The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-02-27
MY SHIPS CARPENTER.

We were lying in the Penarth Dock,
near Cardiff, after having completed
that most disagreeable of operations.
the taking in of a large cargo of Goals
and We're only waiting for the tide in
order to pursue our voyage to Caen.
was pacing the deck, smoking the first
pipe of peace I had enjoyed for some
days, when I heard a disturbance at the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS which led from the
ship to the quay, and in a few seconds
u wild uncouth- looking creature with
flashing black eyes andlong matted hair
came rushing towards me, followed by
my chief officer.
whats the row, Mr.. Robbins?" ]
asked, as the stranger, painting and
breathless threw himself at my feet.
Cans mako him out, sir-that
can't" replied the officer. "He's q
Dntchman Of some sort or other"--jn
the eyes of sailors all foreigner are
Dutchmen- "and he comes aboard
sayin' as how he wants to be taken on
as a carpenter, COS he hears as how the
Sunderland is a-goin' to q French port.
We tells him as how we're provided; but
he won't take no denial, and says he
must see the cap'en."
well, my man." I said sternly,
what is it? We don't want two car
p~enters-isn't that sutiicient?"
"Mon Dieu, Monsieur lie Capitaine,'
the poor followed returned. having re-
covered his breath, II have come for to
go vid You Us carpenter, or any mortal
sing you like. l do not want money-no,
will work for nosing; but I you pray to
take me yid you, and, if you will listen
to me for Won two minutes, 1 will tell
you Wy"
There was something 50 tearfully
earnest in his manner, and he looked
such a pitable object, that I motioned
the chief officer to go away, and babe
the man say all that he wished. So he
continued:
II am a scaramouch, [ know-I am dir,
ty, ! am in rags; but perhaps venI tel
you q leetle more, you may sink differ.
ent of me. I come from Rouen, on ze
Seine; / vas q ship builder dere-me
and my brozer. We we're not rich, but
We we're comfortable, and We lived on &c
Mont Sainte Catherine vid our only sis.
ter, re pauve Jacqueline. She was fan.
Gee to a l%ieutensnt Of re Twelvse Regi.
ment in re Cnserne at Rouen, and she
vas going to be married in a few weeks,
G a friend of ours, an English.
man Monsieur le Captaine, fell il
love vid her, and he ran off vic
her, and me and my brozer hat
not seen ZEN since. And dis vas
tree year ago, and even since
me and my brozer We have been
looking all over re world fir him, and
if ve catch him, Wy, den'-and the mar
looked almost fiendish as he spoke these
words, and tapped significantly a for.
misunderstanding knife which hung in {
leather sheath at his waist-"vy, den We
shall kill him!"
"Who was he" I asked, "and whar
was his name?"
ellis name was Curtis" replied the
Frenchman-"Richard Curtis; a big
man he vas-big of six feet, and he vas
den re captain of a ship"
This voc Qfro n co fpr tho oor,;,,,oo.
of my ship at Caen were Richard Cur
tbs g. Co., and Dick Curtis, who answer
ed to the description given by the
Frenshman, had been an especial chun
of mine, although [ had not now seer
him for some years.
"But, my friend" I said, Surely yor
are on a wild-goose chase! You might
go all owe the world for years with.
ont meeting him, especially as you say
he was a captain"
eyes, dat is drue," allowed the
%Frenchman; but I tink he has been sent
at Rouen or somewhere near again, anc
I shall not rest until Ifind him"
Dick Curtis, I knew, had been a bi
OF a s%capegrace in his youthful days
but I did not think he was the sort of s
fellow to run off with q young French
girl who was already engaged to anoth.
err man. Still l was not going to run
the risk of a vendetta ut Caen, SO
firmly told my supplicant that the ships
books were quite full, and that in nc
circumstances could l take him. He
burst, Frenchman-hke, into a torrent
OF tears and protestations but I was in
flexible, and he went away, looking the
very picture Of misery.
We got off by the evening tide, anc
We're making good way, with the ele.
ments in our favor. I was on the
bridge alone with the pilot and the
man at the wheel. Suddenly il
the gloom ] saw o figure spring up the
bridge-ladder, and the Frenchman stood
before me. l was very angry at first
and swore that he should be imprisoned
at Caen as a stowaway-for I was really
q little anxious for Dick Curtis, as I hat
reason to know what a revengefu
Frenchman meant; but the man was 81
p%rofusely %apologetic, and so earnest il
his promises to do anything required o
him in order to work his passage, that
relented and told him he might stay OF
board.
From that moment Alexis-that wa,