The Belted Seas

arged freightage accordingly for being clean. Drygoods she'd brought out from New York, linens, cottons, tinware, shoes, and an outfit of furniture for a Chilian millionaire's house, including a

ed Stevey Todd for cook, and shipped the rest of us willing enough. It was in October as I re

and volcanoes. Most of the ships that came to anchor there belonged to one company called the "British-American Transport Company," which took most of the rubber and cocoa bark, that came over the pass on mules-trains of mules with bells on their collars. But the Helen Mar had a consignment promised her. The pack mules were due by agreement a week before, so they naturally wouldn't come for a week after. "Manana"

the nearer Andes. You could look up the level river to some low hills, but what happened to the Jiron there you couldn't tell from the Helen Mar. Beyond were six peaks of the Andes, and four of them

r! Oh, la

and was drowned afterwards. The Sarasara was a gay bird

er telling Captain Goodwin that Sadler wouldn't desert, not being a quitter, at which he didn't seem any more than satisfied. I was feeling injured too, thinking Sadler was likely to be having more happi

ell him his mangoes were no good, so as

ook! Ver' good." Then he

arasara!" laughing and

. Just then it seemed to be going up and spreading out. Stevey Todd looked over the sid

ing by her like a mill race, and Cuco was gone, and on shore people w

h there was no wind, and a bui

hirled around and

says; "

ped on the deck, and clapped his legs ar

ts chest and coming on, eighty feet high. I tied myself

foam, hissing and roaring like a loose menagerie, and down she comes on the Helen Ma

the Andes. The crest of the wave was a few rods ahead, and the air was full of spray. I saw the Sarasara too, having a nice time spitting things out

foothills of the Cordilleras, and the gorge where the Jiron came down, and where the mule path came down beside the river. The big wave went up to the foot of the hills, and now it came back peaceful. Then it was quiet everywhere, except for the sobbing of the ebb among the tree

nd looked things over. Down the valley we saw pieces of the town of Portate lying along, and beyond we saw the Pacific. And St

down to Portate. There were a sad lot of people drowned, including Captain Goodwin and most of the crew. Sadler and Iris

and bills in the Captain's chest, thinking them pro

y float her out of this? You say, for I ain't made up my mind,"

damaged city. All the river front was wrecked. Halfway up the long sloping hill the streets were sloppy,

uble from the Helen Mar for their being two weeks late; but still, finding the Helen Mar up by the foothills looking for them, it appeared to strike them as impatient and not real ladylike. But what seemed strange to me was to see Sadler an

teses allowed he

w of the Helen Mar, "I take it these here's the facts. Your natural resp

r wh

'd ever have come prancin' up here. My! my! It's turrible when a decent ship gets an appetite fo

says pretty mad. "She ain't so ba

nd, and had doubts of it which he was ready to argue, supposing Sadler h

an to act as if she disliked them, Sarasara did, and she threw rocks vicious and more than playful; so that they

started keeping the Helen Mar as a hotel. Sadler and Irish didn't care for the business. They went down to Por

their bills sometimes in gum rubber and Peruvian bark. Tobacco planters stopped there too, going down to Portate. Men from the ships in the harbour came out, and carried off ad

Board and Lodging Good and Reasonable. Sailor's Snug Harb

ountry with the mule trains. Up in the Andes they knew more about the Hotel Helen Mar

wners, though we sent them the proper papers; and then

unning a hotel, are you?" and he car

ded her in stones. We painted a sign across her forty feet long, but cut no doors,

y Todd aft with a couple of Spanish planters, or an agent, or the officers of a warship maybe from England or the States. Over on the hillside lay Captain Goodwin and most of the crew of the Helen Mar, wishin

mpered Mayor, who used often to come up to the hotel and cool off when something had stuck a pin into his dignity that