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[ESCAPADE
A POST
I MARITAL ROMANCE
I I Cyrus Townsend Brady
Kg ILLUSTRATIONS RY
Si RAY WALTERS
{Uuiiyright, i'JW, bj \Y. O. Chapman.)
SYNOPSIS.
The Escapade opens, not In tho ro-
Tjanci' preceding the marriage of Ellen
Jftocum, a Puritan miss. and Car
nngton of England, but in their life after
■settling in England. The scene is placed,
tout following the revolution, in Carrlng
itm castle in England. The Carringtons,
art tor a house party, engaged In a family
<jWt, caused by jealousy. Lady Carring
l)»n agreed to cut cards with Lord Strath
gate. whose attentions to Ellen had be
one a sore point with Carrington. The
awe of 9)00,000 failed to perturb her, and
leer husband then cut for his wife's I. O.
I<. and his honor, Currington winning.
Additional attentions of Lord Carrington
<fe Lady Cecily and Lord Strathgate to
Lad y Carrington compelled the latter
<» vow that she would leave the castle.
Preparing to (lee. Lady Carrington and
#*er chum Deborah, an American girl,
met Lord Strathgate at two a. m., ho
Qgreelng to see them safely away. lie
attempted to take her to his castle, but
She left him stunned in the road when
wb»? carriage met with an accident. She
and Debbie then struck out for Ports
mouth, where she Intended to sail for
America. Hearing news of Ellen's flight.
Lords Carrington and Seton set out in
pursuit. Seton rented a fast vessel and
sitarted in pursuit. Strathgate, bleeding
tJroni fall, dashed onto Portsmouth, for
which Carrington. Ellen and Seton were
also headed by different routes. Stratli-
arrived in Portsmouth in advance
Of the others, finding that Ellen's ship
tisid sailed before her. Strathgate and
Carrington each hired a small yacht to
pursue the wrong vessel, upon which
■saoh supposed Ellen had sailed. Seton
overtook the fugitives near Portsmouth,
twit his craft ran aground, just as capture
waa Imminent. Ellen won the chase by
boarding American vessel and foiling her
pursuers—Strathgate, Seton and Carrlng
ton. Carrington and Strathgate, thrown
together by former's wrecking of latter's
vessel, engaged in an Impromptu duel,
•neither being hurt.
CHAPTER XlV.—Continued.
This was an embarrassing question,
but Sir Charles was saved the neces
sity of answering, for the midshipman
earne running to the quarterdeck once
more and saluted.
"Well?" said the officer to the ex
pectant boy.
"Admiral Kephard's compliments
to you, sir, and he begs you will escort
•Captain Seton to his cabin ot once."
"You're in luck, captain," returned
the officer,"the admiral is not always
so easy of access. Will you step this
way, sir?"
"After you, sir," said Sir Charles,
lowing and following the lieutenant
until he was ushered past the marine
«tdeily on duty and into the ad
miral's cabin.
The t dmiral was just completing
his loilet. His body servant was help
ing him on with his coat. lie had
evidentlyj jU t had a bath to refresh
fclm after fatigues of his journey.
"Oh, Seton," ho cried as the other
■came in, "glad to see you, man. Sit
down. John," —to the servant —
"fetch out a decanter of navy sherry.
Whisky, Seton, whisky, although pe**-
Jiaps you army men u fleet port."
"1 fuees we can to Jew the navy's
1 ad in something st-onrer than port."
laughed Sir Charles.
"What brought you here, Sir
Charles?" continued the admiral as he
poured out a liberal glassful for Se
ton and another for himself. "I left
you at Carrington. Hut, no, I remem
ber you rode away before I did, just
after my lord. Have you come on any
trace of fugitives?"
"Admiral," said Sir Charles, grave
ly, "I know where they are."
"And that damned lubberly hound,
Strathgate, is he—"
"He isn't with them. They gave
ham the slip."
"You don't say? Good!" laughed the
admiral. "How was that?"
Seton rapidly detailed the circum
stances as he had deduced them.
"Well done, that woman has spirit
«nough," continued the old soldier, "to
command a frigato. You will never
•convince me that she's taken up with
a man of Strathgate's caliber."
"She went away wilh liim, though,"
raid Seton thoughtfully.
"Ay ay, but she knows no more of
t}»e world than a baby. She simply
-wade use of his proffered assistance
to escape from an intolerable situa
6fon. You take me, Seton?"
