The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 10, 1905, Page 8

"RANCISCO SUNDAY €ALL. 00 C};")‘D 8 This story published to-day 3 ~The War Steamer of Donna % % Clotlide”—is the third of a & ? weries of thrilling sea stories detalling ¥ wy Cutliffe Hyne, ¥ he Adventures of Captain § 2 Kettle” If you want some- § £ thing that will warm the & % blood and lift you out of the ¥ L demd level of every-day com- ¥ monplaceness, don’t miss these ¥ stirring experiences of Captain .z One complete story of ¥ ¥ Kettle 2 pdventure will mppear every R % week in the Sunday Call until $ the series is finished. 2w na ics shook the said Kettle, “they could never urned Silva, e with you, h the op- palm trees too, for be- So, if it is reputed s fan and rose to a slight with the 1 may way now give you and go to “which I loyment you will on the b Kettle x nnot af- s 1 married with children to think ean murmured thought- r if she knows he’s mar- . ptain, 1f ¥ou will go up, I'm sure 1 wish you afe of the Lion rden, with orange s growing against the parapets, and nts’ ears and other tropical foliage stand he and there in round g Around it « the other roofs of t which, w the streets be- like some white rocky plain by steep canyons. A glow comes se depths below, and with it the blurred hum of people. But nothing ar- ticulate gets up to the Lic d’'Or, and In he very mistiness of the noise there is something indescribably fascinating, Moreover, it i= a place where the fire- T 4l i) s Valrp iso most congregate. Saving for the lamps ai )eaven, they have no other lighting on #at roof. The owners (who are Israelites; pride them- : it gives the garden an air y: it has made it the natural of plots above numbering, and brought them profits almost be- f. Your true plotter, when his ecstacy comes upon him, is not the man to be niggardly with the purse. He is alive and glowing then; he may very pos- be dead to-morrow, and in the while money is useless and the gs money can buy—and the very best their sort—are most rable. One more whispered hint did Mr. Silva give to Captain Kettle as they made their way ther up the white stone steps. ‘Do vou know who and what our host- ess is?” he asked. “A very nice young lady,” replied the mariner promptly, “with a fine taste in pers.” “She is all that,” said Silva; “but she also happens o be the richest woman in Chile. Her father owned mines innumer- e, and when he came by his end in our revolution, he left every dollar he had at Donna Clotilde’s entire disposal By some unfortunate oversight personal fear has been left out of her composition and she seems anxious to add it to the list of her acquirements.” Captain Kettle puckered his brows. I don’t seem to understand you,” he said. “I say this,” Silva murmured, ‘“‘because there seems no other way to explain the keenness with which she hunts after per- sonal danger. At present she is intrigu- ing against President Quijarra’s govern- ment. Well, we all know that Quijarra is a brigand, just as his predecessor was before him. The man who succeeds him in the Presidency of Chile will be a bri- gand also. It Is the custom of my coun- try. But interfering with brigandage is a ticklish operation, and Quijarra is always scrupulous to wring the neck of any one whom he thinks at all likely to interfere with his peculiar methods."” “I should say that from his point of said Kettle, “he was acting quite ST thought you'd look at it sensibly,” seives on said Silva. “Well, captain, here we are at the top of the stair. Don’t you think you had better ¢ ige your mind and slip now and go back to your quar- “Why. no, sir,” said Captain Kettle. “From what you tell me it seems possible that Miss La Touche may shortly be see- ing trouble, and it would give me pleasure 0 be near and ready to bear a hand. She is a lady for whom I have got consider- able regard. That supper, sir, which we have just eaten and the wine are things which will live in my memory.” He stepped out on the roof and Don- na Clotilde came to meet him. She linked her fingers upon his arm and led him apart from the rest. At the farther angle of the gardens they leaned their elbows upon the parapet and talked, while the glow from the street below faintly lit their faces and the fireflies winked behind their backs. “I thank you, captain, for your offer,” she said at length, “and I accept it as ( WY - \\\W\f\ ’ =) S ‘ \ i \ \‘\'i' i it i x‘h l’| I ‘C Oy 7908 CRUSERS R DECRS .72 4 -~ —~ R freely as it was given. I have had pro- posals of similar service -before, but they came from the wrong sort. I wanted a man, and I found out that you were that before you had been at the dinner table five minutes.” Captain tle bowed to the compli- ment. “But, aid he, have all a man's failings.” “I like them better,” said the lady, “than a half-man’s virtues. And as a proof I offer you command of my navy.” “Your navy, miss?"” “It has yet to be formed,” said Donna Clotilde, “and you must form it. But, once we make the nucleus, other ships of the existing force will desert to us, and with those we must fight and beat the rest. Once we have the navy we can bombard the ports into submission till the country thrusts out President Qui- jarra of its own accord and sets me up in his place.” “Oh,” said Kettle, “I didn’'t under- stand. Then you want to be Queen of Chile?” “President.” % “But a 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 the best things to themselves. Well, captain, all that is changing; the world is moving on; ,and women are forcing their way in and taking their proper place. You say that no state has had a woman President. You are quite right. I shall be the first.” Captain Kettle frowned a little and looked thoughtfully down into the lighted street beneath. But presently he made up his mind and spoke