St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-30

replied the tar, touching his cap.
Chow many Of his children have we
aboard who have not seen their father9"
questioned the captain.
"Six, besides the boys, making eight,
yer honor"
You'd better see that the font is ready
for the old man when he comes, hadn't
you!'
fright you are, SIR" said Dublin, as he
turned and walked forward
| During the remainder of the dog watch
seven or eight of the oldest of the crew
| congregated near the main-h hatch and held
a whispered consultation.
| At eight bells, as the watch was about to
change, the man on the lookout sang out:
| "Light ON the weather bowr'
"Where away" followed the mate from
| the quarter deck, aft
1.-TWO points tn windward, sir''
just then fog-horn was heard on the
weather bow, although the night was clear
and the water like sea of glass.
| s'Ship ahoy! Throw me burline and
take me in tow; want to come aboard"
came in stentorian growls from over the
ships head.
"Who are you!" asked the mate.
! 'Got any fresh-water swabs aboard? If
you have, / want to see EN-"
1t dun be ole Neptune, hisself." ex-
| claimed the cook who had stepped outside
his galley to find out the cause of the noise.
'!Good Lawdy! He dun shade dis niggah,
shuah?'' and he disappeared in the galley
| and fastened the slide.
| A tall, muscular looking being with
| vermilion- hued countenance clambered
| into the ships chains, then swung himself
over the bulwarks and dropped inboard.
A piece of sailcloth round his waist was
| his only covering, unless massive beard
and luXuriant growth of hair could be
| reckoned as such. His hirsdte develop
| ment around the head was dirty yellow,
and contrasted strangely with the black
growth on his chest and well-tanned arms
Several india-ink sketches on his fore
arms seemed somewhat familiar to me- and
when he spoke it was with slight brogue
which made me wonder if Neptune was
native of Irish seas. AS he handed his
triton to ''Hlnglish AIRY" sailor in the
port watch, thought recognized it as the
ships grange, with which we harpooned
dolphins.
''Stir round, We lubbers, an rig oop er
shake-down fer mesilf an the ould
woman he said, as he assisted his wife to
the deck. Bear er hand, yees divils, an
be loively!"
The could woman" was modestly attired
in yingy tarpaulin and heavy switch of
gulf stream sea- weed, and from the muscu-
lar development of her arms l rather
thought the could man. would De likely to
come off second best in hair-pulling
match. The mate took them in tow, and
they went aft to pay their respects to the
skipper, and there remained until the next
morning.
1t was my watch below in the morning,
and on being routed out at noon I noticed
peculiar commotion outside my cabin, |
which was just forward of the stewards
pantry. About four bells, as the wheel |
changed hands, / heard sounds of laugh |
ter, and on ascending to the deck / found
old Neptune seated on a throne that had
been improvised for the occasion from
boxes covered with sailcloth. His majesty |
was perched on coil of new rope and the |
"old woman sat complacently by his |
side, occasionally squirting fine jet of to- |
bacco juice on the tarpaulin beneath her. |
The sergeant-d arms of this marine court |
looked suspiciously like Boston Ben, our |
boatswain; but as his face was plentifully |
bedaubed with .ermillion and black |
streaks, the principal resemblance be- |
tween them was confined to a long scar on
board glimmer.
Bring on Their SUPER" roared his
majesty, and felt myself seized from be-
hind by two pair of strong arms and blind
folded. My next sensation was that of be-
ing carried up riclkety platform, where |
was released after having my hands tied
behind me.
"Phawts yer name?" asked the voice OF
old Neptune.
Not knowing what might be the result if
l refrained from answering, I opened my
mouth and essayed to reply. AS conse-
quence, had my mouth stopped with
plug of oakum saturated with soap and
pepper.
Their divars doomb. Shure, he can't
talk troo his whiskers. Figaroo, We spal
peen, come here wild yer moog an razZer.
Phawt dye name, yer yeller landswop, ter
be coomin' ter soy yer faithur widout yer
pinnacle scraped! Bad cess ter We fur
er Crane tarrur, ov OF don't think yer
Arthur nadin' shompo."
A shout Of merriment arose from those
OF the crew who stood by, for in as little
time as it takes to tell it, the barber had
smudged my face with tar-brush and
given me two rakes with razor made
from the hoop of a harness cask; and no
sooner was this operation ended when my {
hat was removed, and on being replaced
on my head an avalanche of dirty lather {
spread itself through my hair The soapy {
extract trickled down my forehead beneath '
my bandage and filed my eyes. Between
the pepper in my mouth and the soap .Sssmy
eyes was nearly frantic; but as my &hds 6
were securely tied could not help sAEelf,
and each breath Inhaled half stran A me !
with pepper. l felt coarse fingaY nst
in my mouth, and the oakum plug Wa RE l
m just in time to prevent my ivy; Eow-
"Where war We barn?" quests 5nes: NJ !
woolly mouthed tyrant. al II
Any attempt to reply would pve.s ,e9n
drowned in stream Of water that ,:Sflek
my face at the time. The water AFFORDED ..
much needed relief for the space of hgf a
minute. The next instant after recov- s.
cred my breath heard my tyrant say: ;
Misther Super is afther falin er little ,
phaint, docther; havre yees e'er err pill :
erbout yer ganzy?n 9
Aye, aye, yer honor" said a voice :