"I do, admiral, and I confess I hard
«y blame her. * How Carrington could
tolerate Lady Cecily for a moment
beside that splendid woman—"
"To say nothing of that other splen
did woman, Mistress Deborah Slocum,
eh, Seton?"
"1 admit, admiral —"
"Even 'Saints' Rest' becomes
heavenly when looked at by the aid
of such a pair of black eyes? And the
lady, boy?"
"I confess, sir'* answered Seton,
somewhat aba sin. d by the frank ques
tioning of the old man, "that I have
some reason to believe, in short—•*"
"In short, my boy, you've beer, cas
ing her all nigLt, have you?"
"You're right, sir."
"And what now?"
"I told you, admiral, that I knew
where they were."
"Well, whora are they? Out with
it, lad. Disclose your information and
come to the point. All these side is
sues are unworthy of a soldier,"
laughed the old teaman, well knowing
that for most of them he was respon
sible.
"They're on a merchant ship bound
tip the channel and going fast when
1 saw them last."
"What?"' cried the admiral. "Give
me the particulars."
Sir Charles rapidly ran over the
scene of the morning.
The old admiral threw back his head
and laughed.
"And she outwitted you all, shook
Strathgate off the track, led you
ashore, watched Carrington and
Strathgate tight it out under her very
eyes and got clean away?"
"She hasn't got away yet, admiral."
"What mean you?"
"I came here to make a proposition
to you."
"A proposition to me?"
"Yes."
"You have a fast ship at your com
mand, I take it."
"Do you mean the Britannia?" said
the admiral, mentioning his flagship.
"I do."
"Of course she's fast. The admiral
ty know me. I wouldn't take a slow
ship."
"Is she as fast as that merchant
man, do you think?"
"Why, my boy, there isn't a mer
chant ship on the seas that she could
n't overhaul in anything like a wind."
"Admiral," said Sir Charles in
genuously, "I lay you a wager."
"What is that?"
"A hundred pounds that you can't
overtake that merchant ship."
"What!" roared the admiral. "Me
take out one of his majesty's ships to
chase after a runaway wife and a fool
ish girl?"
"I beg your pardon, admiral, if you
refer to Mistress Deborah Slocum, I
must ask you to moderate your lan
guage," protested Sir Charles, warmly,
his face flushing.
"Goto! goto!" laughed the ad
miral. "I'm old enough to be your
father. Hut the idea of an admiral
of the white taking a hundred gun
ship-of-the-line cut to chase a paltry
merchantman for —Impossible, my boy,
impossible!"
"But," said Sir Charles,"the navy
cannot afford to decline a bet, a wager
"You Are Right Sir."
with its sister service. I'll lay you
i thousand pounds, admiral, that you
can't do it."
"My lad," said the admiral gently,
after a moment's reflection, "no wag
ers are needed. I'll do it because I'm
fond of the girl and Carrington, too.
I can overhaul them before nightfall
without doubt and I'll be glad to do it,
although just exactly what warrant I
have for stopping an American ship
on the high seas and taking from her
another man's wife I can hardly say."
"I can help you in that, admiral.
As to warrant, if you'll bring to the
other ship and give me a boat crew,
I'll go aboard the American and do
the rest. Mistress Deborah, lam sure,
will come willingly."
"Don't be too sure of that," returned
the admiral, "don't count upon a wom
an until she's your own, and don't
count too much upon her after that,
as Carrington might say."
"Nevertheless, I think I speak by
the card," said Sir Charles.
'Very well, you know best. Hav
ing been a bachelor all my life, I
know more about ships than women,
but hark ye, Seton, this one thing.
Don't you come back to the ship after
I put you aboard that trader, with
only Miss Deborah. The two have to
come together, or go together, you
understand?"
"Yes, sir."
The admiral struck the bell on the
table beside him. Instantly the ma
rine orderly popped in the door.
"My compliments to the officer of
the deck," said the admiral to the
orderly, "and ask him to beg Captain
Beatty to favor me with his presence
in the cabin."
"Yes, sir," returned the orderly, sa
luting.
A moment after —an incredibly short
time it seemed to Seton, who was un
aware of the way in which an ad
miral's requests are obeyed—Captain
Beatty, the officer mentionel, present
ed himself before the admiral.
"You wish to see me, admiral?"
'Yes, Beatty. By the way, let me
present to you Sir Charles Seton of
the Sussex light infantry, captain in
his majesty's land forces. Seton, this
is the Honorable Archibald Beatty,
my flag captain. Beatty, will you get
the Hritannia under way at once?"
"Yes, sir," returned the captain.
"Are the rest of.the fleet to follow
us?''
