Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-08-17

stiff gale. But we were able to slacken
something of the grim tenacity of our
vigilance, and to look at each other
again. / liked not the looks I met. We
had passed with comparatively little
damage through great danger; and
that would have been enough, you
would have thought, to lead the sailors
to think that both weather and ship
were under altogether different and bet
ter guidance than the witchery of a
tabby cat. Yet they looked sullen and
hopeless. J. could see from the way
they eyed the creature, and drew off
from it and it's dismal mewings, that
they were still bound by dread of what
it might bring upon them. [ must con-
fess that / myself disliked the cat,
though it seemed moved to wander up
and down the deck and into the cabin,
and to lament as it did more from some
kind of distress than from spite. Mag
gle was the only one who took any notice
of it; and she fed it and followed it about
with an unwearied devotion, to which the
creature did not at all respond.
Next day, though the gale continued
to abate, our plight was little improved.
The Seamew carried herself braveIy,
though we could not discover she was
making water The wind was still
northeast, against which she not only
made no head, but kept losing way. [
was, therefore, not surprised when Jack
came to me in the cabin and said:
"There's something going on for'ard
no end O. talk and tobacco-juice.
We went on deck.
"Look at them, continued Jack.
"there by the chains. See how they
shove their shoulders into each other.
When sailor does that, and pulls his
own ear as Dick Sandys is doing, there's
something up. And they half-look this
way. All, here they come"
There were three of them, headed by
Dick Sandys, shyly shouldering their
way aft. Dick came pretty straight,
pulling at his ear, with his eyes cast
down, but with his round, ruddy face
shining steadily forward; his comrades
lurched about, looking from side to side,
and touching things as they passed.
"Well, Dick" said I, "you want to
speak to me, suppose, you and your
mates?"
Gay, ay, sir; if you will kindly give
us word, Me and them, sir Jerking
his thumb over his shoulder come as
q deportation from the fo'c'sle. We
amt got no notion @ debating to the
capting, but we want to put you in pos
session, sir, of what we're a-thinking
about. Eth, mates ?"
'Ay, ay."
"We see how it's agoing to be: This
here wage IL never come to no good
end. The Seamew II never again get in
to no harbor; and some day one on them
big steamers II come across her all a
rotting, wi not sign O. life aboard but
cursed striped cat in the rigging. It's
cur luck, and the damned trick O that
Lily. That's bound to be our luck wi
that there cat aboard; but it's not to be
expected as how we'll take it meek and
mild. Well, We see, sir, they say 'wors-
er luck if We throw her overheard Jest
so. But now this is what we were a.
thinking: Suppose we set her adrift in
all old tub"
This dark suggestion he conveyed in
low voice, with his hand to the side of
his mouth, after glance round to make
sure the cat was not within hearing.
uOu HO lOOhco dU l10 WILL SlSdUN,
wistful eye; his mates fidgeted and
looked over the ships sides, as though
they felt half ashamed of the plot to
which they had given their adherence.
[ considered a moment. [ had, of
course, nc real belief that getting rid of
the cat thus would give us a fair wind;
yet still it was worth trying; it involved
only the sacrifice of the cat, and if it did
not change the wind, it would at least
change the looks of the crew. But what
would my little Maggie say? However,
turned at once to Dick.
"You can try it," said I. CT give
you full leave-though, mark you, I
don't believe in the nonsense. But get
hold of it without my little girl seeing
you.
Gay, ay, SIR