your knives , and I fiueks you hhouldn't
want mote. Get In tbo fhado , of the rail
there and keep hid till you hear her bump.
Then jump on board , knock everybody you
see over tbo side and keep tlio rest below
" '
"They'll BOO us coming , " whimpered
voice. "They'll never let us board. "
"They'll hear us , " the captain retorted ,
If you gallows-onmmenla bellow like that
and then all we'll have to do will be to sit
tight where we are till that powder blcnva
us llko a thin kind of spray up against the
stars. Now get to cover with you , all hands ,
and not another '
fcound. It's your onlv
chance1. " *
The men crept away , shaking , and Captain
Kettle himself took over the wheel and ap
peared to drowse over It. He gave her half
a spoke at a time , and by invisible degrees
the bark fell oft till she headed dead on for
the cruiser. Save fqr the faint creaking of
her gear no sot.nd came from her , and the
slunk on through the night like some patched
and tattered phantom. Far down In lift
lazaretto tiio glowing end of the fuzo crept
nearer the jiawiler barrels and In Imagina
tion every mind on board was following Its
race.
race.Nearer
Nearer and nearer she drew to tbo Cani'-
arlo , and ever nearer. The waiting men felt
as though tbo hearts of ( hem would leap
from their bre-asts. Two of them fainted.
Then came a hall from the cruiser : 'Ulark
ahoy ! are you all asleep there ? "
Captain Kettle drowsed on over the wheel.
Donna Clotllde , from the shadow of the house
could see him nodding- like a man In a deep
sleep.
"Carrajo ! you bark there ! Put down your
helm. You'll bo aboard of us In a minute "
Kettle made no reply ; his hands wwed
automatically at thu spokes , and the glow
from the binnacle fell upon close shut eyes ,
It wts a fine bit of acting ,
The Chilians shouted , but they could not
prevent the collision , and when It eamo
there broke out a yell as though the gatea
of the pit had been suddenly unlocked ,
The bark's crew of human refuse , mad with
terror , rose up In a Hock from behind the
bulwarks. As one man they clambered up
the crukor'a side and spread about her
decks. Ill provided with weapon , ! though
they might be , tbe Chilians were scarcely
better armed. A sentry equlbbed off his
rifle , but that was the only shot fired ,
Kulves did the greater part of the work ,
knives and belaying pins , and whatever else
came to hand , Those of the watch on , deck
who did not run below wore cleared into tbe
tea , the berth deck was stormed , and the
waking men surrendered to the pistol nose ,
A couple of des-perato fellows went below
and cowed the fireman and engineer on
watch. The mooring was slipped , steam was
given to the engines , and whilst her former
crew were being drafted down Into an
empty hold the Caucclarto was standing out
at a ulxteen-knot speed toward the open
eea under full command of the raiders.
Then from behind tUeiu came the roar of o
cxploolon nml the- spurt of dar.zllnR light ,
and the men shuddered to think of what
they had no narrowly mlwu-d. Ami , ne It
was. eome fraRinonts of the bark lit upon
the afterdcck ns they fell headlong from the
dark nlpht eky above * .
Donna Clotllde went onto the upper
bridge and took Captain Kettle by the hnnd.
"My frltnil , " he said , "I shall never forget
this. "
And she looked at him with eyes that
epdke of more than admiration for his rue-
etas.
etas."I
"I am carnlns my pay , " said Kettle.
" 1'ah , " eho said , "don't let money comu
lietntcn us. I cannot bear to think of you
In connection of sordid thing ? like that. I
put you on a higher plane. Captain. " Mic
said , and turned her head awny , "I shall
thooso n man like you for A husband. "
"Heaven mend your tattc. nilts. " eald Kettle -
tlo ; "but there may be others llko mu. "
"There are not. "
"Then you musl bo content with the near
est you can got. "
Donna Clotllde stamped her foot upon the
planking of the bridge.
"You are dull , " she cried.
"No , " he said , "I have my clear sight ,
miss. Won't you go below now and gel a
upcll of sleep ? Or will you r.lvo me your
oidcrs first ? "
"No , " she answered , "I will not. We
must settle this matter nrst. You have a
wife In England , 1 know , but that Is noth
ing. Divorce Is simple bcie. I have Influ
ence with the church ; you could be stt ? fico
In a day. Am I not tliouinnn > ou would
choose ? "
"Miss La Touehe , you ore my employer. "
"Answer my question. "
"Then , miss , If you will have It , you are
not. "
"lint why ? Why ? Give me your reasons'
You arc bravo. Surely 1 have shown cour
age , too ? Surely yon must admit u that ? "
"I llko men for men's work , miss. "
"Hut that la an exploded notion. Women
have got to take their place. They must
show themselves the cuuals Of men in every
thing. "
"Hut you sco. miss , " said Kettle , "I prefer
to be linked to a lady who Is my superior
as I am linked at present. If It pltunv you ,
wo had better end this talk. "
"No , " tali ! Donna Cloillde , "It liad got
to ho settled one way or the other. You
know what I want ; marry me as eoon as
you are set free , and there ohull be no end
of year power. I will make you rich ; I
will make you famous. Chill dull be at
our feet ; the world shall how to us. "
"It could be done , " sid Kettle with a
rlsh.
