Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-04-19


one night in the forecastle Jem had
seized Burr and given him a sound
thrashing in reply to some haunting
words.
The cook did not report his trouble to
the captain, but as he washed the blood
from h-s face he whispered threats of
deadly vengeance with so much of energy
that Old Tom had drawn Hepworth one
side and warned him.
"Jem," said the old shelback, eyer
young an tough. That man Burr is bad
clear through. Look out fer him. Eff
he ticks We in fair fight it's all right, but
watch out fer his knife in the dark or a
sudden trip on the yard. He'll kill ye
eff he can.
And Hepworth, knowing that his
friend spoke the truth, promised vigi-
lance, SO that from that day out open
! hostility was declared between the two
| men.
On board the Lotus was one "greeny, "
q poor Irish lad picked up at Hong Kong
more out of compassion than anything
| else by Captain Seeber, and no sooner
had the fight taken place between Burr
and Hepworth than the ugly cook began
to put upon and abuse this lad, evident
| ly because he was an open friend of Hep
| worth's and not strong enough to defend
himself.
Jem noticed and endured this for a
time, his enemy seeming to take fiend-
ish delight in misusing O'Toole, but one
day his anger got the better of his dis
cretion, and he s. shouldered another
mans quarrel" by Selling Burr a second
time and hurting him across the deck,
just as he had raised an iron skillet
| which he held in his hand to strike the
cringing lad.
"You knave!' cried Hepworth, fairly
boiling with passion, as he stood above
his PROSTATE foe, clay finger on that
boy again and I'll fay yer dirty carcass!
You shall not treat him as you treated
me five years ago, for he's got friend
aboardp
Burr rose slowly, and looking into
honest Jem's eyes with face livid with
hate, he Kissed:
damn you! You sung yer death
knell!' and slipped by Hepworth into
the galley.
Had it been open war before, it was
active hostility now. Every day the two
men ragged at each other, twice or more
blows were struck, and once, but for the
sudden spring of little O'Toole, who
had surprised Burr in the very act of
telling Hepworth from behind with a
capstan bar, the feud would have result
ed In murder.
The Irishman received a crushing
blow from his enemy in return for the
kindly act, but that mattered but little
to him, and hourly he was at Hepworth's
side adding his watch and guard to the
others strength to protect him from the
varied and vengeful attacks CT the cook.
Matters stood thus, when early in the
fifth week of the voyage it became evil
dent that all was not well with our
supercargO. Formerly quiet and well
behaved, he now began evincing the
most demOniac temper, and daily his
condition grew worse. While before he
would lie tor hours asleep or watching
the waves with sleepy eyes lis head be-
tween his paws; now he was hardly still
a moment, and the constant snarl with
which he greeted any approach to his
cage was often supplemented by the long
| and terrible howl that his parents were
wont to give in their native jungles
Moreover, he now often flung himself
against the bars of his bamboo house
and seemed constantly striving to escape,
a spirit which he had not shown before.
The captain charged the cook to re-
duce his diet, which that worthy prom
Used to do, but the men whispered among
themselves that he still fed the beast
upon meat, even at the expense of the
forecastle mess, and seemed to desire to
increase rather than calm the ire of our
passenger.
"That there Burr is strivin' to do
some on us a mischief" muttered old
Tom one morning, as he noticed the
drops of blood on the tigers lips, " an I
only 'ope that when the beast has to pick
up his fresh meat from among the crew
he will take the cook first !"
English Ned laughed cheerily.
"Do'e think the cats goin' to eat the
ship, mate? When the meats gone ell
likely do as the best hon us, go with
OUT"
"Wait an see, me hearty" growled
Bovine.
One day the wind shifted. It was the
first change for many long hour, and
even though it promised a storm we
greeted it gladly. Even sailing upon a
"long leg" becomes tiresome at last.
The wind shifted and the clouds arose,
a gale was gathering in the south.
With shortened sail we awaited it's COM
ing, while the long afternoon dragged
slowly away. In obedience to the cap
tain's orders, the tigers cage had been
] firmly lashed so that it might not be
beaten about, even if the ship rolled
heavily, and with full confidence in our
ability to weather the coming storm we
watched its approach.
It was noon when the clouds first ap-
peared, it was almost 10 at night when
the gale broke; but nothing was lost by
waiting. The fury of the elements was
fearful. At the first plunge the ship was
almost submerged.
Then the good craft righted and
dashed forward through the foam
streaked ocean like an arrow from
! bow