"No," answnroij the admiral "sig
nal to the rest r<f them to
the movements <<f the commaodvr-la-
CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1908.
chief. Then signal to trie Renown for
Lasoelles to take command until we
return."
"Very good, sir," returned the cap
tain. "And what course shall we lay?"
"That which will get us Into the
channel quickest, and then as due
east as the wind will let us. I'll be on
deck, however, before you're ready for
that."
"There are several boat parties
ashore, admiral, do you wish me to
wait for them?"
"No, sir, you will weigh at once."
"Very good sir," returned the cap
tain, saluting and turning away.
"And Beatty," the admiral called af
ter him, "a drop of navy sherry with
me before you go."
"Thank you, admiral," said Beatty,
filling his glass.
"I'll give you a toast, Sir Charles,"
said the admiral.
"Yes," returned the soldier.
"A short cruise and the women at
the end of it!"
"I drink to that with all my heart!"
returned Sir Charles.
"And I also," said Captain Beatty,
greatly mystified, "although I don't
understand exactly."
"We're going to chase a Yankee
merchant ship, Beatty, and take a
couple of ladies in whom Sir Charles
is interested off of it."
"A couple!" cried Beatty.
' I'm only interested in one of them,"
said Sir Charles warmly.
"It's a runaway sweetheart and a
runaway wife, Beatty," continued the
admiral, "Lady Carrington and Mis
tress Deborah Slocum."
"And which one is Sir Charles inter
ested in?" asked the sailor, smiling.
"In Mistress Slocum, of course,"
laughed the admiral. "Now, captain,"
he continued, assuming his quarter
deck manner, "I want you to get the
ship under way in the quickest pos
sible time. Let's show this land
lubber here what his mapesty's navy
can do when it's in dead earnest.
Imagine there are a dozen Frenchmen
out there, all boiling for a fight, and
bear a hand!"
"Ay, ay, sir," said Beatty, saluting
and withdrawing from the cabin.
A moment later there came faintly
through the bulkheads the shrill
whistling of the boatswain and hia
mates, followed by a deep cry:
"All hands up anchor!"
CHAPTER XV.
Captain Jeremiah Tuggles Is Insulted.
It was a moment of splendid tri
umph for the heroine of this mad es
capade when she drew under the lee
of the great ship tremendously above
her. Her eyes were as keen as Car
rington's. She had recognized, or di
vined, that the tall figure standing on
the rail of the larger boat staring at
her was her husband. She knew that
in some way they had concluded that
she would try to escape on the mer
chantman and that they were trying
to catch that ship. She was experi
enced enough, also, to know that their
efforts would be futile and their
trouble in vain. There was only one
possible contingency which could pre
vent tho accomplishment of her de
sires now, and that would be the re
fusal of the captain of the ship to
stop for her when she ran him down.
Ellen had a well-filled purse and she
hoped to persuade him with that. At
any rate, she kept recklessly on, al
though the little boat came near to
swamping and Deborah, between ter
ror and disappointment, was in a state
of collapse. Ellen boldly ran down
under the lee of the big ship. By
skillful handling she brought her boat
within hailing distance of the mer
chantman.
A man stepped on the rail to lee
ward and stared hard at her.
"What ship is this?" asked Ellen.
"The Flying Star of Boston."
Ellen's heart sank.
"I thought it was the New Eagle
of Philadelphia," she cried.
"She sailed yesterday."
"Where are you bound?" asked El
len, fighting against the sinking of
heart caused by this news.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
COUNTRY'S NEEDS SET FORTH.
Wall Street Journal Advocates Re
turn to Old Conditions.
The following editorial from the
Wall Street Journal is somewhat re
markable, appearing in a purely finan
cial paper, and is certainly worthy of
serious consideration:
"What America needs is a revival
of piety, the kind mother and father
used to have —piety that counted it
good business to stop for daily family
prayer before breakfast, right in the
middle of harvest; that quit field work
a half hour early Thursday night so aa
to get the chores done and goto
prayer meeting; that borrowed mun(?y
to pay the preacher's salary and
prayed fervently in secret for the sal
vation of the- rich man who looked
with scorn on such unbusinesslike be
havior. That's what we need now to
clean this country of the filth of graft,
and of greed, petty and big; of wor
ship of fine horses and big lands and
high office and grand social functions.
