A MATTER OF SALVAGE.

NZ Truth, Issue 87, 16 February 1907, Page 8

A MATTER OF SALVAGE.

(By Herbert 0. Kent, Author of "The Older of Bolease," " New Clium," Etc., Bto.) I'll write untroubled by cultured fools, Or the dense that fume and fret ; For against the wisdom of all their schools, I would stake mine institict yet. For the cynical strain m the writer's song, Is the world, not he, to blame ; And I'll write as I think m the knowledge strong, * That thousands think the same. ' -,'■■' —Henry La wson.

"P 7 *?' , CHAPTER X. "■ THE "FIRM" BROKEN , UP, ; . Once more the ■ scene opens at CrowtSher and Bray's office. Things had not gone well with the firm lately— first, there«had been a considerable loss o£ money 1 owing to the Fraser Island expedition ; then two of 'their ships had- been condemned, owing to some new Act of Parliament having been passed m New South Wales.; and now, to cap all, their 'best ship the Swan had been seized and sunk 'by.:.a Japanese warship r owing to her having had "contraband of war" on board. Certainly they had received the balance of the money Captain Besterand Mate Gay had sold their souls for; but it was not much after salvage and expenses had been paid ; so this particular , morning when we. met them again they were: neither of- them m. a very' charm mg^tempeit,- i afld-', I ;wJtien -the: "lopeared clerk announced ' ' Captain. West, " Mr iiray inquired m a sharp tone, " What i the -h— he wanted," he for his part having seen about enough of captains and mates to last him a lifetime,',. , "Tell him to come m," 'said Mr Crowther, m a resigned' tone, and once more Harry We?>'t., walked into the shipowners'^ office,. This time he kept . his hat on and . sat down without, .'any invitation, / two other men. who had accompanied, him rerharnimg m the outer ; office \yithin hearing. "Hello! -. What the devil do you i want?" inquired Bray ■, as soon as he recognised,; pur hero. "Have you come to sell us a snowdrift on Mounjj Kosciusko, or a-, gold mine under the, South Pacific Ocean,, hey ?" :. .'"Neither," replied. Harry. "I have' just called to ask • you to explain how you came to kidnap me on. board your ship, the Swan." ."I kidnap you'v?" Bray jumped to liis feet with an , angry scowl on ■ bis hard, weatherrbeaten face. "D— you; you kidnapped me into a wild goose chase with your lying yarns.. Get put b here or 111-k ick you bang into the middle of next week." ' "I somehow don't think you will. Captain Bester told me all about your tricks arid the way you've robbed and shanghaied jmen. Now I'm going to make an example of you. I've found your' agent the boardingmaster; he's: m Darlinghutst Gaol, and you're just going there." Bray made a rush at our hero, and just met a "neat one on the point" which dropped him ■ like a shot bullock. Mr- Crowther jumped up m alarm, ( and was making for the door when it suddenly opened, and the two detectives, who had been m waiting, entered. . ; lf There you are,.* said . Harry, pointing to the " junior, " who had risen from the. floor and was now seated m a chair, holding his jaw with both hands. "That is the man." v> •■■■•• ■ ' ■ /• '"Cornelius Bray; I arrest you for tidnappM'gr fiffle" v charges ■- against you. The one for which I arrest you is that m «June last you kidnapped one Henry West on board the ship Swan, bound for San-Fran-cisco." "How the h— did you know I'd anything to do with it?: Has that boarding-master ' Duggan been telling any of his lies ? If he has I'll skin him like an eel." The "lop-eared' 'clerk," who had.; been standing ' m the background, then came and, .poking his face close to 1 that of liis v employer, hissed rather than fcaiaW . "No, Mr Bray;' Duggan, hasn't been telling any of his lies. I've been telling • some of the truths. If , you want a man v to serve you decently, ;pay him decently, and don't treat him like a '.sneaking dog, or he might hear things, and. he mights-mind^ I don't say lie would; Mr Bray— but he might fell other people what he has heard, and they mightn't be so' ready to: stand being insulted, and kicked, and abused; as a iroor clerk has to do, to' get' bread for his fa/mily 1 .. But. I've paid you, Mr' Bray, m. some of your own coin. Just to -think, that a man as clever as you isn't clever enough to stop the? cracks m his office door and prevent people. listening. Ha !■ ha* ! ha V' And the "lop-reared clerk"' rubbed his .bony hands , together until they cracked. He then put on his seedy hat, and equally seedy, coat, and departed, just saying by Way of farewell— "I'll see you again, Mr Bray— at the police court." "Are you going to come quietly. or -must I put the darbies on?" asked one of the detectives. "I'll come all. right. I suppose I've got to," snarled the defeated junior. "You'd better come top, Crowther ; you can bail' me out." "You'll go straight before the. ma.gistrate at the Central, but, I fhall i oppbse bail. The charges are. too serious., Call a. ; cab, Jack,"; he .-said, ! to his comrade, ; stepped to the door of the office and hailed a cab, which was standing; at the corner of Martin-pJace. • , The two detective officers stepped m, after pushing the burly shipowner on to a seat, and the cab drove away. The detective was right. After hearing the nature of the charges brought against Bray he ( was remanded for eight days, and ! bail was refused. To make a long story short, the "junior partner" was committed for trial, with his friend and accomplice, Duggan, the boarding-master. At the trial, which took place a month after, Duprsian turned "King's evidence," ' and the result was that Bray retired behind' some high brick walls for two yeafsl Little now remains to "be told. Harry consulted an eminent firm of solicitors, who had a. large connection m maritime cases, and these gentlemen explained the laws relating to salvage. The result was that an expedition was fitted out, and fceld to the ameunt ef £160,089 re-

covered from the wreck of the Prince Albert, and our hero was enabled to retire from sea life, a rich man. Instead of rushing to England at once and spending the money he had made m Australia, Harry West struck out quite a fresh line. Having married an accomplished young Australian lady, they consulted as to where they should permanently reside, and Mrs West cave her opinion m the following, words— "It seems to me, my dear, that you owe everything you possess to the poor ignorant blacks of Praser Island. Do you not think it would be well if we paid back some of the debt we owe them ?" * . "I am willing, my dear; for although I have gone through great tribulations, I can safely say that I am now happy, far beyond my deserts. What do you wish ?" The wife placed one arm round her young husband, and looking into his face, with a bright smile replied— "J-wish that- w*; should- return to Fraser Island ." and gather together the remnant that 7 is left. Let us be happy m making others so." "So be it, my dear. We will return to the place where our fortune ;was made, and build" a village for the blacks, and then . (rather together as many as can.be found, so that .their latter days may be passed m comfort." ; •'Then ali will be well with us, and we shall find that peace which passeth understandintrf" "And they reached a spot where the -scene was fair, with forest field and wood, v And all things came with the season there, and -each of its kind was ' good;, There, were mountain rivers and peaks . of snow; there were lights of green and gold, . And echoing caves m the cliffs below, where a world-wide ocean rolled. The lives of men from the wear of change and the strife of the world were free, For steam was hatred by the moun-tain-range and the rocks of the open sea." .;..■•■ ' (The End.)