The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-06-26

LIZ OoBoohh AVOhOo " ONOL IL
rail. The sight of y skifs eltnsily
made fast to the bobstay, checked the
question arising to his lips as to the
manner OF his coming.
"Well, what do you wantp What did
you come aboard forP"
~ want =" began Davy.
"Get up the anchor, MI. Tatman,
and crack on all the canva she's got.
Course S. W. by va little W."
81 wud wish =" began Davy again!
.Now, yoa-whAt did you board us
for" again broke in the Captain, APP
parently for nothing else but the salts
faction of ~interrupting him.
.Do you want to hire q han'p''. said
he, desperately, with a shade of annoy-
ance on his ~countenanpe.
mo 1 don't-what can you dop Can
you cook. You're no seaman you're
a boy. You can't cook. Your Stun
mick's in your shirt sleeves already.
What's the matter? Ager? Broker
Don't want any walkin' funeral with
me! / want a cook. Don't want any
longshore lubber. Come, pullashore in
that coffin of yours. Don't you see
we're maxim sail. Over the rail with
your The Captain jerked this forth
without a break. deity inserting an
oath here and there at the hint OF a
pause, thus keeping up an even flow of
verbiage.
Designating the buster Davy came
to the point with: s.Yes'r, I a cook.
l was a cook in a lumber camp. Will
you try meg"
"Get aft and pipe to mess in thirty
minutes, you oakum-headed son of q
molling-rubber! Lively now!r
Taking that as an engagement he
Edove down the companion way. In a
few moments smoke began to pour out
of a stub of a stovepipe chimney on the
cabin. Then a perspiring head APP
peared.
Hi Captain! Whereabouts do We
keep the dishesp"
The answer can only be fifty repre-
blanks. The question had aroused un-
pleasant thoughts.
How he struggled in the hot little
den to give satisfaction; how he
sweated and worked, burning his hands
and scalding his awkward arms; how
he gave us food, burnt and raw in turn,
which was only q shade better than no
food at all; how in heavy weather he
was obliged to cook with his stomach
in a state of dire mutiny, the smell of
bilge water and cookery commingled
making him deathly seasick and per-
fectly CHASTITY to look upon; how with
all his nausea he was compelled to sit
over the rank smelling and b~listering
stove, holding the pots and kettles to
keep them on an even keel as each sea
struck the scow; how his attempts to
wait on the table too frequently re-
suited in soup baths and ignominy; how
he stood up under the Captains ''disci-
pline" and our jeers, all forms a simple
record of heroism beside which deeds
of valor on the battlefield would sink
into insigniicance.
We noticed one popularity; in port
he stayed below, out of sight, and was
manifestly uneasy when strangers came
aboard. Outside it was not so, and it
seemed that he always breathed easier
when as outward bound we cast off the
the towline.
THAT GUS has did something. He's
skulking," said Rick, INT day.
But the eason vas fast wearing
away and nothing of a startling nature
had TRANSFERRED. Davy, though he was
yet called .'stewart"-finally acquired
bis sea legs and his color became better.
but his spirits did not improve. He
chummed with no one. A man must
be ~unsocial, indeed, who under such
circumstances does not bear his share
of the burden of working off the tedium
of a calm or help while away the long
hours of a watch witha softly told yarn.
But his gloom and dependency became
settled; neither the mems jokes nor the
Captains delicate attentions seemed to
arouse him.
.Say, stewart, who are you hiding
from!n asked Rick, one day, in a ban.
tering tone.
spoken. The threat, however, of q
desperate man brought to bay wa in
that look. Rick stood cycling him and
appearing very foolish. At length he
passed below, and as he moved of
Rick, feeling he was called upon to say
something, sang out: '.Come, stewart,
don't go off madr"
After that there was no more triAiuo
with Dayy's secret
A little later, while we were taking
in a cargo of oats at Milwaukee, 8
number of wharf rats pushed a poor,
homeless dog into the river. 1t swan
in a little circle, looking up with mute,
pleading eyes, and piteous yelps fol
help. Its assailants dropped bricks or
its head, and one got a sharp stick to
harpoon the poor beast, and thus speed
its death. This was observed by oul
cook, who was in the midst of the
crowd with a bound. The brutal mer
scattered. He made a line fast to {
pile, jumped in, rove the other emf
around the dog, clambered out, ane
hauled the dripping animal after him
The hoodlums gathered around, highl,
amused at the performance. One tai
man insolently grabbed the dog tt
throw him back. In an instant Davy's
fingers clutched his throat, and in an
other he was in the river, choking ant
struggling to keep from taking in a:
much water rs seemed inevitable
Davy got a shower of bricks, in conse
quence, from the mans companions
and a few bruises, but when he stepped
aboard Rick remarked that he wa:
mot such a bad ort of cuss, after all, ,
which was about the verdict of the resi-
of us.
He continued to grow thinner ant
became haggard from loss of sleep
He learned to steer his trick, and
although entitled to his nights below
frequently relieved one of us, because
as he said, he couldn't sleep, and he
might as we'll make good use of hi.
wakefulness.
On one of these occasions, as he tool
the wheel from me, | fingered a little
while before turning in. feeling there
was something he wished to say; MOI
that he intimated such o desire, bu
there was a mysterious something
which indicated a crisis at hand. HI
had been unusually restless all day, ane
| thought it was because we were max
ing for a pier but a few miles from tn.
point where he made his mysterious
advent amOnp lis.