What is this thing we are wor
shiping but a vain repetition of what
decayed nations fell down and wor
shiped just before their light went
out? Read the history of Rome in de
cay and you will find luxury th»re
that could lay a big dollar over our
little doughnut that looks so large to
us. Great wealth never made a na
tion substantial nor honorable. There
is nothing on earth that lboks good
that is so dangerous for a man or na
tion to handle as quick, easy, big
money. If you do resist its deadly In
liuences the chances are that It will
;et your son. It takes greater and
ilner heroism to dare to be poor in
America than to capture a battery In
Manchuria."
h 1 Light ■=!
[Freights!
By
' I W. W. JACOBS t
|A QUESTION
OF HABIT
iC'opy right, L»cklU, Meati C'uuip*njr.)
"Wimmin aboard ship I don't 'old
with," said the night watchman, se
verely. "They'll arsk you all sorts o'
silly questions, an' complain to the
skipper if you don't treat "em civil
in answering 'em. If you do treat 'em
civil, what's the result? Is it a bit o'
bacco, or a shilling, or anything like
that? Not a bit of It; just a 'thank
you,' an' said in a way as though
they've been giving you a perfect treat
by talking to you.
"We 'ad a queer case once on a
barque I was on as steward, called the
Tower of London, bound from the
Albert docks to Melbourne with a gen
eral cargo. We shipped a new boy just
after we started as was entered in the
ship's books as 'Enery Mallow, an' the
first thing we noticed about 'Enery
was aff 'e had a great dislike to work
and was terrible sea sick. Every time
there was a job as wanted to be done,
that lad 'ud go and be took bad quite
Independent of the weather.
"Then Bill Dowsett adopted 'im, and
laid he'd make a sailor of 'im. I be
lieve if 'Enery could 'ave chose 'is fa
ther, he'd sooner 'ad any man than
Bill, and I would sooner have been a
orphan than a son to any of 'em. Bill
relied on his langwidge mostly, but
when that failed he'd just fetch 'im a
cuff. Nothing more than was good for
a boy wot 'ad got 'is living to earn,
but 'Enery used to cry until we was
all ashamed of 'im.
" 'Go to your duties,' roars the skip
per; 'go to your duties at once, and
don't let me 'ear any more of it. Why,
you ought to be at a young ladies'
school.'
" 'I know I ought, sir,' 'Enery ses,
with a w'imper, 'but I never thought
it'd be like this.'
"The old man stares at him, and
then he rubs his eyes and stares agin.
'Enery wiped his eyes and stood look
ing down at the deck.
" 'Eavens above,' ses the old man, in
a dazed voice, 'don't tell me you're a
gal!'
" 'I won't if you don't want me to,"
ses 'Enery, wiping his eyes agin.
" 'What's your name?' ses the old
man, at last.
" 'Mary Mallow, sir,' ses 'Enery, very
soft.
" 'What made you do it?' ses the
•kipper, at last.
" 'My father wanted me to marry a
man I didn't want to,' ses Miss Mal
low. 'He used to admire my hair
very much, so I cut it off. Then I got
frightened at what I'd done, and as I
looked like a boy I thought I'd goto
sea.'
"Then the skipper took Miss Mal
low below to her new quarters, and to
is great surprise caught the third of
ficer, who was fond of female society,
doing a step-dance in the saloon all on
is own.
"That evening the skipper and the
mate formed themselves into a com-
Talk Romantic to 'Er About the Sea.
mittee to decide what was to be done.
" 'She must have a dress, I tell you,
>r a frock at any rate,' ses the skipper,
*ery mad.
" 'What's the difference between a
Iress and a frock?' ses the mate.
" 'There is a difference,' ses the
•kipper.
Well, what is it?' ses the mate.
" 'lt wouldn't be any good if I wap
o explain to you,' ses the skipper;
<orac people's heads are ton thick.'
"'I know they are,' ses the mate.
"The committee broke up after that,
nit it got amiable agin over breakfast
iext morning, and made quite a fuss
>ver Miss Mallow.
"She went up on deck after break
ast and stood leaning against the side
diking to Mr. Fisher. Pretty laugh
•ne'd got, too, though I never noticed
when she was in the fo'c's'le. Per- |
iaps she hadn't got much to laugh j
about then; and while she was up {
there enjoying 'erself watching as
chaps work, the committee was down
below laying its 'eads together agin.
"When I went down to the cabin
agin It was like a dressmaker's shop.
"'By Jove! I've got it,' bcs the old
man, suddenly. 'Where's that dress
ing gown your wife gave you?'
"The mate looked up. '1 don't know,"
he ses, slowly. 'l've mislaid it'
" 'Well,' ses the skipper.
