Newspapers / The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, … / July 30, 1909, edition 1 / Page 7
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*AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAJ * i ? \ The Captain of \ 1 the Kansas. \ A ? E 4 By LOUIS TRACY. ? ^ Author of "The W nil of (he Korrinj," 4| "The i ..lir of Light," Lie. ^ ^ Copyright. 19U6. by Edward J. Olcxle. * CHAPTER XVI. " i the way. what of M. (It I'olncillt?" saitl t'ourleiri., "I saw lilii) coiue aboard wi Malcolm, but lie dived lutot'i salon ami lias uot reappeared. Is It jnr (!ray's mouth get like a steel trap Ills eyes liad a glint In them. H< seemed to be unwilling to speak. When words came they were cold and meas ured. "I haven't any use for that fellow," be said. "I suppose the unpleasant, story must lie told sooner or later, sn! liere goes. In the first place, I'otlicIUl1 forgot that I understood Spanish, and I heard him yelping to the Chileans In the jolly boat that If we took any more people on board we should be swamp ed. It was he who put the notion in their heads to cast off while you were lowering Miss Baring's maid into my arms. I tried to forget that, as lie was blue white with fear, and some fellows are not responsible for their actions when their liver melts. But I can never forget his action on the island Yesterday morning I was just in ti ne to stop him and four others from sneaking off in the lifeboat with all our provisions." Courtenay's face hardened too. "Necessity may have no laws." sai.l he, "but I fancy I should have found ft roue to meet his ruse. "I have organized a vigilance com mittee iu my time, and its articles kind of fitted iu," was the American's quiet reply. "That Is why I have a few recent knife cuts distributed about my skin. I began to shoot, and we were two short on the muster roll next ?lay. I'e Polncllit ran and fell on his knees. So did a skunk of an Italian, and I did not want to wasTe cartridges. They were tied back to back uutil we sailed today." "And the fifth?' -"The fifth was a woman." They talked until daybreak; then Courteuay turned iu. He did not ap pear on deck again uutil noon. By that time the Kansas had lost all marks of the fight excepting the smashed windows, and a sailor who understood the glazier's art was re placing the broken glass. Making the round of the ship, the captain found Elsie sitting with Isobel and Mrs. Som erville on the promenade deck. She was binding Joey's foot, and he knew then why the dog had scampered oft on three legs as soon as the cabin door was opened. Lifting his cap, with a smile and a general "Good morning." he bent over Elsie. "Well," he said, "surely you owe me at least one kiss!" If her cheeks were red before, they became scarlet now. Hut his kindling glance had warned her that lie would adopt no pretense, so she lifted her face to his, though she did not dare to look at her amazed co/npanions. Cour teuay explained matters quite coolly. "If Klsie has not told xou already it "I have orijantzrd n viqllnnce committee (n mi/ lime." Is my privilege to announce that she and I have signed articles." he salt!, with a smile. "That is. we intend to get married n? soon as the ship reaches England." "Indeed, I congratulate you both most heartily," said the missionary's wife. "Kveuts have marched, then, while we were stranded on that wretched is land," tittered Isoliel. Her voice was rather shrill. She, too. was excited, not quite mistress of herself. She did not know how far Cray's statements roleht have prejudiced her with the captain. She had already sent De Poln cllit a note urging him to deny abso lutely all knowledge of the plot to steal the lioat ami attribute the American'^ Minmary action to his mistaken ren dering of the Spanish patois used b> the Chilean sailers. "You feel sure that we shall see no more of the In dians?' asked Isoliel quickly. "I think so. One never can tell. I t it they have the gilt to attack us again I shall regard them as first class flttM ers." Isoliel meant to lie on her liest be havior. Her uact with the Frenchman was disc re IllaWe, but smooth words might restrain tongues from wn.