The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 31, 1905, Page 5

I R a2 This story published to-day ¥ —The Ralding Donna Clo- & 8 tildle"—is the Afth of a series of thirilling ses stories by Cut- E $ lime Hyme detailing “The Ad- § §§ . ventures of Capialn Kettle” & % .1t you want something that 3 # will warm the blood and lift zz % you out of the dend level of % every-day _commonplaceness, 3% {0 don't miss these stirring ex- $ §{ periesees of Captaln Kettle. 2 }3 Ome complete story of advem- 3 ¥ Sure will appear every week ¥ in The Sunday Oall until the { -weries i= finished. B o S P 0 Copyright by Cutliffe Hyne.) ¥ ANT had announced in the cap- ] taln's room at Hallett' that & man could leave that sanctum shortly before turning-out time, and be forthwith kidnaved siredts of mariper witk him down contemptuously as & gratultous Lar. Into .this exclusive chamber Captaln Kettle had made his way Verage imsical asked od of the e sallor, aryly x e s knowledge, was gar of artifices bs going. up The red-haired cabin clock on it was his went » street of ship, captain?” man sighed. “Well, “you mneedn’t thank y to my employers way. But we'll » the open. Come ere have you buoy in the river. We m the steps the steps and took turned the plece ch lay in the stern sheets at on the drv side, and then he o the dark river. The red- ked up the yoke lines z .d t among the dense ship- past tiers of cossting schooners and oghers and out-of- clinker- 4 n steam and the and of the gangway alongside ton steam yacht. * sald Kettle, “‘pleasure?” hardly thati® sald the red-haired Step aboard, ®aptain, and I'll pay waterman.” ter wait to take me ashore 2 go. We may have a long K t you ashore gwn boats when yOU §O. we are. Come below to my room.” steam op, I see,” sald walked aft along the ey s. sald the red-haired man. any minute. We never know. a rare one for changing sald Kettle, “might be & wom- 1iish 1 hatred man dry the of the & womsan,” said the red- v. He opened a door at npanionway and turned teh. “This is my Al whisky might be 2 good thing to keep out the cold while we tslk. Excuse me a minute while I get a couple of tumblers. I guess the steward's turned in. Kettle seated himse elvet cov- ered sofa and looked ro the elab- orate fittings of the cabin. ‘‘Satinwood panels,” he commented, ickel battens lass-backed book- alns; no expense who wouldn't to put the charts on, case, and silk bunk c spared anywhere. L sell a farm and go to sea? But the old man sald she wasn't pleasure! I wonder what the game is? Contraband, I guess; many & yacht's great on that. Well, any way, I've got to hear.” The red-haired man came back with two balf-filled tumblers and a water jug. “Here's the poison,” said “mix it ac- cording to your own welght.” “That's rather more than my usual whack,” said Kettle, eying the tumbler; “but it's & cold, wet night, s re’s—by "ve forgot- said the red “My name?" d-ha “Oh, yes; I'm Douglas, Captal “Capt Douglas s thoughtfully. I it at present your very good health “Same,” rec ater with the of politeness umbler also; Captain Kettle these m there is an ters. distant c , and ¥ ock. It would be exp ' he sald, "firing e got to keep was g him home. I suppose the donke , captain, It g for, and d perhaps ee her for to be sure. Well, was my owner I s I've been thinking it on the whole you yourself." “Her!” sald Ke at the head of this conce “A lady, call her. B tal u're getting sleep; for the nigl look here, cap- Why not turn i see her your- awned, and his head nodded. “I am sleepy and that's a fact, though 1 don't know why I should be. But it wouldn't do for me to turn in here for night. - Mrs. Kettle's expecting me at home, and I've x word to her since I was m ( uld take it as kind, captain, if you could give me me notion this plece of employ- ment now, o e whether 1t's worth—" He y and struggled his heavy st un please, captain, that time is scarce with me: I must get employmen at once. I can't stand by and see my s and youngsters hungry.” las swore and hit the table “It's beastly hard,” he \ate myselt for bringing you otse head?” sald ye crew doing on fell back stupldly on bell clanged fro , and the slop-slop him through the ya sic e's swinging around in and some Kettle tried to rise, and with an immense effort tottered to his