"'Three o' them new flannel shirts
o* yours," ses the mate. 'They're very
dark, an' they'd hang beautiful.'
"They went to the mate's cabin and,
to hia great surprise, there it was
hanging just behind the door.
" 'I sha'n't want that, Mr. Jackson,'
he ses, slowly. 'I dare say you'll find
it come In useful.'
" 'While you're doing that, s'pose I
get on with them three shirts,' ses Mr.
Jackson.
"'What three shirts?' ses the skip
per, who was busy cutting buttons off.
" 'Why, yours,' ses Mr. Jackson.
Let's see who can make the best
frock.'
" 'No, Mr. Jackson,' ses the old man.
'l'm sure you couldn't make anything
"Don't Tell Me You're a Gall"
o' them shirts. You're not at all gifted
that way. Besides, I want 'em.'
" 'Well, I wanted my dressing gown,
if you come to that,' ses the mate, in a
sulky voice.
" 'Well, what on earth did you give
it to me for?' ses the skipper. 'I do
wish you'd know your own mind, Mr.
Jackson.'
"It really didn't look half bad when
he'd finished it, and it was easy to see
how pleased Miss Mallow was."
"I must say she 'ad a good time cf
it. We was having splendid weather,
and there wasn't much work for any
body; consequently, when she wasn't
receiving good advice from the skipper
and the mate, she was receiving atten
tion from both the second and third
officers. Mr. Scott, the second, didn't
seem to take much notice of her for a
day or two, and the first I saw of his
being in love was 'is being very rude
to Mr. Fisher and giving up bad lang
widge so sudden it's a wonder it didn't
do 'im a injury.
"I think the sal rather enjoyed their
attentions at first, but arter a time she
got fairly tired of it. She never 'ad no
rest, pore thing. If she was up on
deck looking over the side the third
officer would come up and talk ro
mantic to 'er about the sea and the
lonely lives of sailor men, and I actu
rally 'eard Mr. Scott repeating poetry
to her. The skipper 'eard it too, and
being suspicious o' poetry, and not
having heard clearly, called him up to
'im and made 'im say it all over again
to 'im. 'E didn't seem quite to know
wot to make of it, so 'e calls up the
mate for 'im to hear it. The mate
said It was rubbish, and the skipper
told Mr. Scott that if he was taken
that way agin 'e'd 'ear more of it.
"There was no doubt about them
two young fellers being genuine. She
'appened to say one day that she could
never, never care for a man who drank
and smoked, and I'm blest if both of
'em didn't take to water and give 'er
their pipes to chuck overboard, and
the agony those two chaps used to
suffer when they saw olher people
smoking was pitiful to witness.
"It got to such a pitch at last that
the mate, who, as I said afore, was a
very particular man. called another
committee meeting. It was a very sol
emn affair, and 'e made a long speech
in which he said he was the father of
a family, and that the second and third
officers was far too attentive to Miss
Mallow, and 'e asked the skipper to
stop it.
" 'How?' ses the skipper.
" 'Stop the draught-playing and the
card-playing and the poetry,' ses the
mate; Mhe gal's getting too much at
tention; she'll have 'er 'ead turned.
Put your foot down, 6ir, and stop it.'
"The skipper was so struck by what
he said, that he not only did that, but
he went and forbid them two young
men to speak to the gal except at meal
times, or when the conversation was
general. None of 'em liked it, though
the gal pretended to, and for the mat
ter of a week tilings was very quiet in
the cabin, not to say sulky.
"Things got back to their old style
again in a very curious way. I'd just
set the tea in the cabin one afternoon,
and 'ad stopped at the foot of the ,
companion-ladder to let the skipper 1
and Mr. Fisher come down, when we
suddenly >ard a loud box on the ear.
We all rushed into the cabin at once,
and there was the mate looking fairly
thunderstruck, with his hand to fala
face, and Miss Mallow {.laving at 'im.
" 'Mr. Jackson,' sea the skipper, In a
awful voice, 'what's this?"
'"Ask her,' shouts the mate. 'I think
she's gone mad or something.'
" 'What does this mean, Miss Mal
low?' ses the skipper.
" 'Ask him,' ses Miss Mallow, breath
ing very 'ard.
"'Mr. Jackson,' sea the skipper,very
severe, 'what have you been doing?"
" 'Nothing,' roars the mate.
" 'Was that a box on the ear I 'eard?'
ses the skipper.
" 'it was,' ses the mate, grinding his
teeth.
"'Your ear?' ses the skipper.
