The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-05-20
SNAKES, THE MAN
0'WARSMAN
: Copyright 1851
A California Story.

WIS sltblpR oHS tnoEuluS oubSAuS
Shanghai Browns boarding house on
Battery street, San Francisco, when the
runner came TO me and said / tnust 60
to the shipping office at once, as he had
a ship for me, and she was going to
sign that very day. 1t was, in the
words OF the sailors' shanty, "John get
up and Jack sit down." for my money
was clean done by their reckoning,
which knew wouldn't bear inspection.
But when a seaman falls into the
clutches of an American boarding
house keeper he has to do what he is
told, unless he has any sort OF yearn-
ing to be battered out Of the shape of u
man by crowd OF professional DULLES
they always keep on hand for such
jobs. So up got, knowing it was a
case, though | had been promised job
on the coast, and this was a deep water
man. And American wind-iammers are
not my choice when have any.
This vessel was barque OF about
eight hundred tons, called the "Ring.
dove" Captain White, bound for
Manila in ballast for cargo Of sugar,
and it was certainly better than going
round the Horn as l had reckoned they
would send me. So took my dun.
mage, and made up my mind to be as
contented as possible, and to take care
when got back to let no more board
,tng.house masters put their. claws into
my hair and hide again.
The crew OF the "Ringdove" consisted
Of eight able seamen, beside tho usual
crowd OF idlers, that is the cook and
the steward, who were Cinnamon, and
the carpenter. We carried no bos'n
for the second mate shipped as bos'n
aa we'll That Same evening we went
on board and at dawn hove up the an
Choir and got under way. When VIC
crossed the bar we lot go the tug, and
were soon bowling away under all sail
for Manila,
My shipmates were not bad lot OF
men to get along with, aud the captain
and mates did not appear to BIO of the
usual buii-dozing, hazlng set that most
American officers are. But when we
were u few days out we soon began to
SEQ that tho skipper was addicted to
drink, as many masters are, for though
they must have character for sobriety
to pass as skippers, after they have
their tickets and are ut sea, there is
nothing to control them.
But apart from this failing there was
not much wrong with the old man, and
it did not matter to us forward, though,
OF course, it put more work and respon-
sibility on the other officers. What
soon concerned lis in the fore'sle was
that one OF our shipmates turned out
to DO something not little awkward,
and this was Joe simns, who had been
in the navy,
He was strong. thin man Of nearly
fifty, with very black hair and deepest
black eyes; and he was uncommenly
strong and well up to doing hundred
little things about the ship, especially
in the way OF ornament, that few OF US
knew. But like other old navy hands
he did not care very much for real
work They can always have two men
there TO carry a snatchblock, aud they
are apt to take II very easy when they
can. Like old men O. warsmen, too, he
was as full OF yarns as bolt rope, and
he spun US real cauikers, somc as Bob
Silver said, which took u double Span.
ish burton with the fall to a steam
winch To hoist into any man; for he
know all about the navy and We next to
nothing. So he had O fair chance. But
II wo ever threw any doubt on his
twiaters, though they might be obvtoua
lios, he would Just shut up like n jack
knife aud retire to a quiet spot where
ho would stay muttorng to himself TOR
for hours together There was some.
thing very strange about him over and
above this.
Being In the staFboaFd watch, while
Joe was in the port, had not noticed
his tricks so much, but ono night, on
boing relieved from tho wheel at four
bells in the middle watch, Bob Silver
stopped mo at tho main fife rail as ]
was going forward.
Don't go dawn, just yet, Jack,
want to have yarn with you about
aomething," no said.
await till l fill my Pipe, Bob" an
swcred ''and then you can yarn for the
rest OF tho watch, II you like"
So went below to got my pipe and
tobacco When l got back Bob wNt
seated in tho main hatch, and snt
down by him.
"Now firo AWAY, old man, am listen,
ing
you 10 to 70 into the iore'slo again, aud
see II eimms Ia asleop or not.
what tho thunder iorP lie
couldn't hear Us here oven II ho wore as
WIDE awake as u cat at q rat.hole."
'Npver you mind" no replied, OBJ
atinately, chats not what l was think
ing about You 10"
And to satisfy him / wont, l found
Simms wide awake.
"IlO isn't asleep" lgaid, when got
back.
Silver caught mo by the shoulder, abt
spoke In ON awed whisper
mo, old man, and what's, moro he
never iap
"Thaps tommy rot Bob. Tho mar
must alOep sometime"
''Most mon musL Whispered he, atar.
ingat niO, "bat have watched him ioi