s, poor Kettle was conjuring up visions of the
workhouse and pauper's corduroy.

But the Fates were moving now in a manner which was beyond his
experience. The public, which had ignored his bare existence before for
all of a lifetime, suddenly discovered that he was a hero, and that,
too, without knowing half the facts. The Press, with its finger on the
public's pulse, published Kettle literature in lavish columns. It gave
twenty different "eye-witnesses' accounts" of the rescue. It gave long
lists of "previous similar disasters." It drew long morals in leading
articles. And finally, it took all the little man's affairs under its
consideration, and settled them with a lordly hand.

"Who pays for the cargo Captain Kuttle threw overboard?" one paper
headed an article; whilst another wrote perfervidly about "Cattle ruined
for his bravery." Here was a new and striking side issue. Lloyds' were
not responsible. Should the week's hero pay the bill himself out of his
miserable savings? Certainly not. The owners of the _Grosser Carl_ were
the benefiting parties, and it was only just that they should take up
the expense. So the entire Press wired off to the German firm, and next
morning were able to publish a positive assurance that of course these
grateful foreigners would reimburse all possible outlay.

The subject of finance once broached, it was naturally discovered that
the hero toiled for a very meagre pittance, that he was getting on in
years, and had a wife and family depending on him--and--promptly, there
opened out the subscription lists. People were stirred, and they gave
nicely, on the lower scale certainly, with shillings and guineas
predominating; but the lists totalled up to L2,400, which to some
people, of course, is gilded affluence.

Now Captain Kettle had endured all this publicity with a good deal of
restiveness, and had used language to one or two interviewers who
managed to ferret him out, which fairly startled them; but this last
move for a public subscription made him furious. He spoke in the
captain's room of the hostelry he used, of the degradation which was
put on him, and various other master mariners who were present
entirely agreed with him. "I might be a blessed missionary, or
India-with-a-famine, the way they're treating me," he complained
bitterly. "If they call a meeting to give me anything, I'll chuck the
money in their faces, and let them know straight what I think. By James!
do they suppos