" 'Yes. She's mad, 1 tell you,' ses
the mate. 'I was sitting here quite
quiet and peaceable, when she came
alongside me and slapped my face.'
" 'Why did you box his ear?' ses the
skipper to the girl again.
" 'because he deserved it,' ses Miss
Mallow.
"Tlie skipper shook his 'ead and
looked at the mate so sorrowful that
he began to stamp up and down the
cabiu and bang the table with his
fist.
" 'lf I hadn't heard It myself, I
couldn't have believed It/ ses the
skipper; 'and you the father of a fam
ily, too. Nice example for the young
men, I must say.'
'* 'Please don't say anything more
about it,' ses Miss Mallow; 'l'm sure
he's very sorry.'
" 'Very good,' ses the skipper; "but
you understand, Mr. Jackson, that If
I overlook your conduct, you're not to
speak to this young lady agin. Also,
you must consider yourself as removed
from the committee.'
" 'Curse the committee,' screamed
the mate. Curse—'
"He looked all round, with his eyes
starting out of 'is 'ead, and then sud
denly shut his mouth with a snap and
went up on deck.
"We got to Melbourne at last, and
the fust thing the skipper did was to
give our young lady some money togo
ashore and buy clothes with. He did
it in a very delikit way by giving her
the pay as boy, and I don't think I
ever see anybody look so pleased and
surprised as she did. The skipper
went ashore with her, as she looked
rather a odd figure to be going about,
and comes back about a hour later
without 'er.
"'I thought perhaps she'd come
aboard,' he ses to Mr. Fisher. 'I man
aged to miss her somehow while I was
waiting outside a shop.'
"They fidgeted about a bit, and then
went ashore to look for 'er, turning
up again at eight o'clock quite wor
ried. Nine o'clock came, and there
was no signs of 'er. Mr. Fisher and
Mr. Scott was in a dreadful state, and
the skipper sent almost every man
aboard ashore to search for 'er. They
'unted for 'er high and low. *p and
down and round about, and turned up
at midnight so done up that they could
'ardly stand without holding onto
somethink, and so upset that they
couldn't speak. None of the officers
got any sleep that night except Mr.
Jackson, and the fust thing la the
morning they was ashore agio looking
for her.
"She'd disappeared as completely as
if she'd gone overboard, and more
than one of the chaps looked over the
side half expecting to see 'er come
floating by. By 12 o'clock most of us
was convinced that she'd been made
away with, and Mr. Fisher made some
remarks about the police of Melbourne
as would ha' done them good to heaf.
"I was just going to see about din
ner when we got the first news of her.
Three of the most miserable and sol
emn looking captains I've ever seen
came alongside and asked for a few
words with our skipper. They all
stood in a row looking as if they was
going to cry.
" 'Good morning, Capt. Hart,' aes one
of 'em, as our old man came up with
the mate.
" 'Good morning,' ses he.
" 'Do you know this?' ses one of 'em,
suddenly, holding out Miss Mallow's
dressing gown on a walking stick.
" 'Cood 'eavens,' ses the skipper, 'I
hope nothing's happened to that pore
gal.'
"The three captains shook their
heads all together.
" 'She is no more,' ses another
of 'em.
"'How did it happen?' ses the skip
per, in a low voire.
" 'She took this off,' ses the #rst
captain, shaking his head and pointing
to the dressing gown.
'"And took a chill?' ses the skip
per, staring very 'ard.
"The three captains shook their
'eads agin, and I noticed that they
seemed to watch each other and do
it all together.
" 'I don't understand,' ses the skip
per.
"'I was afraid you wouldn't,' sea
the first captain; 'she took this off.'
" 'So you said before,' ses the skip
per, rather short.
" 'And became a boy agin,' ses the
other; 'the wickedest and most artful
young rascal that ever signed on
with me.'
"He looked round at the others, and
they all broke out into a perfect ro.ir
of laughter, and jumped lip and down
and slapped each other on the back,
as if they was all mad. Then they
asked which was the one wot had
'is ears boxed, and which was Mr,
Fisher and which was Mr. Scott, and
told our skipper what a nice fatherly
man he was. Quite a crowd got
'round, an' wouldn't go away for ill
we could do to 'em in the shap# o'
buckets o' water and lumps o' coal.
Wo was the laughing-stock o* the
place, and the way they carried on
when the steamer passed us two daya
later with the first captain oa the
bridge, pretending not to see that Imp
of a boy standing In the bows blowing
us kisses and dropping curtsies, Remrlj
put the skipper out of 'U min4_"