The Red Cloud chief., 1879-11-27
THE CAPTAINS WIFE.
l Faithful Narrative" from ia" In" "f W.T.
DoI.iTuu,.

said Nj. puldrum. "inr a whaling
skipper &" TAXI his wiir OF "n a four or
five wears NpNJrc. aud SOM" "i them
r.vli uial,r~. who ruk" ihrIr figure
B..:I- a. near thu North polr a. lhry can
without touching it, STAY AWAY ~ Ion"
"a seven wears.
just thinh of ii, 1 knew q skipper
once who got married Two weeks before
be- .ot order, 10 sail, and hlN wife
couldn't 20. because IN" wt> - CALLED
and frightened Of salt water. | Tell N"u
th,rr Wa weeping and waiiin@ om board
tar old Osprey before III" east off: and
uh,a IN. got back, four year, later, that
skipper rctircd L" private life,
Ills wife must have suffered a
"rcli deal during his absence. r"-
piled /.
..Oi course "a, dill. hu; then she WAS
true blue aud full II -riI: in fact. She WAS
Born within to~- Of a biscuit from How
lluI-~ wharf I'm New bedford. and she
learned the smell IF OIL when she was 4
hihi.
..Eur that amt the woman | was 90
i'm. - eel. YOU about. Heaven rest her
~.,ul. shes dead now-,hough if ever
There ua~ an angel in pcttic"aiS, Sh"
U.t~ nur. | always remember poor Joe
iu BL...k House, when | think IF her.
she wa~ mighty good 1" me, she
WI.
Il should really like 1" hear about
hrr. Nh. nnldrum.'
That, her picture" said he. TAX
iu- ou; a photograph well worn 10y CON
slant rarryiu- in hi~ pocket.
"II'~ all I've got 10 remember her by,
c>rr:., The IN of her which ""r>
"ut oull when | shuttle off my coil and
dou~y The ~lim.
.lou sec | had just signed ships
articles ~ Second Mate for four years
uu;lr uarpuc Gcor@r and Susan: made
tNn VOYAGES before with the same skip
per. \ / MAS lcavin~th owners Office
inc, the Captain coming mp the gang
wsN wiki a Wounan holding "n IL his
arm
Mr. poldrum. lct me introduce You
To- my wife. I"u viii t." >hipmateS to-
gethrr and might ~ well know each
uihr. hcforchanl.'
II DOTTED my head gear when She held
oat hor hand ana gave he a regular sail
or'~ xrin.
II kinder Saw that she took a liking
- m.. and that made me feel easy, for il
wont du L. have 4 w"nlan down on You
board "a ship. and thar woman the skip
pcr'> wife.
..~hc asked me lots of questions; how
many Noyage> | had made. and if | had
sawed any MONEY! finally hauled off
and luflcd ZIP till | reached an outtitter'>
shop. where | ~ovcrhaulcd their slop
chest and picked ont what dud> need
- ,A -.r-l 80. nNa ia
my donkey, or chest, a. you landSmen
call il. and had il sent down To- the YES
y 80.
In three or four days we had the
customary good wishes and Chaplain'>
PRAYERS for good lack and safe return,
ca>i III mooringS, and ere long We Were
standing masthead off the Western
Islands.
We raised L school one morning.,
and after a hard days work, caught
three which slowed down 9S barrels
They were all cow-whales, and did no
trv ont only Il little more than so bar
rcl~ each. But it was good Ia start on
and would make ballast, doubling tn,
Cape.
.Off the Horn we had a lively tim,
II IL; cot into a fog and nearly rur
ashore on 4 sheer coast before We knew
what WAS the matter.
The shippers wife was on deck mos
of the time. and though that was he
frs yoyage. her quick ear caught tn
sound of breakers on IL lee some tel
minutes ere We heard 'em.
. tcll YOU. we had to tack and tacl
Ia yet away from those rocks; a littl'
LONGER and We would have all gone Il
pJly .Ione, in 6UU fathoms of water.
Nc kinder looked up 10 the skip
pcr'> wife after that, for if il had no
been for her | would not be telling yo1
ahru, her. After we rounded the Cape
the Old Man squared away for the Mar
quesaS Islands. where We had a rul
ashore, and brought off TWO or tire
buat-loads of oranges, bananas and co
~coauut>, Ia keep away the scurvy
somehow or other the atmosphere iii,
no a1rec with me, and fore | knew
| WAS down in my bunk with a scorcl
ing fever. The Captain got out his hi
book. unlocked the medicine chest, an
was going TO prescribe a big dose c
EPSON salts-they always give 'er
board Of ship. If a man falls from IN
masthead. it's salts. Ii he has III
tooihache. same medicine. But the skiT
per-s wife took me in tow and stoppe
that nonsense pretty quick. He
father was Il land doctor and she Ia