The Bessemer indicator., 1893-09-16


When was little over II shipped
, from this port on vessel well known
to Philadelphians, particularly the
Younger ones, says Times writer.
hadn't been aboard her two hours
when got it straight that had best
give wide sheer to Mr.. Andrews.
i the mate for he'd give u man double
duty for nothing at all. sock him IN
the brig for half as much and, when
his hellishness took that bent, lam
him about with fists or feet or even
Delaying pins or anything his hand
came to. There were some pretty
black spots in his history. my mates
! told me, and one was OF man ned
laid out several years before on the
John f. Burton brig by knocking him
down and splitting his skull against
a ring-bolt The poor devil had come
athwart the ugly mates hawse by
being dumb about orders. Andrews
was tried and got off through lack OF
evidence against him, but you can
run up against sailormau to-day
who ever heard of the case but
what'll tell you the mute's mur-
derer
| was at the wheel one night in the
| first watch. The air was warm and
springy and the moon and stars
were out pretty bright except Tor
few scudding clouds with their bel
lies full of showers. About half an
hour after four bells, just US was
trying to whistle and think OF some
thing pleasant, the pucker came out
OF my lips and my heart plopped
down like sounding-lead when !
heard screams They were close by,
like they were under the vessels
counter sad, mixed with them, was
another sound like drowning
man gurgling in his throat and trying
to get out words that went the
wrong way
The noises stopped all of a sudden
looked into the eyes of man l knew
was not OF our crew, though he was
dressed like common sailor with a
brown Tam O'Shantcr on his head
and red shirt on. His position
was the queer thing though. /
couldn't see his feet and legs and his
arms seemed pressed close to his sides.
but the upper half of his body stuck
out from behind the mizzenmast at an
angle of almost forty-five degrees.
He had blue eyes. straggly, uncurried
looking whiskers, and very broad
shoulders. I'd pick him anywhere
for a North Scotsman. lie was look
ing straight at me with a sad. pitiful
expression and stood looking back
till | read in his eyes that he would
give the world to speak. but for some
reason couldn't But even then
wasn't satisfied there wasn't some
hokey-pokey going on. so | put the
wheel in beckets and went forward to
get Dan Blake, mate of my watch. to
take it for few minutes while
sauinted about. As ! went forward
the figure swung slowly round the
mast. keeping its eyes upon me till /
turned my back on it to speak to Dan.
] got him To take the wheel on an ex
cuse and climbed the rigging for q
squint down the mizzenmast but
when ! squinted the thing was gone
and neither it nor the noises came
again.
First thing next day had to slush
down the foretopmast. and. in going
up the rigging, | clumsily upset n
pint or so of oil on the freshly holy
stoned deck. The mate bore down
on me in jiry, cursing and damn
ing while cleaned the mess up He
kept it up as climbed the rigging
again, and yelled; "iou cursed
young son of someone, II you do that
again III brain ye"
I'm pretty patient but this was too
much for me, and, almost before l
could think what was doing, |
turned my bucket upside down and
dumped the whole business on the