The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-11-25

do nothing for you here. Ihrre are
no bakehouses yonder," nodding at
the sea. ITO get fresh bread from You
must wait TIL we get to Valparaiso"
a regular growl came up from the
men, and johnson exclaimed:
1--WE can't live on nothing till we
get to Valparaiso.
.'What do you want me to do?" cried
the skipper, savagely.
ITS not for US to dictate" replied
johnson. ''All that the crew wants is
grub fit 10 eat"
Put into Brest," exclaimed voice.
'It amt far of. There is good junk
and biscuit to be got at Brest."
WHO dares to advise me as to what
I'm TO do?" shouted the skipper IN his
furious way. by heaven, III break
every bone in the sceundrel's body if
he opens his Internal mutinous mouth
again! l tell you / can't change the
| provisions here, and I'm not going to
alter the ships course with this wind
astern, not if you were all starving in
reality" But having said this, he
pulled up short, as if his temper was
| diverging him from the line of policy
he had in his mind to follow; he low
cred his voice and said: '1'll tell you
what, my lads; you must make the
provisions last YOU for the present.
and if | can make fair wind of it, I'll
haul round for some Spanish port; or if
not there, I'll see what land is to be
picked up"
'You hear what the captain says,
don't you?" growied Duckiing.
1T isn't US that minds waiting, it's
our stomachs," said Fish. the small
faced man.
DO you mean to tell me you can't
get a meal out of the food in your
hands?" demanded the captain, point
ing among them.
1--WE wouldn't mind if the bread and
molasses was right" cried Fish. "But
they aren't. Nothen's right. The
very weevils amt ordinary; they're
longer and fatter than common bread
worms"
Hold your jawr' bawled Duckling.
"The captain has spoken to you fairer
than any skipper that 1 ever sailed
under would have spoke. So now cut
forward-do you hear?-and finish
YOUR breakfast Cook, come from be-
hind that mainmast, you loaing mig.
ger, and leave the main-deck, or I'll
make you trot to show the others the
road"
He pulled brass belaying-p pin out
of the rail and fourished it. The cap
tain walked aft to the wheel, leaving
Duckling to finish off with the men.
| They moved away, talking in low
EgruRbling tones among themselves,
manifestlv dissatisfied with the result
of their conference, and presently werc
all in the forecastle.
'rll tell you what it is, Mr.. Royle,"
said Duekling, turning impudenuy
upon me; '.you must wake up, if you
please, an6 help me to keep those fell
lows in their places. You must talk to
EN- and curse 'em! do you understand,
Mr. Royle?"
mo. don't understand" replied
Il don't believe in cursing men"
"Oh, l suppose you are one of those
officers who call all hands to prayer
before you reef down, are you?" he
asked, with coarse, sneering laugh.
Il don't think Captain Coxon will APP
preciate your services much if that's
your kind"
II am sorry you should misunder-
stand me-" said, gravely. Il believe
l can do my work, and get others to do
theirs, without feul language and
knocking men down"
Thunder and lightning! what
spoony skipper nursed you at his
breast? Could you knock man down
if you tried?''
II think" said /. ''that l could
knock man down if l tried. Perhaps
two. But then l don't try. The skip
per who nursed me was not New Or
leans man. but an Englishman, and
something better-an English gentle
man. That means that no one on
board his ship ever gave him occasion
to use his fists. "
1t was now plain that 1 was unsuitcd
to the taste and society of the two men
with whom l was thrown. l saw that
1t would be next to impossible to retain
my self-respect and continue to do duty
as an officer without bringing Coxon's
displeasure upon me. So | came 10 o
determination to do my duty as COM
pletely as 1 could, so as to deprive
Coxon of all opportunity of making
my berth more uncomfortable than it
was; to hold my tongue, to take no no.
tice of the shippers doings, to steer
clear of Duckling as much as possible,
and to quit the ship, if possible, at
Valparaiso. How 1 kept these good
resolutions you shall hear.
CHAPTER VI.
The weather mended next day, and
we made all sail with a fine breeze,
steering south-southwest. We had left
the Downs on Tuesday, the 22d of Au-
gust, and on the 25th we found by OBJ
servation that we had made distance
of over nine hundred miles, which,
considering the heavy seas the ship had
encountered and the depth to which
she was loaded, was very good sailing.
Next day we were well upon the Bay
of Biscay. Here it fell calm and the
ship made little progress. This put
CoXon IN a ferocious temper and he
routed the crew out at all hours to |
man first the port and then the star
board braces until all of us were worn |
out. All this did no good and the ex-
ira work was put on us because the |
skipper was in rage at the calm, and |
not caring to rest himself was deter |
mined the crew should not. Next |
morning a light breeze sprung up and
we ran before it. but did not make |
more than six knots an hour.
And so till Thursday the 31st OF
August, on which day we were. to the |
best of memory, in latitude 45 degrees
and longitude about 10 degrees.
The men during this time had been |
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