-L'in^ until she could leave the ship. More over, the vicissitudes of life i:i these later days were aot without their ef fect. "1 shall resume my rounds," said! Courtenay to Klsie. "I expcct to be re ceived reproachfully by Walker, lie made (treat progress yesterday. Let me whisper a secret. Then you may pass It on in strictest confidence." He placed his ltps close to her ear. j "I am dreadfully in love with you this morning," he breathed. '"That Is no secret," she retorted. "It Is. You and I together must dally tlnd new paths in Eden. But my! less poetic news should l>e welcome also. Walker says he hopes to get steam lip tomorrow." "Well, tell us quickly." cried Isobel, with a show of intense Interest when' Courtenay had gone. Though his man-! uer betokened that the affair was some thing which concerned Klsie alone, she! was on fire until she learned that his "secret" alluded to the restored vital ity of the ship. For once her expressions of gratitude were heartfelt. Mrs. Somervllle even wept tor joy. This poor woman, after living twenty-five years in the oasis of a mission house, was a strange subject for storm tossed wandering and fights with cannibals. "It will be a real manifestation of Providence If we ever reach England again," she cried, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. "I'm sure John and I have said so many a time dur ing the past week. To think of the ship's blowing up in the way she did! It makes me all of a-tremble, it does." "Oh." broke in Elsie, thinking that the information she possessed would help to calm the older woman, "we nave made a good many discoveries since?since the boat went away with out me, I mean. Rut do tell me?how uul those horrid Chileans manage to cast off the tackle before Mr. Gray or some of the other men were able to stop them? Of course it Is inatterless aow In a sense, but at that moment it looked like leaving those on the ship to certain death." Mrs. Somerville was stricken dumb. The American's shooting of two meu on White Horse island had naturally called for a complete explanation 011 his part, and she did not know how to answer Elsie's question. Before she could gather her wits Isobel inter lined. "If you had been In that boat, dear," she said sweetly, "you would realize the topsy turvy condition of our brains. Even Mr. Gray himself, the coolesl man on board, imagined we njjglit sink any moment, so what can yiTli expect of those excitable Chileans? What ar? the discoveries you spoko^f?" "Well, some one placed dynamite among the coal." "But who would do such a thing?" "That Is hard to say. The captain beliey?s that the culprit will be found out through the insurance policies. You cannot tell how surprised I was to hear him mention Ventana's name In connection with it." "Ventana's name!" The blood ebbed away from Isobel's cheeks, leaving her pallid as a statue. | There was a gasp in her voice which j startled her own ears. I.est her agita tion should be noted too keenly she bent forward and propped her face 011 her clinched hands, staring fixedly at the distant cliffs in a supreme effort to appear apathetic. Elsie heard that dry sob, but her friend's seeming indiffer ence misled her. "Yes," she said, wondering u little whether or not Christobal's veiled hint regarding a bygone tenderness between the two might account for Isobel's hys terical outburst on the night of the ship's breakdown. So, pondering un spoken thoughts the while, she told the, others exactly what Tollemache, Chris-' tobal and Courtenay had said and even ] revealed to them that which Courtenay himself did not jet know. "You remember the poor fellow who got into trouble soon after we sailed from Valparaiso?" she said. "Ills name is Frascuelo. lie was wounded again in last night's fight, but not seriously, and he and I are quite chums. lie as sures me that he was drugged by a man named Jose Anacleto, who took his place among the coal trimmers"? "Oil. Miss Maxwell, come quick!" screamed Mrs. Somervllle, for Isobel had lurched sideways out of her chair ill a fainting fit, and the missionary's wife was barely able to sa\e her head from striking the ship's rails. Joey was shot out of Elsie's lap with such surprising speed that he trotted away without any exhibition of lame ness. He was quite disgusted for at least five minutes, but it is reasonable to suppose that a dog of his Intelli gence would brighten up when he heard the wholly uulooked for story which L'hrlstobal was translating to Courtenay word for word as it was dragged hesitatingly out of Suarez. The Argentine miner had been badly injured during the struggle for posses sion of the promenade deck. Owing to loss of consciousness, supplemented by an awkward fall, he might hare chok ed to death had he not been rescued within a few minutes, fie was very ill all night, and it was not until midday that he recovered sufficient stri ngth to' enable hiui to question the Indians on I board. Courtenay wished specially to find j out what chance, if any, there was of the Alaculof attack ltelng renewed. It was obvious that some of the maimed Indians recognized Suarez, notwithstanding his changed appear ance, the Instant he spohe to them. At once they broke out into an excited chattering, and Suarez was so discon certed by the tidings they conveyed that he stammered a good deal and seemed to Uounder In giving the Span ish rendering. "Thi.