again. “I'll accept your offer, miss, to com- mand the navy, and I'll do the work well. You may rely on that. Although I say it myself, you'd find it hard to get a better man. I know the kind of brutes one has to ship as seamen along this South American coast, and I'm the sort of brute to handle them. By James, ves, and you shall see me make them do most things short of miracles. “But there’s one other thing, miss, 1 ought to say and I must apologize for mentioning it, seeing that you're not a business person. T must have my £12 a month and all found. I know it's a lot and I know you'll tell me wages are down just now. But I couldn’t do it for less, miss. Com- manding a navy's a strong order, and, besides, there's considerable risk to be counted in as well.” Donna Clotilde took his hand in both hers. “I thank you, captain,” she said, “for your offer, and I begin to see success ahead from this moment. You need have no fear on the question of re- muneration.” “I hope you didn’t mind my mention- ing it,” sald Kettle nervously. “I “it I am that, I know it's not a thing generally spoken of to ladies. But you see, miss, I'm a poor man and feel the need of money sometimes. Of course, £12 a month is high, but—" “My dear captain,” the .iady broke in, “what you ask is moderation itself; and, believe me, I respect you for it and will not forget. Knowing who I am, no otner man in Chile would have hesitated to ask”—she had on her tongue to say “a hundred times as much,” but suppressed that and said— “more. But in the meantime" said she, “will you accept this £100 note for any current expenses which may occur to you?” A little, old green-painted bark lay hove to under sail, disseminating the scent of guano through the sweet tropi- cal day. Under her square counter the name El Almirante Cochrane appeared in clean white lettering. The long South Pacific swells lifted her lazily from hill to valley of the blue water, to the accompaniment of squealing gear and a certain groaning of fabric. The Chilean coast lay afar off, as a white feathery line against one fragment of the sea rim. The green-painted bark was old. For ymany a weary year had she carried guanc from rainless Chilean islands to the ports of Europe, and though none of that unsavory cargo at present fes- tered beneath her hatches, though, in- deed, she was in shingle ballast and had her holds scrubbed down and fitted with bunks for men, the aroma of it had entered into the very soul of her fabric, and ngt all the washings of the sea could rerhove it. A white whaleboat lay astern, riding to a grass rope painter, and Senor Car- los. Silva, whom the whaleboat had brought off from the Chilean beach, sat in the bark’s deckhouse talking to Cap- tain Kettle, - “The senorita will be very disap- pointed,” said Silva. “I can imagine her disappointment.” returned the sailor. “I can measure it by my own. I can tell you, siry when I saw this filthy, -stinking, old ndjam- mer waiting for me in Callao, I could have sat down right where I was and cried. I'd got my men together, and I &uess I'd talked big about El Almirante Cochrane, the fine new armored cruiser we were to do wonders in. The only thing I knew about her was her name, but Miss La Touche had promised me the finest ship that could be got, and I only described what I thought a really fine ship would be. And, then, when the agent stuck out his finger and pointed out this foul old violet bed, I tell you it was a bit of a let down.” “There’s been some desperate robbery somewhere,” said Silva. “It didn’t take me long to guess that,” said Kettle, “and I concluded the agent was tue thief, and started in to take it out of him without further talk. He hadn't a pistol, so I only used my hands to him, but I guess I fingered him enough in three minutes to stop his dancing for another month. - He swore by all the saints he was innocent, and that he was only the tool of other men; and perhaps that was so. But he de- served what he got 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 to sea. It's a bit of a ‘come down, sir, for _.a steamer sailor like me,” the l'ttle man added with a sigh, “to put an old windjam- mer through her gymnastics again. I thought I'd done with ‘mainsail haul’ and rawhide chafing gear, and all the white wings nonserse, for good and al- ways.” “But, captain, what did you come out for? What carthly good can you do with an old wreck like this?” “Why, sir, I shall carry out what was arranged with Miss La Touche. I shall come up with one of President Qui- Jarra’s Government vessels, capture her and then start in to collar the rest. There’s no alteration in the programme. It's only made more difficult, that's all.” *OF CAPTAIN-KETTLE comcripe N ©)He\Nar Olea “I rowed out here to the rendezvous to tell you the Cancelario is at moor- ings in Tampique Bay and that the senorita would like to see you make your beginning upon her. But what's the good of that news, now? The Can- celario is a fine new warship of 3000 tons. She's fitted with everything mod- ern in guns and machinery, she's 300 men of a crew and she lies always with steam up and an armed watch set. To go near her in this clumsy little bark would be to make yourself a laughing stock. Why, your English Cochrane wouldn’t have done it.” “I know nothing about Lord Coch- rane, Mr. Silva. He was dead before my time. But 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, sir, I expect there'll be trouble over it, but you may tell Miss La Touche we shall have the Cancelario if she’ll stay in Tampique Bay till T can drive this old lavender box up to her.” For a minute Silva stared in silent wonder. “Then, captain,” said he, “all I can taink is that you must have enormous trust in your crew.” Captain Kettle bit the end from a fresh cigar. “You should