The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-02-09
\ FIGHT FOR LIFE.

81 that 1 have visited most parts al the
inhabited globe, leaving home sometimes
al a days notice. intending to he away for
months. and then as suddenly changing
my mind and returning home again. j
hate plans and arrangements made long
beforehand, and ] generally act on the
spur of the moment. Although this habit,
as the following story will show, has
sometimes placed me in awkward posi-
tions, yet. on the whole, I am none the
worse for my way of proceeding.
About 3Oyears ago ! suddenly left Lon
don i'm the height of the season ON one of
those unprcmcdittated voyages. was
weary of the eternal round of London life,
with its dinner parties, DANCES. and drums.
and 80 determined tai he Oft at once. not
caring much whcr, tai. so long as ] had
a. change.
Four days aftcrwarl ! found myself
seated AT the table d'hote of the Crocc de
Malta hotel at Genoa. But here. too, 1
was bored, and ! began To wonder what
had brought me. ] knew mo- one i'm the
place, and, hating Sightseeing. what was
I to do:
After dinner I lit my cigar and strolled
down tn the port, looked at the many
curious and varied craft packed together
in the basin. and watched the picturesque
groups of sailors from all parts of the
world.
While lounging about ! came. across "a
lot of rou~gh-looking Italian sailors,
dressed i'm blue jerseys and jclly-bag scar
IL ftIN- iIHy IitTtituttTty attTscteu bht.
for being "a bit of am artist 1 have AN eye
for color; So ] stood watching them for IA
minute or two, while they were talk
ing eagerly ,ogether,. and caught
! said before that ! am given to sud-
den IMPULSES. One of these now seized
, me island WhY ,o met go T 1%a yi~ S;n a1i nn hero s"d in
him personally, but ! had always heard
tina, lie liked Englishmen and received
ardent admircrs, and here was am oppor-
tunity of making his acquaintance and of
seeing his strange home.
thought of Garibaldi than of the man in
the moon, and now l found myself sud-
denly en9rpss.d by the idea, as If a visit
But how was it tn he managed? l walked
up and down for a minute or two think
ing, and then determined tn speak tai this
group of sailors. I am "a good Italian
scholar. 50 had no difficulty upon that
score. although sailors patois is rather
society.
Il approached the group and wished
myself tn a tall. Observation-Disclosures fellow
with "a long. shaggy black beard. I asked
him il he knew of any ship sailing for
Italians are "a very inquisitivc race. and
the fact that |. "a stranger, had spoke to
one of them, brought all the group who
had dispersed. close together To hear what
The man l had addressed. after looking
AT III ana then 1t utS tO11llbiln1D1lS, SsAIl.
A signore, il will he a difficult matter
to find a ship going tai Caprcra, for there
is but little trade with the island and il is
rather o.it OF the way FOR coastinH vessels.
! am only "a common sailor, hut here, ~
the ~'padronc' Bartolo; hc is the owner of
a. felucca which trades between Genoa
ana Leglorn he may perhaps liz. able tai
tell the signore what he asks. Eth, Bar
tolo, what do you say"
Bartolo. thus addressed. came. up to- me
with his hands i'm his trousers poc.cts and
~ pipe i'm his mouth. He was "a short. wiry-
looking man. with n black mustache and
"a dirty. unshavcn face He had II most
evil expression of ~countenanc,,, with "a
ssIuint in his rights eye. and when hc i'm
tended to smile he seemed rather to
frowu. Altogether the was about IA un-
met.
I repeated my question tn him.
WELL" he said. II don't often go to Ca
prera. for il isn't worth my while. but to-
morrow night ] am sailing for Lcglorn.
and az times ar, bad. il the signorc likes
tai make some ~rrangeneu Will me and
my cousin. who goes with mo, we might
manage To- leave our regular course and
land the signore on the island. hut | must
fir>t consult with him. a. he IL part owner
of the craft"
50 sent him oil for his cousin Ia "A neigh
boring wine shop and they soon returned
together. He was "a very different looking
man from Bartolo. and ! rather liked his
appearance IA tall, stout look ing sailor.
with n bland smile; but | noticed that he
was entirely under Bartolo's thumb. and
"well. here is Antonio said the latter.
"He thinks that we might accommodate
with the signore but the ship is not "a fine
vessel. so perhaps the signore had better
see her before he decides. True, il * but
"a short journey of twelve ar fourteen
hours. SO that a little discomfort will not
much matter, especially a., this
chance lost, il may bc some time
before another presents itself. OF
courss. the signore understands that we
are poor men and shall require some good
induceIneit To make us lose time by going
out of our way, but il the signorc will pay
,Is 100 lire tEii down and give us "A small
sbuona nano' ON arrival We will take
him."
The price did not seem extravauant, hut
IL Is ALWAYS necessary to bargain with
Italians or they take you for an '~'inlhscile'f
who can he easily robbed; so. bearing this
fact i'm mind. ] expressed establishment at
their asking so much, and told them il
was quite out of the question. At last.
after a deal of hagRling. he agreed that IL
next day I liked the look of the craft I
would pay them 30 lire down and give
them another 10 lire ON their landing me
safely AT Caprera.
II was now getting late. so We separated,
with the understanding that I was tn meet
Bartolo at the same place In the morning
at =.
was there at the appointed hour and
found him waiting for me-. His cousin, lac
said, had gone ON board and was getting
things in order, TAT they were to sail at q
that evening