> fellow is telling us just as much as he thinks it is good for us to know." said (.ourteuay sternly when the interpreter hvoIiIihI his accmlng gaze. "Hiil him out with the wln/o truth, t'hrlstobai, or It rliiill Ik- his pleasing task t > escort Ills ? car friend* back to thel ally cireiett." Being detected, Suarez faltered no longer. A ship's lifeboat had 1?B driveu ashore lower down the coast. Fourteen men had lauded. They were captured by the Indians after a useless resistance in which three were killed. The dead meu supplied a ghoulish feast next day, and the others were bound securely and placed in a cave lu order to l?e killed at Intervals, an exact parallel to the fate of Suarez'* i own companions live years earlier. ltut on this occasion a woman Inter vened. Sua rex confessed very reluc tantly that there was a girl lu the trilie to whom he had taught some' words of his own language. He declared that the relations lietween them were those of master and serv ant, but the poor creature had fallen in love with him and had liecome near ly frautle with grief when he disap peared. It w:;s difficult to analyze her motives, but she hail undoubtedly freed the eleven sailors and led them over the rocks at low water to a cave on Uuanaco hill, lielieved by the Indiana to be haunted. The Indians dared not i follow, but they took good care that! 110 canoes were obtainable in which the unhappy fugitives could reach the ship, and they were confident that hunger would soon drive tliein forth. Courtenay's brow became black with anger when he understood the siguiti-. ranee of this Staggering stow. "It conies to this," lie said to Chris-j tobal. "The men who got away from the Kansas in .No. 1! lifebo.it fell into the*hands of the savages early on tin day of the ship's arrival here. Suaivz i sllpiied his cable that night, being! aware of the time that eleven white! captives were still alive. Vet he said 110 word, not even when he heard that we had seen one of the boat's water casks in a canoe. What sort of mean hound can he be?" Suarez needed no translation to grasp the purport of Courtenay's words. He besought the senor captain to have patience with him. He had escaped from a living tomb and felt ihat he would yield up his life rather than return. Therefore when he saw how few in number and badly armed were they on board the ship he thought it best to remain silent as to the fate of the IkkU's crew. In the first place, he fully expected that they had been kill ed by the Indians, who would lie en raged by his own disappearance; sec ondly, he alone knew how hopeless any attempt at a rescue must prove; final ly, he wished to spare the feelings of those who had befriendod him. Of what avail were useless mind tortur ing* regarding the hapless beings in the hands of the savages'; There was a certain plausibleness In this reasoning which curbed Courte nay's wrath, though it in no way di i minished his disgust. "Ask him to ascertain If the Indians believe the white uien are still living," he said. A fresh series of grunts and clicks elicited the fact that the smoke column seen the previous day on (Juan aco hill had not been created by the tribe. Suarez begged the senor captain to remember that he had spoken truly when he declared that ita meaning was unknown to him. Probably from what he now learned the girl who threw in her lot with the sailors had built a fire there. Courteuay turned on his heel and quitted the cabin. Christobal, we'd j knowing how the demons of doubt anu | despair were afflicting Courteuay, fol- j lowed him to the upper deck. Boyle v i ? in the chart house, and Toile- j n. ..lie. Each man noted the captain's troubled face. Courtenay obtained a telescope. With the tact which never failed him, even in such a desperate crisis as this, he handed the doctor his binoculars. Then both men looked at the summit of Guanaco hill. Though it was high noon and the landscape was shimmer ing in the heat mist created by the un usual power and brilliance of the sun. they distinctly saw a thin pillar of smoke rising above the trees. Courte-1 nay closed his telescope. He made to approach Boyle, evidently for the