The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-07-31

~'Who the - are your
MY name is Tom, sir says /.
& You amt NO sailor says he You're
lobster, marine, a sojer,' says he.
"'Well, sir says /.
sNo-back talk saws he, and he hauls
off and lends me one under the ear as
fetched me clean over the wheel into the lee
scuppers; then he sings out, Relieve the
wheel here. this-lobster can't steer; /
want a sailorman here
well, sir, as 1 were a goin' for'ard, in
pretty bad humor you may be sure, the
mate he says, Don't mind him, Tom; it's
only his way
"'Damn his way says /, impolitely as /
must allow, but my feelin's was hurted.
Says the mate, GO for'ard and take of
that red shirt and come att and steer your
trick out; It's that as is doin' of it, he
can't abear red, and | believes the reason is
he were Tilted in love once by widder as
used for to wear red ribbons into her bon
net Well, sir, / goes for'ard and shifts
into blue shirt and away aft goes agin.
must say / were a little trepidated for fear
old Welden, as we got to calm him, would
notice me, and / didn't want another clip
from him, cause his hand were heavy; but
he never didn't take no notice, and l took
the wheel and him as had relieved me went
for'ard. Presently the old man, he says as
mild as milk, how does she go, my man?
" Fust rate, SIR says 1, steers like boat
''Arter standin' by the wheel for short
time watchin' me take her along, he says,
YOU steers good trick, my man. l can see
you are sailor man all over; there was
= lobster looking sojer here awhile ago,
as was a yawin' her all over the Atlantic
ocean, and if ever 1 catches him onto this
poop again overheard he goes if swings for
it.
livery well,' 1 says to myself; so long
the wind are in that quarter no more red
shirt for me- l didn't see no reason, hows'-
ever, why l should lose it, and the next day
in the forecastle l turns the conversation
onto dunnage, and produced my red shirt as
a specimen of body coverin' as couldn't be
equalled. There were a chap of the name of
Bill Cunningham, as took a great shine to
that shirt, but never let on as l wanted to
part with it, and finally Bill says, Tom, I'd
like right well to have that shirt. and I'll
tell you what I'll do; I'll Civ you two blue
ones for it
"'Throw IN plug of tobacco says I, and
the crimson garmint are yOurn.
""Tis we'll, says Bill, and he were at once
the happy possessor of this new red emblem
OF future punishment.
Somehow or other, arter day or two Bill
didn't seem to care about wearin' his new
shirt, and one day he says to me, Tom, I'm
sorry l bought that shirt of you; l don't
think it suits my complaint-Tm HUNGRY
little as well as blue; how would you
like to trade back again, leavin' out the to-
baccoP
"'No,' says l; Il guess not; I'm content
"'Well,' says he, give me one of the blue
shirts and take the red One.'
"Afore | could speak chap of the name
of Crickmore over on tother side of the fore
castle sings out, 'Pll give you a blue shirt for
it and couple of plugs of tobacco into the
bargain
''Crick didn't like the shirt no more than
Bill and l had and he soon snapped it off to a
chapi t other watch for pair of satinet trou-
sers and he in turn traded it offfor some boots.
All this while there weren't a word said
about old Weldens concentricity. Every
man as got the shirt soon found out as he
didn't want it no longer, but KEEP shady so
as he could dispose of it to a advantage, and
'twere traded off and traded off till nigh onto
every man in the ships company had been
the owner of it, and finally it were without
purchaser. and was owned by chap of the
name of Higgins, and whatever do he do but
goes away to the steward one night in the
last dog watch, and arter remarking about
the weather and so on, which were now git
tin quite warm, this here Higgins says,
Steward, I'd like awful well for to have a
glass of grog; couldn't you work the oracle@
Couldn't be did, says the steward, there
amt none on board 'cept into the old mans
room, as is his private stock
" He are up on deck says Higgins, and
steward, I'll tell you what; I've got one of
the most magnificent wooden shirts as ever
you laid your eyes onto, worth at least five
dollars of any mans money, but | want a
glass of grog so much that if you'll bone one
for me from the old mans room I'll give
you the shirt
Let's see it, says the steward, and away
goes Higgins and fetches it. 1t took the
stewards eye at once, and says he, You
keep an eye on the old man and I'll go and
git you a regular snif6er.'
All right my boy says Higgins, and the
steward fetched him, as be told me arter-
ward, regular second mates nip, four fin
gers and trifie over. and took the shirt.
Next mornin' the mate comes forard
lookin' as melancholy as a sick monkey onto
a lee back stay, and says he, Git your palms
and needles there, couple of you, and come
aft to the cabin, the steward has unfortu-
dately died through the night, and / wants
'him sewed up decent.
'Me and Higgins was the first to respond
and goin aft we found the body laid out on
che cabin table, with the canvas already
around it bein' part of old to'gallan' sail as
had been got by the steward, mate aud him,
and tine mate had fixed it ready for sewn
up. Afore we took stitch, however, Hig-
gins says, Tom, there's one thing want TO
see afore we does this job, and pullln' open
the, canvas he exposed to view that identical
red shirt as had bought in Boston When
the mate seen what We was doin' of he
sings out:
What the - are you about there?
why don't you get on with yoUrjob? If you
can't do it I'll get somebody as can
80 we didn't say nothin', but sewed away
tearil' as usual our needles through the nets
when finished. and that day at eight bells in
the afternoon he was buried. 0d Welden
readiE' the services beautiful, 'cept that
when be came to the part where it says,
commit this body to the deep he used the
word lobster for body, which sot me a
thinkin, and that night 1 says to Higgins,
I'm feeEn' pretty bad about the steward ;
almost feel responsible for his DEATH
'T0m,1 says he, don't say nothiE', but it
is my opinion that il he hadn't never wore
that red shirt he'd be alive now,' and
couldn't belp thiDkin' as Higgins were right.
''Well, then, as / were sayIn' about the
'nead-but bless my soul; here it are nigh on
80 two bells; G'll Just take oae more stein
and be of f0T home and the old womaE."
SGA.