The Mineral argus., 1885-05-28


OATS jes'wha. ser to myself, SEE l."
replied Marcus. "Ship's stores is
meant to go, but dey isn't meant to fly"
"Wher do tliev fly to, you black liv-
cred skunk?" asked the skipper augriDy.
''Dat's ies' the oder ting l asks my
self" replied the cook, wher does they
fly to? Steward he glib me over lowance.
Dat amt no good worth cent"
II reckon some of the boys rob Won,
Marcus" said Bartlett; Jest You keep
that weather eye o yourn open, an if
you ketch any skunk prowlin' around
the galley when YOU amt thar, je,'fetch
him over the head with anything handy,
and then tell me. ION can bet your
bottom dollar he won't do it q second
time"
Marcus took all possible precautions.
After nightfall he would prowl about
the galley with marling-spike in hand,
ready to pounce upon any hungry fOc'sle
hand or fireman who should be tempted
to tap the provision store in the galley.
He and Mary Jane were the very best Of
friends, and in return for little delicacics
he made her, she would offer to keep
watch whilst he snoozed or joined the
hands in sky-larking.
Still, the provisions went, and the
rum went, and the shippers whisky
went, and neither Marcus nor Mary
Jane, nor any one else could imagine
how. Bartlett waxed furious, and held
consultation with his first mate: the
result was that all hands were piped
forward Of the bridge, and the skipper
addressed them Us follows:
"Now, look yer. boys, I recken, takin'
you all roun', you're as smart . lot as
ever shipped, but thar's derned thief
amongst Won, q lowminded cuss. what
cant content hisself with the regy latiOn
skinful, but must go sneakin' an Prov
lin around like coyote, and freezin'
to things as don't belong to him. !
don't suspect nary man in partikler,
but he's amongst you, an IL / nab him.
I set him afoat in the dinghy with
bit O hard tack, an an anker Of water,
as snre as my names Hosea E. Bart
lett, an that's fact"
The men skunk oil grun LII Y.
That very evening bottle Of three
star Exshaw disappeared from the
swinging shelf in the saloon, and
packet Of Virginia from the Captains
own cabin.
Bartlett was furious he swore that
the steward was in league with the
crew; he swore that he didn't trust o
man in his ship from the first mate
downwards.
More depreda.io ions occurred in the re-
gions of the cooking galley. Marcus,
the cook, was furious, and the only
thing that prevented row on board
was the alternate intercessiOn of little
Mary Jane with the skipper and the
cook.
There was but one solution to the
mystery. The ship was haunted.
Strange stories were told with bated
breath about spirits who lived on board
ships, of which the skipper or an officer
was Q bad man; big, bearded men, who
had braved danger in every part OF ths
world, related all they had ever heard
of gnomes and sea spirites with
spite against q certain craft. or Ger.
tain member Of it's crew, with serious
mods and winks.
Bartlett alone pooh poohed these idle
tales. and linked the believers with
Captain Brandy in his category of
"derned fools, and almost got angry with
the little girl for sharing the popular
creed.
Mary Jane enjoyed herself immensely.
The weather was perfect, so that she
could romp about as much as she liked
her appetite maintained its invariable
excellence, although she generally had
her meals alone, and nobody could
swear that she ate all that was placed
before her.
This last fact gave CAPTAIN Bartlett
an idea. She was the thief. He knew
that she was favorite with the men,
and he knew from long experience that
the men were mp to any dodge to get an
increase OF rations and grog. They had
got over the innocent little thing with
their soft sawder. He watched her.
The steward set befor, her for supper
one evening meat and biscuit enough for
three men, and left her. Bartlett from
the bunk Of an empty cabin saw her fall
to with fair appetite for while, al
though he remarked that she did not
eat extraordinarily for healthy, grow
ing child.
When she had finished, she pulled
out linen bag from her pocket. and
into it she put all that was left. Then
she rose gently, got on to the seat. took
down the whisky bottle from the shelf
swinging above her head, and poured
half its contents into flask.
Then she stole away, Bartlett after
her. Right forward she went along the
deserted deck, and disappeared in the
darkness under the raised foc'sle.
"Wall," said the skipper to himself,
"ef this don't beat 'possum trackin',
bust me of know what does, an that's
q fact. They're cunnin lot O. rascals