pur pose of giving some order, when Chris tobal said quietly; -nan: 1 nave someimng to say to you. You ought to remain on tlie ship. Let mo go'." "You?" "Yes, I. After all. It Is only a matter of taking command. One man cannot go alone, lie could not even pull the [ lifeboat so far; hence what you can1 do I can do, aud I have no objection to dying in that way." "Why should either of us die?" "You know better than I how little j chance there is of saving those men. j You may deem me callous if I suggest that the reasonable thing would lie to forget the miserable statement you j have just heard. Oh, please hear me to the end. I am not talking for your sole benefit, believe me. Greatly as I and all on board are l?eholden to you, I do not propose giving my life in your stead bccauso of my abounding admi ration for your many virtues. Well, then, since you are so impatient as to lie almost rude, I come straight to the ] point. If you take command of a boat's crew and endeavor to save the men i imprisoned over there, you will almost certainly throw away your life and the lives of those who help you. In that t event a lady In whom we are both in-' terestod will suffer grievously. On the other hand, if I were killed she would weep a little, !>ocause she has a large heart, but you would console her. And | the odd thing is that you and I are fully aware that either you or I must go off on this tool's errand. There Is none other to take the vacant place., Nov.-. have I made myself clear?" "While I command the Kansas I am responsible for the well lielng of the ship, her crew and her passengers. I could never forgive myself If I left1 those men to the merry of the Indians, i I cannot permit either you or Tolle- i uiaclie to take a risk which I shirk. Boyle ami Walker must remain on i board le>t 1 full. Now. <'hristobal, tlon't make my duty harder. Shake hands! i am proud to claim you as a frlei.J." "Huh," said Boyle, strolling toward them. "AVlmt Is It?a bet?" I "Yes," laughed t'ourtenay, from whose face all doubt had vanished, "a i bet Indeed, aud you hold the stakes. Hare you seen the smoke signal yon der?" And lie pointed across the bay. I "Yes. Tollcuiacbe found It again twenty minutes since." "It means that eleven of our men are there, expecting us to save them. Hoist the ship's answering pennant from the malu yard swung out to star board. liulld a small lire on the poop and throw some oil and lampblack on It. If they don't recognize the |>ennant they will understand the smoke. l!et some food and water stowed In the Ufelioat and offer ?5 a head to six men who will volnutecr for a trip ashore." "I go in charge, of course, sir?" said Boyle. "You remain here and take command during my absence. I want two re volvers for a couple of the crew, and I shall take m.v own (run. 1'Ieise m ike all arrangements promptly. 1 am go ing to my cabin for live minutes and shall start Immediately afterward." This was the captulti speaking. Ills tone admitted of no < ontention. Uoyie hurried off, and t'ourtenay went into his quarters. "What do you think of li':" t'hrls tobal asked Toltemache as the latter appeared to be sauntering after the chief officer. "t'ourtenay Is a hard man to stop," said Toil ?inache, vanishing down the companion. The Spaniard ? as left alone on the bridge lit* paced to ami fro deep in thought, lie scarce dared proiie his own communings. So com plex were they, such a queer amalgam of noble fet/ aud base expectation, that he could have cried aloud in his anguish. Big drops of perspiration stood on his forehead when <'ourteiiay came to lilni. "For (iod's sake, don't go," said he hoarsely. "Do you know you are plac ing me on the rack?" "Your sufferings are of your own contriving, then. Why, man, there's no reason for all this agony. I have written to Elsie, briefly explaining mat ters. litre Is the letter. Give it to her if I don't return. And bow pull yourself together. 1 want you to cheer her. Above all things, don't let her I The Spaniard was left alone on the bridyc. know I am leaving the ship. I'll Just swing myself overboard at the last moment. I can't say goodby. I don't think I could stand that." (To Be Continued.) I Tired Women I Women, worn and Ured |:. from over-work, need a R tonic. That feeling o! weak- I ' ness or tiredness will not I; leave yon ol itselt. Take I Cardni, that ellectnal remedy ?