The North Pacific

his eyes and stared at the lit

aimed at lengt

g a steaming cup of hot coffee

I can see you. When d

sir, at about

u swim back?" demanded R

eth in a genial smile. "There was fog. The Osprey was going at less

asked Dave, irritated at the boy's self-possession. "Do

message. He did not wish me to leave ship. All mistake. So I come back. Captain Osara say he apologise. Here his letter," and he ha

handing the letter to Oto,

p 'K

Navy of

e Hono

d Rex

g U. S. Sh

the man Oto, whom I restore tremblingly to you. Augustly condescend to grant your forgiveness,

tful ve

sa

te of his vexation, at the language o

to take a naval vessel out of her way and to lead her commander to play such a daring trick-for such it evidently was, in spite of hi

tween Russia and Japan. He's a dangerous fellow to have on board, this Oto, with his skill at gunnery, his high-bred manners, and his

ith a careful record of the episode in

long letter to Hallie, his wife, who would be waiting, even more anxiously than the Secretary of the Navy, to hear from him. At the telegraph office he found a dispatch from Washington, ordering him to hold the Osprey at Valetta until further i

ft into clean blue, the liberty party!" Working in the intense heat of a Mediterranean July, the men had been stripped to their waists. Now they sluiced one another d

t ashore with Ensign

tive soil. I suppose the streets are full of 'em." He and Dobson had never before visited the city of Valetta, but "Doc." Li

e quay, they were beset by vendors of all sorts of

ey do they use he

. "The island is one of the choicest

ther, "and tell me about the jewels later, Doc. I want to buy that b

t for one shilling, and the trio, waving

we go first?"

d cat-" began Bob, ea

Take us to the best vie

rt St. Elmo. That overlo

of the old fortress. "Now, while we are cooling off, tell us about this aged ruin which t

three hundred-and-odd years ago-in 1565, to be exact-this old fort held off a big fleet and land force for four months. The Knights of St. John defended it in great style. Sultan Solyman, who had driven the Knights f

rr; but the lecturer proceeded w

after four months' battering, the few Knights that were left entered that little chapel over there, received the rites of the Church-the viaticum-and went out to start on their last journey. They were cut to pieces by the Turks; but two outwo

Starr suddenly broke i

w an extremely pretty girl ap

head?" queried Dobson under his br

on. "Most of the ladies, the

nd raised their hats as the girl passed. She flushed

anded Bob, hastily. "If I only kne

't address any young ladies without an introduction. As for

"There's no danger of my breaking out in her

treet and visit the Church of St. John, which was

ite uniforms-they met cabmen driving their little horses at full speed, English ladies elegantly dressed side by side with the natives in their huge b

entered an imposing portal, flanked by two huge towers. "Here th

I must say those old fellows did well whatever the

ays. There were some of the bones of St. Thomas of Canterbury, one of the stones cast at St. Stephen, the right foot of Lazarus, and a thorn from the sacred crown. However sceptical the Americans might have been as to the genuineness of t

f this. There are times when I'm ashamed of my race!" a

a catacomb chapel-where the vaults were ornamented with fantastically arranged bones of depar

Bob sadly, as they turned their steps toward the final great att

ll, containing rows of figures clad in antique armour, and a wealth of weapons and armour of ancient times. Here, too, was the sword, battle-axe, and coat-of-mail of the leader of the corsairs who assisted the Turks in the famous

modern battle-ships!" exclaimed Dobson. "Why, I'd rather ha

a. Liddon regaled his companions with details of its history, including its capture by Napoleon in 1798, the subsequent

Dobson at length. "I'm off for the sh

wanted to see how long Liddon could keep it up, before the pumps sucked. He'

wn toward the harbour when a slight commotion on the sidewalk ahead attracted their attention

ried the midshipman,

reet-loungers. Within this circle were a dozen sailors from a small Russian cruiser in port. They, in their turn, had corralled a couple of

wl of indignation from Bob, and a stern "Stand aside, men!" from Liddon, they pulled off the Russ

ted the uniforms of the intruders and closed

wards, who seemed in no wise discomposed, but stood

scribe the tone of lofty contempt with which he pronounced the word, looking around at the burly tars, each a full head

enor of his remarks was only too plain from his tones and gestures. The assailants closed in again with a volley of incomprehe

g a quick, nervous blow straight between

Before they reached the officers, whose prospects of gaining their ship in safety seemed decidedly poor, Oto spoke a swift word to his chum, and each darted upon a Russian. It was like a terrier charging a bloodhound; but with a l

ected display of jiu-jitsu, but now the sailors were about to charge

ily, "and I'll engage the brute next to him. Dob., you look out fo

es fairly clashed, a rin

he Americans. Then the tone changed. "Ah-h-sure it's the darlints of

ng in the dust, while the rest fell back in disorder before the onslaught of the Osprey's jackies, led by Pat Ryan and Dick Scupp, who, it afterwards turned out, had been dire

iddon, leading the way, as he heard cries of "P

m. The Russians gathered on the steps shaking their fists at the "Amerikanski," but no further harm

"but I think nothing will come of it. We must keep away, and keep our men away, fr

. "I'm glad it was no worse. And Oto, Oshima, no mo

arisen between sailors of different nationalities, hardly went through the form of pursuing the participants, and let the whole mat

ame a succession of wonderfully beautiful days and nights on the blue Mediterranean, the Osprey tossing the foam from her stem in shower

he stood on the bridge one fair July morning. "Those are really the 's

s she advanced. A shark's black, sickle-like fin drifted carelessly aste

ered at the rails, and on the quarter-deck, gazing out over the marshes and plains of Egypt-the crew blankly, for the most part; the more highly educated graduates of Annapolis with thoughts of the great,

els to pass. Nearly every ship was flying the Union Jack, for three-quarters of all the tonnage that passes

loomily at a broad German ensign at Ismalia, half-way across the Isthm

RANGE

g the palms; there a caravan plodding along the marshes against the sky-line. Flocks of water-fowl faring gracef

the narrow, lonely, sluggish stream into