feet; but he had been g! drug too powerful 1 to sht against; hed help- then p T f stateroom creaked slyly open, and the red-haired man started violent He turned and saw a tall, dark woman just crossing the door o the the threshold “Donna Clotilde!” he said nervously. “I thought you were ashore. Then as by orders—" ‘That the 2 nder wa you com senor, I saw g on board with the man we have been hunting for as the these last two years, and as soon pair of you got below I sent word to the mate to call all hands and get out of the Tyne as soon ilot could manage it.” e Kettle's prostrate boc her han aressingly forehead “You are sure you have not overdone 1t?" she asked “I am sure of nothing like that,” he answered grimly. “But I gave him the dose you measured out yourself, so what's done {8 your own affair. I only sdded enough whisky to drown the taste, and the poor little beggar drank it all down at one mouthful.” “I don't see that you need pity him much. He will be all right when he wakes.” “When he wakes it will be at sea, and I have heard him speak of his wife and kids. That's w 1 pity him, Donna Clotilde. Incidentally I'm a bit sorry for myself.” He stooped over the pros- trate man and took a revolver from the back pocket of his trousers. “Look there! You ses the fallow took & gun with him even to Hallett's, It's grown to be a habit with him. He's a dead shot, too, and doesn’t mind shooting.” didn’t think you were a coward.” You know quite well I'm not, senor- ita. But this Captain Kettle will remem- ber that I was the fellow that decoyed him on board and he'll be pretty anx- fous to square up the account when he wakes.” “You sre well pald on purpose cover all risks” some contempt. “And I shall be earning my pay,” sald the red-haired man doggedly. “This small person here’s a holy terror, Well, I must be getting on deck to see the pilot take her down the river. Here, Tl put him on the bed befors I go. He'll sleep it off more comfortably there.” “You shall not touch him,” 4 Donna Clotilde. “I will do all that's needful. I bave walited for this moment for three long years.” “You must be pretty keen on him i you can sit by him when he does not know you.” “I have loved him since the first moment we met, and he knows it; and 1 do not mind who else knows it also. I am entirely without shame in the matter; I glory in it. I am not one of your cold-blooded European women.” “Well,” he said, “you are paying me to run this yaght, and I must go on up to see the pilot take her out of the river without losing us any paint.” And he went out of his room and left Donna Clotilde La Touche alone with this man by whom she was so flercely to sald the woman with EN The voyage was not one of monotony. Captain Kettle lay for the first twenty- four hours In a state of snoring uncon- sciousness, and when he did come to his wits again found himself in a cabin alone. He got up and stretched. His limbs were heavy and languid, but he was not conscious of having sustained any hurt. He clapped a hand to the region of his loins and nodded his grim head significantly. His pistol was missing. The time was night; the cold air was full of moonshine. and fortune favored him in so much that the red-haired man whom he sought was himselt standing a watch. He walked up to him without any concealment, and then, swift as light, slung out his righ§ fist, sending every ounce of his weight after it, and caught the man gquarely on the peak of the jaw. The fellow went down as if he had been pole-axed and Kettle was prompt- red-baired ly on top of him. The three other hands of the watch on deck were com- ing fast to their big captain's assist- ance and Kettle made the most of h time. He had been brought up In a 8ghool where he was taught to hit hard and hit first, and keep on hitting, and moreover he' was anatomlically skilled enough to know where to hit most effeot. punctilious fighting; he intended mark his man in return for value r celved, and he did lz. Then the thr lusty deok hands of the watch came up and wrenched him off and held him for their officer in turn to take vengeance stood in thelr grip, panting, and exultant. “You great ugly red-polled beggar,” he sald, “T've le your face match your head, but you needn’t thank me for it. You'd dare shanghal me, would