"Then marry me. " t
"U'lth due respect , I will not , " said the
little man.
"You know you are speaking to a woman
who ; not accustomed to bo thwarted , "
Captain Kettle bowed.
"Thin jou will either do us I wish IT
have thlh ship. I will Five you an hour to
consider It In.
"You will find my eacoml mate the hwl
navigating onieur left , " eatd Kettle , and
Uonna Clotlldo without further words lf.
the bridge.
Ho waited for a decent Interval and then
Mghed and gaveorders. . The men on the
d ck obeyed him with qnlcknevH. A pair of
boat davits were GWUIIR outboard and th
boil plentifully vlclualid and Its wate
breakers tilled. The Cancelario'n cnglmx
were" stopped , and the tacltles t-crcamed a
the boat \\aa lowered to the water and roJ
thereat the end of Its painter. Captain Kci
t'.c left the bridge in charge of his llmt old
ccr and went below. He found the lady s'.t
ting In the commander's cibin , with hea
pillowed upon litr arms-
"You still wish mo to go , miss ? " ho tali
"If you will not accept what U offered. "
"I am IOTJ- , " mid tinlink - sailor , "ver.
rorry. If I'd mrt you , miss , before I sat
Mtv. Kettle , and If jou'd been n bit different
I bellevs I could have liked jou. lint as i
She leaped to her feet , with eyes tha
blazed. "Go , " she cried "Go , or I wi ;
call upon QOino of those fellows to blioj
jou. "
"They will do It cheerfully If you as
them , " said Kettle , and did not budge.
She sank down on the aofa ngaln with
wall. "O , go , " fhe cried ; "If you are .1 man
go , and never let me POC you again. "
Captain Kettle bowed and went out 01
deck. A little later he was nlono In th
fjuartcrboat. The Cancclarlo WEQ drawlni
test away from him into tbe night , and th
boat danced in the cream of her wake.
"Ah , well , " ho said to himself , "there1
another good chance gone for good and al
ways. What a cantankcioiu ) beggar I nin !
And then for a moment his thoughts wen
eUewherc , and ho got out paper nnd a stum ;
of pencil and briskly scribbled an elegy t
come popples In a cornfield. The lines hai
Just fitted gracefully upon his mind. an <
they seemed far too comely to be nllowc
a chance of escape. It was a movemcn
character'titlc of his nueerly ordered brain
After the more ugly moments of his life
Captain Owen Kettle always tinned to th
making of verso as au instructive iclicf.
For Infants and Children.
Sir fee
i.lnilo
Searles &
Searles ,
FpecinllstH in
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gOOICJEMEDYJiO , ,
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|
I
(
One of tine Most Dramatic
and Ingenious Stories
HrJ J
V Weyman Has Yet Written
SERIAL PUBLICATION
32
.
BEGINS JUNE 20 , -
latest story by the author of "A Gentfe-
man of France"Under the Red Robe , "
etc. , folly equals those brilliant successes in vigor
and masterly delineation of character , while it
even surpasses them in subtlety and sustained
interest.
In "Shrewsbury" Mr. Weyman for the first
time leaves French soil and brings his readers to
England , where the adventurous times of William
III , while plots and counterplots kept tongues
wagging and hearts ; a-throb , afford him ample
opportunity for the unfolding of a powerful nar
rative.
The real hero is Charles Talbot , the famous
Duke of Shrewsbury ; but the story is told by an
ignorant country lad , Dick Price , first usher in a
grammar school , then scribe to Mr. Broome , the
writer of news letters , and eventually , through his
own indecision of character , involved in a network
of Anti-Williamite intrigue.
Price falls into the hands of Ferguson , the
notorious stormy petrel of three rebellions , who
uses him as a go-between ; but the Duke of
Shrewsbury proves his friend in need and on sev
eral occasions saves him from danger and even i&
death. Price possesses a curious accidental like
ness to the Duke : and this likeness the plotter ,
Matt Smith , seeks to turn to Shrewsbury's ruin ,
by forcing the clerk to impersonate his patron in
an interview with the arch-rebel , Sir John Fen-
wick. But at Fenwick's trial all is discovered ,
and the romance comes to a dramatic conclusion ,
leaving the sorely tried Price to marry the girl of
his choice and retire from the buffets of a busy
world.
world."A
"A Gentleman of Francs , " by this same
author , was probably the most successful serial
ever published. "Shrewsbury" promises to equal it.
* The Omaha Sunday Bee S
$ & J
J&L
"T'f Vr *
f tATCHFORIT ! READ IT !
, i
