A MASTER ... OF FORTUNE
Being Further Adventures of Captain Kettle
BY
CUTCLIFFE HYNE
Author of "Captain Kettle," "The Stronger Hand," "The Lost Continent," etc.
ILLUSTRATED BY STANLEY L. WOOD
1898
[Illustration: ATTIRED IN HIGH RUBBER THIGH BOOTS AND LEATHER-BOUND BLACK OILSKINS. Frontispiece.]
[Illustration]
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I. IN QUARANTINE.
CHAPTER II. THE LITTLE WOODEN GOD WITH THE EYES.
CHAPTER III. A QUICK WAY WITH REBELS.
CHAPTER IV. THE NEW REPUBLIC.
CHAPTER V. THE LOOTING OF THE "INDIAN SHERIFF".
CHAPTER VI. THE WIRE-MILKERS.
CHAPTER VII. THE DERELICT.
CHAPTER VIII. To CAPTURE AN HEIRESS.
CHAPTER IX. A MATTER OF JUSTICE.
CHAPTER X. DAGO DIVERS.
CHAPTER XI. THE DEAR INSURED.
CHAPTER XII. THE FIRE AND THE FARM.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Attired in high rubber thigh boots and leather-bound black oilskins (Frontispiece).
He came and stood with one foot on Kettle's breast in the attitude of a conqueror.
The little army could only march in single file.
"You insolent little blackguard, you dare to speak to me like that!"
He picked up the man and sent him after the knife.
"I'm a British subject".
Out of the middle of these spectators jumped the mild, delicate Hamilton.
Strangers came up and wrung Kettle's unwilling hand.
Dedication
TO CAPTAIN OWEN KETTLE
My dear Kettle,--
With some considerable trepidation, I venture to offer you here the dedication of your unauthorized biography. You will read these memoirs, I know, and it is my pious hope that you do not fit the cap on yourself as their hero. Of course I have sent you along your cruises under the decent disguise of a purser's name, and I trust that if you do recognize yourself, you will appreciate this nice feeling on my part. Believe me, it was not entirely caused by personal fear of that practical form which I am sure your displeasure would take if you caught any one putting you into print. Even a working novelist has his humane moments; and besides if I made you more recognizable, there might be a more dangerous broth stirred up, with an ugly international flavor. Would it be indiscreet to bring one sweltering day in Bahia to your memory, where you made play with a German (or was he a Scandinavian?) and a hundredweight drum of good white lead? or might one hint at that little affair which made Odessa bad for your health, and indeed compelled you to keep away from Black Sea ports entirely for several years? I trust, then, that if you do detect my sin in making myself without leave or license your personal historian, you will be induced for the sake of your present respectability to give no sign of a ruffled temper, but recognize me as part of the cross you are appointed to bear, and incidentally remember my forbearance in keeping so much really splendid material (from my point of view) in snug retirement up my sleeve.
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: A Master of Fortune by Hyne
- 2: So long as you remain in the Congo Service
- 3: Pilot of the Lower Congo and Captain of the Port of Banana
- 4: Nilssen was next in rotation for duty
- 5: But Rabeira was always quick to reassure him
- 6: Rabeira himself was there in charge
- 7: Said Rabeira with a genial shrug
- 8: Rabeira lied pleasantly and glibly
- 9: He called Rabeira every vile name which came to his mind
- 10: Nilssens on finding herself a widow
- 11: Nilssen still remained gently non interferent
- 12: The smitten negro on the settee gave now and then a moan
- 13: And with the first flicker of dawn
- 14: Nilssen drew the quinine bottle toward him
- 15: Ju ju also means witchcraft
- 16: Captain Nilssen nodded down the narrow slip of sand
- 17: Kettle stretched out his fingers
- 18: People think we lib for here on war palaver
- 19: I'm as English as yourself or rather Amurrican
- 20: It's about my usual time for siesta
- 21: Translated the man with the yaws
- 22: Ask him how Cappie Nilssen can be cured
- 23: So he said the ju ju had value
- 24: And they did not care to tamper with Kettle's ju ju again
- 25: Captain Nilssen evaded the question
- 26: From his shelter at the other side of the boiler
- 27: And I'm liked because I can play the banjo
- 28: Commandant Balliot rubbed at his close
- 29: Said Commandant Balliot spitefully
- 30: I'm pretty inefficient all round
- 31: Commandant Balliot held to a sullen silence
- 32: And set to carrying out a kedge and line astern
- 33: If I have any more palaver from you
- 34: Balliot repented him of his stubbornness
- 35: And paddled frantically after him
- 36: Kettle watched them like a cat
- 37: Commandant Balliot gritted his teeth
- 38: Balliot obeyed that order also
- 39: And as the sway of the Congo Free State or Buli Matdi
- 40: The Congo Free State's a trading corporation
- 41: They can trace us up the Congo from Leopoldville
- 42: Kettle guessed what was intended
- 43: I shall go on collecting the ivory just the same
- 44: I order them to become members of my chapel
- 45: But which he described as the creed of the Tyneside chapel
- 46: They must creep down the Congo again
- 47: Every one knew the tornado was approaching