you? By James, T'll make your ship a perfect hell till I'm off it.” ou hit a man when he's not look- “Liar!” said Kettle. “You saw me plain enough. If you were half a saflor you'd never have been hit.” “You're half my size. you.” 5 “Tell your hands to set me adrift and ry.” The big mat was tempted, but he swallowed down his Inclination. He or- dered the men who were holding Captain Kettle to set him free and go away for- ward again, and then he thrust his own fists resolutely in his pockets, » “Now,” he sald, when they were alone, “I own up to having earned what you've given me, and I hope thatll suit you, for if it doesn’t I'll shoot you 'like & rat with your own gun. ‘ou’ve handled me I couldn’t fight with . He had no time then for to [} SUNDAY CALL. RAYNE CPY B - HE Zoox Tof TIE S7T47Z800H CEEAREY SLYLY OTZ: T TURNED XD SHHLE ~ TALL TAER WOMAK JO5T CROS5IK 6~ THE TIZRESHOLY in 2 way no other man has done before, and so you can tickle your pride with that and simmer down. If you want to know, I was a man like yourself—hard up—and I was pald to kidnap you, and I'd have kidnaped the devil for money Just then.” “I know nothing about the devil,” said Kettle actdly; ‘but you've got me, and you couldn’t very well find a worse bar- gain. If you are not a fool you will set me ashore at once.” 1 shall act entirely by my owners orders.” “Then trot out your owner, apd I'l] pass the time of day with him next. I'm not particular. I'll kill the whole bloom- ing ship's company if I don't get my own way.” “Man, don't you be a fool. hit a woman.” “A woman?” “Yes, I told you before~Donna Clo~ tiide. You know her well enough.” “Donna Clotilde, who?” “La,_Touche.” The stiffening seemed sudderly. to go out of the little man. He stepped wearily across the deck, and leaned his elbows on the yacht's polished topgallant rail. *“ James!” he murmured to the purple u:g ot the night. “By James! that—that woman. What a ruddy mess.” And then he broke off into dreary musing. He had known this Donna Clotilde La Touche be- fore; had entered her employ in Valpar- aiso; had helped her revolutionary schemes by capturing a warship for her. In return she had conceived a mad infat- uation for him. But all the while he re- garded her merely as his employer. In the end he had been practically set adrift at sea In an open boat as a pen- ance for not divoreing his own wife and marrying her. And now she was come to add to his other troubles by begin- You can’t ning to persecute him again. It was hard, bitterly hard. By some subtlé transference of thought the woman in her berth below became conacious of his regard, grew restless, woke, got more restless, dressed, came on deck and saw this man with whom she was =0 flercely enamored staring gloomily over the bulwarks. With her lithe, silent walk she stepped across the dewy decks under the moonlight, and, without his hearing her, leaned on the rail at his side and flung an arm across his shoul- ders. Captain Kettle woke from his musings with a start, stepped coldly aside and sa- luted formally. He had an eye for a good-looking woman, and this one was deliclously handsome. He was always chivalrous toward the other sex, what- ever might be thelr characters; but the fact of his own kidnaping at the moment of Mrs. Kettle's pressing need made him almost as hard as though a man stood before him as his enemy. “Miss La Touche,” he sald, “do ;n\l wish me to remember you with hatred?” “I do not wish you to have need to re- member me at all. As you know, I wish you to stay with me always.” “That, as 1 have told you before, miss, s impossible for more reasons than one. You have done me infinite mischief al- ready. I might have found employment by this time had I stayed in South Shields, and meanwhile my wife and children are hungry. Be content with that, and set me ashore.” “I repeat the offer I made you In Bouth America. Come with me, get a divorce and your wife shall have an income such as she never dreamed of, and such as you never could have got her in all your life otherwise. You know I am not boasting, As you must know by this, I am one ni the richest women in the world.” “Thank you, but I do not accept the terms. Money Is not everything.” “And meanwhile, remember, I keep you on board here, whether you like it or