go and look at them for yourself,” sald he, “and heaf their talk, and then you'd know. The beasts are fit to eat me already.” “How did you fget them on board ™ “Well, you see, sir, 1 collected them by promises—fine pay, fine ship, fine crulse. fine chances, and so on: and, when U'd only this smelling bottle here to show them, they hung back a bit. If there'd been only twenty of them, I don't say but what I could have hustled them on board with a gun and some ugly words. But sixty were too many to tackle: so I just said to them that El Almirante Cochrane was only a ferry to take us across to a fine war steamer that was lying out of sight elsewhere; and they swallowed the yarn, and stepped in over the side. “I can’t say they've behaved like lambs since. The grub’'s not been to their fancy, and I must say the biscult was crawling; R | W e/’ Dovzrea Clotilc2e and it seems that as a bedroom the hold hurt their delicate noses; and, between one thing and another, I've had .to shoot six of them before they understood I was skipper here. You see. sir, they were most of them living in Callao before they shipped, because there’s no extradition there; and so they're rather a toughish crowd to handle.” “What a horrible time you must have had!” “There has been no kid-glove work 501’) me; sir, since I got to sea with this rose garden; and I must say it would have knocked the poetry right out of most men. But, personally, 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 raging against me, I've been very nearly happy. And afterward, when I've got a spell of rest. T've plcked up pen and paper and knocked off one or two of the perttiest sonnets a man could wish to see in print. If you like, sir, 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 Clo- tilde is waiting for me. What am I to tell her?” ay, of course, that her orders are being carried out and her pay belng “My poor fellow,” said Silva, with a sudden gush of remorse, “you are only sacrificing yourself uselessly. What can you, in a small sailing vessel like this, do with your rifles against a splendidly armed vessel like the Can- celario?” “Not much in the shooting line, that's certain,” said Kettle cheerfully. “That beautiful agent sold us even over the ammunition. There were kegs put on board marked ‘cartridges,’ but when I came to break one or two so as to serve out a little ammunition for prac- tice, be hanged if the kegs weren't full of powder. And It wasn't the stuff for guns even; it was blasting powder, same as they use In the mines. Oh, sir - that agent was the hollest kind fraud. Silva wrung his hands. cried, “you must not go mad cruise. It would be for you to find the “You shall give me after I've met her,” tle. “For ti Miss La Tou £12 a month. But i Mr. Silva, and want turn you might well I could do month when I'm s for her.” The outline of pia Ay stood out clearly in bright moons 1 sea down the pat e moon’s rays showed a canal through rolling fields of p green-painted bark was heading in the bay on the port tack, and at moor- ings before the town in urve of the shore the grotesqy N modern warship showed in black si houette against the moonbeams. A slate-colored naphtua launch was slid- ing out over the swells toward bark. Captain Kettle came up from below and watched the naphtha launch with throb- bing interest. He had hatched a scheme for capturing the Cancelario, and had made his preparations: and here was an interruption coming which might very well upset everything most ruinously. Nor was he alone in his regard. The bark’s topgallant rail was lined with faces; all her complement were wonder- ing who these folk might be who were so confidently coming out to meet them. A Jacob's ladder was thrown over thew side; the slate-colored launch swept n;‘ and emitted a woman. Captain Kett startéd, and went down into the walst to meet her. A minute later he was won- dering whether he dreamed, or whether he was really walking his quarterdeck in company with Donna Clotilde la Touche. But meanwhile the bark held steadily alogg her course. The talk between them was not fo@ 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 dangerous?” she asked. “I couldn’t recommend it to an ingur ance company,” said Kettle thought g '. “Tell me your scheme.”™ Kettle did so in some forty words. F was pithy, and Donna Clothilde was cool. She heard him without change of color. “Ah,"” she said, “I think you will do 1t.” You will know ome way or another within ah hour from now, miss. But [ must ask you to take your launch to a distance. As I tell you, I have made all my own boats so that they won't swim: but, if your little craft was han- dy. my erew would jump ovkrboard and risk the sharks, and try to reach her in spite of all I could do to stop them. They won't be anxious to fight that Cancelario when the time comes if there's any way of wriggling out of it.” “You are quite righi, eaptain; the launch must go; only I domot. I must be your guest here till you can put me on the Cancelario.” Captain Kettle frowned. ““What's com- ing is.no job for a woman to be in at, miss" “You must leave me to my own opin- fon about that. You see, we differ upon what a woman should do, Captain. You say a woman should not be President of a republic: you think a woman should not be sharer in a fight. I am going to show you how a woman can be both.” She leaned her shoulders over the rail and hailed the naphtha launch with a sharp command. A man in the bows cast off the line with which it towed: the man aft put over his tiller and set the en- gines a-going: and, like a slim, gray ghost, the launch slid quletly away in the gloom. “You see.” she sald, “I am bound stay with you now.” And she looked u; him with a burning glance. But Kettle replied coldly. “You are my 4Continued on Page 9.),