- 48: And remember to do what I told you about that femoral artery
- 49: Captain Kettle nursed his patient with a woman's tenderness
- 50: But Kettle always stolidly refused to leave him
- 51: You chop dem dug chop one time
- 52: Amidst treacherous hostile population
- 53: And the heat and the noise grew
- 54: Captain Kettle whistled to himself long and dismally
- 55: He laid hands on the canoe's gunwale
- 56: Your Krooboy is a first class hand
- 57: I'd like to send one home to South Shields
- 58: And are standing by the cranes and winches
- 59: Kettle paddled the dug out alongside
- 60: Again the Krooboys tried to prevent the boarding
- 61: He caused many of those Krooboys to visibly wince
- 62: But though half a dozen of the Krooboys
- 63: Captain Kettle had to give a definite order
- 64: They've had enough of you here in Lagos
- 65: Sheriff spread his hands helplessly
- 66: The Hebrew had been liberal with his cocktail
- 67: But Kettle refused to be drawn into friendliness
- 68: But as Kettle refused to come below
- 69: You insolent little blackguard
- 70: Pulled up by a surf boat full of other negroes
- 71: Captain Kettle regarded Sheriff as a gull
- 72: The Krooboys jumped like black frogs from either gunwale
- 73: Said the tantalizing instrument
- 74: But with a quick rush Kettle possessed himself of it
- 75: Captain Kettle might have commented on his own poverty
- 76: Strake drummed at the white rail of the bridge
- 77: Look at the sickly trip this has been
- 78: He's a stonemason or some such foolishness
- 79: Lazaret hatch ought to be down here
- 80: Dayton Philipps flushed slightly
- 81: Shovels were made fast along the coamings of the hatch
- 82: From the deck of the derelict it approached the terrific
- 83: And toiled gamely on at the pump
- 84: And you'll draw salvage pay according to your rank
- 85: As those three man can't kick up a bobbery at the other end
- 86: Though I should have my doubts about the stonemason
- 87: Dayton Philipps struggled up and
- 88: I'll give you L20 into Cardiff
- 89: Wenlock on to his crew list as Doctor
- 90: I wouldn't like you to wreck the steamer down there
- 91: Wenlock shrugged his shoulders good humoredly
- 92: Said Wenlock with a burst of confidence
- 93: The serang said she was English
- 94: The Parakeet's voyage to Dunkhot was not swift
- 95: Grunted Kettle under his breath
- 96: For the moment Wenlock started and hesitated
- 97: Wenlock said nothing as he walked
- 98: Wenlock was stating his case with small forensic eloquence
- 99: And almost before Wenlock knew what was happening
- 100: Wenlock sullenly handed out a note
- 101: No fear of Master Wenlock getting his tail up
- 102: If you are an out of work conjuror
- 103: And Rad el Moussa had no English
- 104: Rad spread his hands helplessly
- 105: Rad el Moussa in his turn passed it on
- 106: And thirsting to get loose and be revenged
- 107: The slit widened at the other side
- 108: Rad el Moussa fits a little later on
- 109: Nigger runaway drunken fireman
- 110: Den we shall spiflicate you till you do
- 111: Where Rad had lured him to capture
- 112: And you said you were Kady yourself
- 113: But as I said to old Rad el Moussa
- 114: Here am I kicking you out of the command of the Parakeet
- 115: And I was to take over the Parakeet
- 116: Who introduced himself as Captain Tazzuchi
- 117: There were several words erased here
- 118: He said to Tazzuchi one morning
- 119: The kidnapped skipper of the dhow
- 120: But still Tazzuchi was all outward frankness
- 121: And Tazzuchi was beginning to get nervous
- 122: Only the actual divers and Tazzuchi himself
- 123: Whereupon Tazzuchi shrugged his shoulders
- 124: Tazzuchi did not argue the matter
- 125: Captain Tazzuchi is an Italian
- 126: Cranze are the only two names I've got down so far
- 127: ' Lupton laughed rather angrily
- 128: Cranze has got his inducements to murder the man
- 129: And then contradict Cranze flatly
- 130: And reminding one of mysterious Everglades beyond
- 131: And Cranze remained unvaryingly drunk
- 132: That Cranze chose to fall overboard
- 133: Cranze are wrapped in a certain degree of mystery
- 134: And of a sudden Cranze was plucked aloft
- 135: It'll do you good to see Cranze pay up the account
- 136: Cranze swung his legs out of the bunk and sat up
- 137: Cranze was still more startled
- 138: Lupton pushed on board over the first gang plank
- 139: His name may really have been Cranze
- 140: Captain Kettle stared on through the shiny brass binoculars
- 141: Captain Kettle got his boats swung outboard
- 142: If we start in to jettison cargo
- 143: The forward davit fall of another jammed
- 144: They pulled with terrified haste to the Flamingo
- 145: And the second mate of the Flamingo
- 146: And on the Grosser Carl the second mate
- 147: The Flamingo dipped a dirty red ensign and followed
- 148: The passengers of the Cunarder
- 149: Strangers came up and wrung Kettle's unwilling hand
- 150: Isaac Bird personally and privately
- 151: But I shall send your name round amongst the shipowners
- 152: The chapel has its own collection of hymns