not; and until you gl way to what I want your wife may starve. Bo if she and your children are in painful straits you must recollect that it 18 entirely your fault.” “Quits =0, gald Kettle, “She will be content to starve when she knows the reason.” Donna Clotilde’'s eyes began to glitter. “There are not many men who would refuse if I offered them myself,” “Then, miss, I must remain curiou: She stamped her foot. “I have hungered for you all this thme and I will not give you up for mere words. You will come to love me In time as I love you. I tell you you will, you must, you shall. I have got you now and I will not let you go again.” “Then, miss,” sald Kettle grimly, “I shall have to show you that I am too hot to hold.” She faced him with heaving breast. “We will see who wins,” she cried. “Probably,” sald Captain Kettls, and took off his cap. “Good night, miss, for the present. We know how we stand; the game appears to begin between us Irom now.” Cautiously he found his way to the steward's storeroom, fllled a cases with meat ting and biscuit, and then coming on deck again stowed it away In the lif boat, which hung in davits outboard, without being noticed. With equal suc- cess he took the boat's beaker forward, filled it from a water tank and got It fixed on its chocks again, still without being seen. The moon was behind clouds and the darkness favered him. He threw down the cofls of the davit falls on deck, cast off one from where It was belayed, took a ti and carried the bight to the other davit so that he eould lower away both tackles at once. But he was not allowed to get much farther. The disused blocks screamed llke a parcel of cats as the ropes rended through them; there was a shrill ‘whistle from the officer of the watch and half a dozen men from varlous parts of the deck came bounding along to in- terfere. Y OVCATTAN {THLE— CUTCLIEFE— Captain Kettle let go both falls te overhaul as they chose, picked up & green-heart belaying pin out of t pin rail and stood on the defensive. But the forward fall kinked and jammed, and though the little man fought like a demon to keep off the watch till he got it clear, they were too many for him, and drove him to the deck by sheer weight of numbers. He had cracked one man's forearm in the scuffle, laid open another's face and smashed In the front teeth of a third, and they were rather inclined to treat him roughly, but the red-haired skipper came up and by sheer superior strength picked him up, kicking and struggling and hustled him off below whether he liked It or not. The lifeboat dangled half-swamped from the forward davit tackle and all hands had to be piped Dbefo they could get her on board agaln, and by the time they had completed this job there was another matter handy to oc- cupy their attention. A fireman came up from below, white-faced and trem-~ bling: “The yacht’s half full of water,” he sald. Now that their attention was called to it, they noticed the sluggish way she rode the water. “She must have started a plate or something,” the fireman went on e=- citedly. “We've got both bilgs pumps running and they won't look at it The water's coming In like a sluice.™ “Carpenter,” sang out the red-haired man, “come below with me and see if we can find anything,” and he led the way to the companion. Between decks they could hear the water sloppin about under the flooring. It seemed a bad, almost a hopel case, Instinctively the rxb-ln‘ man went to his own room to pocket hls valuables, and by a chance he was moved to lift up the door In the floor which covered the bath beneath it. Ah, thers was the mis- chief. The seacock which filled the bath was turned on to the full, and the iron tub was gushing water on every side. The next stateroom was empty, but the bath cock there was also turned on to the full; and after going round the ship, and finally entering Kettle’s room (and cov- ering him with a revolver) and turning off his water supply he found that the sea had been pouring inboard from no fewer than eight separate apertures. “And this is your work, you lttle flend, I suppose?” sald the red-haired man savagely. “Certainly,” said Captain Kettle: “Shoot me if you like, put me ashore If you choose, but don't grumble if yeu find me a deuced ugly passenger. m (Continued on Page 7.)