/ lor the ailmenls and weak- 1; ness ol women. Thousands p ol women have tried Cardni I' and write enlhusiasticaliy ol I; Its great benefit to them. CARDUi B A recent letter from Mrs. ft' ;'| Charles Rragg, of Sweetser, I J Ind., says: "Tongue can- I |1 not tell how much your med- I J Icine has done for me. Be* B I lore I began taking Carduil I y could not do a day's work. 1 ? ? would work awhile and lie B B down. I shall always give B M praise to your medicine." B | Try Cardni. For sale if! everywhere. ffc? B E 4? B & Alligator From Florida ? ft People who visit u-; now can se- an a'lightor just re- J? fj ceived from Klorida. It is ia wat^r in a cage in front of A ft our store We are piepared to suit you in the goods Ig 29 mentiont>d below: A M Oiie good pair of wagon mules Several ^ good horses Two horse Thornhill wagons M at actual cost buggies of the best makes VJ K at reasonable prices Harness of all kinds y? M Don't walk all over the county but buy a JM K Buggy from us. If you cannot buv a new BE M buggy w? have plenty of good second hand 54 K huggies for sale. We run a Paint Shop and S M will paint your buggy fcr you. Price for *A K paim iug a buggy five to ten dollar* Come SE M and see our goods and the Alligator. M g The Ellington Buggy Co. g M S YIITHFIELD, N. C. 9 Grantham's Stock Remedies Grantham's Stock Powders, ... 25c. Grantham's Worm Powders, ... 25c. Grantham's Horse Colic Cure, - - - 60c. Grantham's Scratch Liniment, ... 50c. Grantham's Eye Wash for horses ... 25c. These goods have been tested carefully r,nd are reliable. We put up a Fly Scare to ran flies off Stock, worth twice what it cost you. ... J5c. pt. Grantham's Cholago. 25c. "Bad but is good" Grantham's Kubus Mixture,for children;checKs bowels 25c. Grantham's Liver Tablet*, wakes up vour lazy liver, 25c. Hood's Haby Powders, forchilderu; makes teething easy Hood's Headachu Powders, 4 doses 10c. one dose relieves. For Sale by J. W. BENSON, Benson. SENSON DRUG CO.. Benson. HOOD BROS.. Smithfield SELWA DRUG CO. HOOD & GRANTHMAN, Dunn. I use Grantham's Stock Powders.?J. W. Lane, Dunn. Grantham's Stock Powders are good for worms, and is a tonic,? J. H. Ballance, Dunn We find Grantham's Stock Powders best on market.?T. L. Gerald & Co. Dunn. I use, sell and recommend Grantham's Horse preparations.? Alonzo Parrish, Stock Dealer, Benson. I have used Grantham's Stock Powders with splendid success and can cheerfully recommend them.?F. N. Parrish, Livery & Sales Htables, Smitefield. Put up by HOOD & GRANTHAM DUNN, - - - North Carolina THE J NO. A. McKAY MFG. CO., Dunn, North Carolina. Machinists, Iron and Brass Foun ders, Castings of all kinds. We make the best Swing Saw Machine in the world for the price. OLD MACHIN ERY MADE GOOD AS NEW. High grade work guaranteed. Agents for the leading makes of Machinery. Good stock of machine supplies al ways on hand. Agents for the celebrated Farquhar Machinery. Agents for the Des mond Injector and Phillip Steel Split Pulleys. M/*A-f > 'SAMA SMA.W.MA^IA^A >1*S3A\fA*1*\MA^1AS9AXEX\1A VI,*M* MX -t" ?x"*".-""JTwT ? /T'"*T" ?"V"?<" "*T?*T.*<\ ?> vK#T5iT!j?%.#T5?C/E?KTKifK!JKE 2 "t: /K Wi// secure for you the best Newspaper ?m ? ? ^ I published in the county for a whole year f * Y1 The Smithfield Herald f j Shoeing Shop I have re-opened m.y shop back of ("otter-Stevens (Jo.'s store, where 1 propose to do Horse Shoeing. The Only ^olid Shoeing Shop in town. Special attention given to lame stock. Good stalls and hitch lots free to all. Thanking all for past pa tronage and hoping to be favored with a share of your future business, I am, Yours to serve, THE OLD RELIABLE SHOER, A. H. PHELPS, Smith field, N. C. Tobacco Flues Do you want the best flues? If you do get them from 8. B. Johnson the old reliable flue maker. He has been making them 15 years. If you need flues bring or send your order and he will make you the best flues at lowest prices. If you need roofing I have the best at very low price* S. B. Johnson, SmithReld. N. C. See What We Offer You! We now sell Hardware, Mill Sup plies, Paints, Coffins and other un dertakers goods. If you are going to build and need anything in the way of building ma terial, we think we can suit you. Flooring, Ceiling, Weatherboarding, Moldings, Mantels, Window and door frames, Doors, Shingles, Laths and Brick. We sell Reliance and other prepared roofing, screen doors and windows. Call to see us. John I.Barnes Bro. Clayton. N. C. Building Material We manufacture and sell Rough and Dressed Lumber, Shingles, Brackets, Porch Trimmings and turned work. Heavy Turning a Specialty. Come ana see our Material. Four Oaks Lumber Co. ? ~*8
The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 30, 1909, edition 1
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