The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-03-19

Barrett.
Schools. Bible classes and frequent
prayer-meetings, SIR" answered the doctor.
Don't educate them," said Lieutenant
Chimmo. They're very bad now; educa-
tion'll make them worse''
"Pm with Gimme" said Captain Barrett.
| Doctor, III wager you what you Will that
the worst of your people are those who are
most intelligent and best educated"
The doctor made no answer
~ must state this as a fact" said Captain
| Sutherland with side look at the doctor,
as Though distrusting his topic; ''Mr. Bates.
my chief officer. recognized one Of the con-
| victs. His name"-the doctor made a mo-
| tiOn with his hand. "Well enough If say"
exclaimed the captain stammering, that
| this same man Is person of excellent ante
cedenlS. was for years at sea and held sew
| eral posts OF trust, and finally wound up q
| Furnishing career by Investing his savings
| In smart little bark for no other purpose
than to scuttle her that he might pocket
| about triple the amount of his venture IN
| insurance money"
heard this and my heart turned hot as
fire. l longed 10 walk up to Captain
| Sutherland, look him in the eyes and call
| him beast and liar. No one observed Inc.
| which was lucky. / was conscious that my
! face worked with agitation and that my
| cheeks were red with the blood which the
captains lie had driven into my head. At
! this point the steward babe me carry a
basket of dirty dishes to the galley, and l
stepped out with my burthen on 10 the
quarterback
The evening was black and the wind wet,
| and it swept athwart the bulwark rail with
a shrek aud the bite of forest. Over the
lee rail the seas ran from the ship in pale,
| cloudy heaps. Occasionally the brine dashed
the forecastle like a showering of small
shot, and again and again you would feel
! the blow of a sea on the bow striking the
| ship before size could rise, and the viii e
water of 1t was flashed back into the dark
| wind, though the Kissing body came like a
thunder squall an Instant later. soaking tue
decks till the scuppers sobbed again.
| l staggered along with the basket of crock
| cry, and passing the sentry slipped and
| Sided forward through the convicts' in-
| closure till / came to the ships galley. A
| number OF sPamen were gathered under the
| lee Of this place. The red fire of the stove
| illumiD ated the fat figure Of tie cook as he
| stood pointing piece of paper to tile flame
| of The lamp to light his pipe. Another fell
low was busy at kind Of dresser. Against
| the closed weather door leaned the boat
| swain with folded arms and an Inverted
| pipe hetwXt his lips. 1t was q hot, snug,
| mellow interior to look in upon after the
| cherries scene of the decks and the leaning
and waving heights of dim canvas above.
80 they've found work for you, hey ?"
| said the bOatswain giving ME large cd.
! Yet you'd better ha' stopped at home"
| who's thiS?" said the cook.
| THE yUungster MS found rolled up in q
spare iEalan's'l," answered the bOatswaln.
! They're going To keep him in the land O.
knives and forks"
And you'd rather be waiter than a
| steward, joey Pr said the cook with a greasy
! chuckle. Il don't blame you. It's all night
| In with US oilers, and warm blankets bet
| ter than lee caring. amt it, Mr.. Balls?
But what's brought the covey 10 ship In this
| here cOnvick barge"
what ha' you got there?" said the fellow
al the dresser.
DIRTY plates" said l.
This man, who was the cooks mate, who
| had but one eye, and whose cast of face was
| certainly more VllainOu9 than any Of the
| felons l had watched taking their exercise
that day. put his head out of the galley door
| and exclaimed, Fire that there steward I!
| Here's n Eallows' lookout O. dishes. If that
| there perishin' Stiles could foul SIX plates
| stead O. wan he'd dot TO spite me-" He
continued to gTumblc hideOusly, and
! backed away from his ugly tongue and
| uElier face and walked toward the cuddy,
| but slowly, and holding on as l went, for
the decks were steep and greasy, aud the
| ship was taking the seas in quick angry
| Jumps.
AS passed through the quarterback bar
ricade my elbow was touched, and VIII ac-
costed me.
II am going to bounce a mattress out OF
| the steward for you, Marian" said he, but
as no more lies than can be helped must be
! told, follow me-"
|
He LED me little way along the deck and
then crossed 1t to where a man was stand
| ing under the shelter Of one Of the quarter
| boats.
Here's this stowaway lad asked me 10
| help him to a mattress, sir" he exclaimed
They We given him bunk in the steeTage,
| but there's nothing in it TO lie upon"
He deserves the cat for hiding aboard
| US" answered the man, who was indeed
| Mr.. Bates, the first mate What have they
| n nf
| Hes cuddy bUttle-washer, SIR
/ What's brought you to sea, you young
! fool?"
IL want to get to Tasmania, SIR"
! why didn't You concern yourself in
! some riot, or turn Irish politician: they'd
! have clothed aud bedded aud fed, and sent
| you across handsomely, and perhaps have
| fitted you with good berth ashore at the
end -; instead. you start as a sneak, ana no
| doubt you'll come home as sneak.
| Matiress-mattress- got nothing TO do
| with that. SHIFT for yourself and be- off"
/ went on 10 the quarterback, wondering
| what on earth VIII meant by taking me to
! the mate as though to provoke him to abuse
me. Before l entered the cuddy my cousin
| was al my elbow; you will remember that
| it was very dark and nobody but the sentry
| was gu the quarterback.
ITS all right" SAID he eagerly. "Pll
manage it now. Walt a bit. You must
have bed to lie on, you know. Don't take
| to heart what the mate says. It's his duty
to growi at you, but as man he's sound to
! the heels"
They were stnl at table in the cuddy. 1t
| was hard to realize that the vessel was a
! prlson-ship when you looked at this bright
! rich interior with its soft yellow lamps
! flashing under the skyllShts and the look
| inE-glasses redupllcating the sparkling ard
| hOsptsble furniture Of the table. 1t was
| like passing from another state of life 10
| enter this brightness and warmh from the
| wet and nipping biackneSs outside, with
the grim dark cioaked figure of the
! sentry, the barricades the blackness
and silence of the sentineled MAMMA teh.
| he steward sent me to the pantry to
| wash glasses, and | went with his assistant
a fellow named Franz or Frank young
| German. l had not before known him for a
| German; believe | had not heard him
! speak. He was a freck led, gin ger-coi Ored
| But he was g0Od-temperPd and willing, and
| when we were in the pantry washing
| glasses lie said that he hoped we should be
friends. | answered it would not be my
fault if we were not good friends. On this
he shook hands with me and asked If was
ever in Germany. He wished to know why
| had slowed myself AWAY in this convict
ship and if had friends in Tasmania.
81 need not have hidden" said l; my
| friends are we'll to do"
Dot 1 can believe" said he. polishing
! tumbler and closing one eye while he held
| il to the lamp. You Yhas a young gentle
| man-dot l hear in your voice. Maybe you
| vhas more of gentleman dan some dot We
waits on. How do you like Mr.. Stiles p"
| naming the steward.
''He is a funny man"
"How vhas he funny?" said he.
He made YOU laugh heartily when he
| talked to me-"
dot vhas to please him. For my part"
he shrugged his shoulders. He then in
| quired II l had agreed for any wages, and
| expressed sorrow that we were not to share
a berth. Il likes 10 make you my chum-
| dot Is der worthwhile We vhas togedder."
| Presently the steward called to us, aud
| when l entered the cuddy [ found Mr..
| Bates at table and the captain and officers
| gone. Mr.. Bates was very quick with his
| dinner; he had charge of the deck; | be-
| lieve ne was not above ten minutes in dis
| patching his meal He took no notice of
| me. When he WAS gone / hnlnad The two