Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-12-30

~ '"iioIs' VINO are thinking
OF the Nancy Lee in the states and
singing "shanties" every time tbev
haul on a rope that was Glad
enough to go below and rest alone
until my watch on deck commenced
The passage through the Mediter
ranean was dull and tiresome moth
ing happening to break the monot.
ony OF the voyage, simply showing
the silent Arabs what TO do oo
speaking to tell them was O waste of
time and breath. Four hours at q
time to spend with these pieces of
sullen, silent machinery and four be-
low of dreading for the next four on
deck. After the towering and threat.
ening rocks of Gibraltar are passed
we have the broad expanse of the
western ocean las the sailors term the
Atlantic) spread out before us like a
big race track, and commenced TO
feel more contented. Europe is be.
hind, and home is just a few days
away at best, just over there, until
can almost smell the fresh earthly
breezes coming out to welcome us.
| had noticed for day or two the
men in my watch standing around
i'll groups talking mysterious. y when
not engaged, and sometimes their
conversation became quite animated,
as one could see by the wild expires
sions on their faces and peculiar
gestures. For week this kept up
and seemed to be melted mostly by
a big, burly, rawboned fellow, with
long arms and long. bonv finger
nails, which looked more like
DEVILS claws than a human hand.
He would shake his head wildly,
making the large gold rings suspend
ed from his ears dangle like big pen
dulums. l would invariably put
them to work at something to break
up these communions, but finally
they left off very reluctantly and
cast such menacing glances at me
that l told the first mate of the oc.
currences when he came on deck to
relieve me. He seemed a little sur
prised and told me that the same had
been the case with the men in his
watch.
After talking the matter over
awhile and reaching no conclusion
went below to catch little sleep be-
fore the night commenced, for it was
nv eight hours out that night. Dur
ing my first watch at night, the
wind being steady, there was but lit
tie to do and the talking was re-
sumed, and during the morning
watch, A to s o'clock, not only my
watch assembled to converse, Dut
also about half the starboard watch
remained on deck, but kept well up
forward and spoke in whispers. AL
three bells those of the starooaru
watch who had turned IN were
called by their comrades, and the en-,
fire crew came marching aft, headed
bv the long fingered, villainous look
ing agitator of my watch and SIM,
liar one from the starboard watcn'
They marched up to the break OF the
poop, halted and the two ieaaerS
came up to speak to me- =,
"Us no go no more far away SAD
the long fingered man and pose1
himself for an answer. | pretended
not TO understand, but he repeated II
over and over again, growing more
emphatic with each repetition, ,
called the skipper and first mate ana
told them of the crew being ait ana
what they had said. They @ poIh
came on deck, and again the reIuSal
70 nroceed was repeated to them
The skipper asked them why and ISL IN
vow broken and disconnected Eng
hsh the spokesman explained thaI
had tbev known the vessels cargo
wos the bones Of their own peopie
being carried away to a lar countts ll Il, y
70 he Ground into pulp to restore tne
STRENGTH to exhausted earth they
would never have shipped, They con con
s;dered it a sacrilege desecra'ion, !
ond demanded that not onl y shoulu
the t shin return them safely nome,
bnt I should discharge the cargo alter @:
,.aocbing uU Alexandria again. Thelr
barangre was long and tlreSone,
nnnctuated by shrugs, gestures anu anu
grimaces, and their conclusions "'l'
definite. oo,ad
The skipper and first mate aIst'ee I5to,l
ord threatened, but they were aetei, .1a
~ o',ined and refused to bulge untll the
nhin was bouted and headed 10,
t tha sailing port. The skipper ordere1 r,,.
them to "turn to-" The men w.. wen !
forward, held consultation lot tha
sbort s time and then sprang mto .nt u,
s;iU z,ir,~ing like cats and stripped her OF
every thread of canvas Inelo s the %e
Hr1 low for the entire day, rolling IN u" .n'
10y troo,ch of the swell under the PTies, ', ;
The Ies skipper stamped the poop oI ptaniD nhT : !
aad,nap nnG swearing and Threatening
.,nt;I he was hoarse, but the nea a
thans % never relaxed, nor did they cav. cav
The long, lonesome night was soSInsd SIoa
as So the day, and morning daw4H, :. n.
on,v az Ito to find them back again, as '1' y
oniy " ,ooornine. demanding u