The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-06-26
CAPTAIN JONES.


everywhere tasted in the atmosphere of the
darksome wooden cave The seven men
were seated, not on morocco chairs or vel
vet sofas, but on rude boxes, whose lids
were scored by the cutting up of cake to-
bacco There were one or two pillars or
stanchons in this gloomy wooden cave
from which dangled several oilskin coats
and oilskin leggins, and under the cell
ing hung a number of bags called ham
mocks, with here and there ragged blan-
ket peeping over the edge, or an old shoe
showing through the meshes. In the
midst of the ceiling was a square hole
called a hatch, down which this day there
floated very little daylight, owing partly
to the hatch being small and partly to the
sky being overcast with clouds.
Had those seven men seated in this in
terror been closely shaver, and had they
been appareled in we'll washed colored
shirts, sleeved waistcoats, comfortable
trousers and caps with naval peaks, they
would have passed as d harmless, respecta-
bic body of seafaring men-persons who
would say mum" to a lady when ad-
dressed by her, and answer intelligently
and respectfully when asked about the
weather. But as they now sat they looked
as sulky and wild a set of fellows as one
could imagine, strangely and fearfully at
tired, grimy of face and hairy, booted with
| half Wellingtons and belted in Mapping
fashion, and timid people would have
thought that they carried a murderous
air because each man wore a sheath upon
his hip, in which lay a very sharp blade.
The wooden cave in which these men sat
rose and fell as though it were the extreme
end of a long board violently seesawed,
and this motion, combined with the smell
of the fumes of the slush fed lamp and a
vapor rising out of a small tub of boiled
pork, not TO mention other odors such as
might be produced by well worn newly
CREASED sea boots, bedding which bad made
several voyages round the world, sooty
clay pipes, old ropes, stale salt water and
many mysteries of malodorouS commodi-
ties slowed below in the hold and forepeak,
must instantly have upset the stomach of
any landsman who out of curiosity should
have put his head into the little hatch to
see what was inside of it.
This cave was indeed a ships forecastle,
but the seven men who sat in it were mar
liners who had for many years been tossed
by the various oceans of the world, and
could not possibly have been made seasick,
even though they should have been offered
handsome reward to try. One of them
was large, strong man, with a shaggy
head of hair and beard like rope yarus
He looked as though he had taken a
header and come up again to blow crowned
with seaweed. This strong man suddenly
and with a sulky fury of gesture whipped
the knife out of the sheath that was
strapped 10 his hip, and plunging it into
lump of pork lifted the horrid block into
the air, and cried cut:
Here it Is aginp'
AS he pronounced these words the little
square of hatch was obscured by the inter-
position of a mans body
'The smell of that there pork" said the
voice belonging to the body in the hatch,
is something to sit upon, something
strong enough to lean agin. Why, a man
might turn to and chop them fumes into
first class bunk boards Talk o. strength"
Come below, cookI'' baWled one of the
seven men.
No, I've got to see to the capt'n's dinner
But Pia of We if there's to be trouble.
When | signed it was for whites, and dry
bottom, and ships company. Pump,
pump, and nothen to eatl Nothen to eat
and pump, pumpl Here's logic as don't
tally with this covey's reckoning for one"
And the man. violently shifting himself
upon the breast, disappeared.
The powerful sailor who had held the
pork a3oft white the cook discoursed shook
1t Off the blade into the tub again and spat.
Its about time" said he, that all hands
was agreed"
"All hands is agreed" said one of the
sailors, "'cepting that blooming Dutch
man, Peter. But if he don't come into it
it'h be a bad job for one of us if, on some
dark night, him and me happens to be
aloft together"
THAT there Peter" said a sailor, "was
a-boasting TO me that he'd ha' shipped for
pound a month. Dye know he'd eat
shipntate's shirt if by so doing he thought
be would arm a shilling by saving his al
lowance."
This is sweet meat for Peter" said one
of the seven, pointing TO the pork, land a
pound month is good money to Peter;
and II Peter and the likes of him could get
their way, then if We wanted TO see what
sort of man an English sailor looked like
ye'd have TO ask the master of the fust
workhus as hove in sight to show We him"
What q blazing fool a fellow makes of
himself when he goes to seaF' exclaimed
man With red hair and a broken nose II
might ha' been market gard 'ner had |
Ssaid ashore. Think of thati What did
run away for? For the likes of this for a
parior," said he, waving his hand round
the forecastle, land for the likes of yon,"
pointing TO the hammock, "for a bed, and
the likes OF that muck, ;" he added, pointing
to the pork, "as meal. But no growling's
allowed. Eo, mol Tell 'em that picked
dog amt pork and that wermin amt
ships bread and you're taken before the
magistrate and committed and locked up
and left 10 rot, whilst the blooming Dutch
men are getting all the jobs, because
picked dog ID them Is pork and wermin a
relish" He struck his fist heavily upon
the chest on which he sat and fastened his
eyes upon his huge knuckles while he
turned them about, as though he were in
specting sample OF coal
No use keeping all on grunting," e1- |
claimed a quiet looking seaman, address
lnG the others over his folded arms. |
WHAT'S to be the horder of ole dayg"
"A bust up" answered the strong man, |
who bore the nickname OF Black Sam. |
Here we are. sixteen days out, two hands |
overheard, and not enough men by six able /
seasnen TO work the ship. vessel making |
water and requiring 70 be pumped every /
roS-T- IyfS2z7S, tncz,r NJ 20 r16Ec w1IUure IN /
ships bread old and woru1y, and the rest /
OF US mems stores shop sweepings Now
this being so Pm agoing to knock of work.
for one"
And me for another
And me for another" went in growl
from mouth TO mouth
There's the mate and there's the car
penter," continued Black Sam. IF the
"a pr n can work the ship with them two.
well and good But Peter he shau't have
kather than that cnss of a Dutchrnan |