The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-11-11
expected to feel himself seized behind
| and pitched overheard.

expected to feel himself seized behind
and pitched overheard.
After breakfast I went upon deck,
ard saw a Deal boat making for the
2lip. She came along IA slashing
,Gvle. under her broad lug!-and in a
short time was near enough to enable
me to see that she towed our quarter
boat astern, and that Coxon and Duck
ling were among her occupants. I
went to the gangway to receive her;
she fell of, then luffed. running fine
semicircle; down dropped her lug, her
mizzen brought her right to. and she
came alongside with beautiful pre-
cision, stopping under the gangway like
a carriage at your door.
l caught the line that was flung from
her, took a turn with it, and then
Coxon and the chief mate stepped on
board. The moment he touched the
deck, Coxon called to the men, who
were hanging about the forecastle.
''Get your traps together and out
with youl If ever a man among you
stops in my ship five minutes, I'll fling
him overheard"
With which terrible threat he W alked
into the cuddy. Duckling remained at
the gangway to see the crew leave the
ship. The poor fellows were all ready.
They had made up their minds to 20
ashore, but hardly knew under what
circumstances. They were clearly dis
appointed by the shippers procedure,
for as they came to the gangway, car
rving their bags and chests, all kinds
of remarks, expressive of their opinion
on the matter, were uttered by them.
The old blackguard" said one,
llinging his bag into the boat, and
lingering before Duckling and myself
in order to deliver his observations,
''he hasn't the pluck to have us tired.
Pitch us overheard! let him try his
(etc.) hand upon the littlest of US! I'd
take six months, and thank 'em, just
to warm my fist on his (etc.) facet"
and so forth.
Duckling was wise to hold his peace.
The men were furious enough to have
massacred him had he opened his Ii ps.
The older hands got into the boat
in silence, but none of the rest left
the ship without some candid express
sion of his feelings. One said he'd
gladly pay a pound for leave to set fire
to the ship. Another called her a
floating work-house. A third hoped
that the vessel would be sunk, and the
brutes commanding her drowned be-
fore this time tomorrow. Every evil
wish that malice and rage could IN
vent was hurled at the vessel and at
those VINO remained in her. In after
days | recalled that beautiful morning,
the picture of the lugger alongside
the ship, the hungry, iil-used men
with their poor packs going over the
vessels side, and the curses they pro-
nounced as they left us.
An incident followed the entry of
the last of the men in the boat.
The sail was hoisted. the rope that
held the boat let 60, and her head was
showed off; when the Portugee," in
the excitement and fury of his feel
ings, drew i'll his breath and his
cheeks, and spit with tremendous
energy at Duckling, who was watch
ing him; but the missile fell short; in
a word. he spit full in the face of one
of the old hands, who instantly
knocked him down. He tumbled
head over heels among the feet of the
crowd of men, while 'Duckling roared
out: If the man who knocked that
BLACKBOARD down will return to his
duty, I'll be his friend" But all the
answer he got was roar which re-
sembled in sound and character the
mingled laughter and groans of o
large mob. The fresh wind caught
and filled the sail, the boat bounded
away under the pressure, and in few
minutes was long distance out of