The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1894-01-18

IL WA Battered and AntIauatrd. but
Struggled Hard Tor Existence.

ft Wa Battered aud Antiauatfd. bu,
Struggled Hard Tor Existence.
Captain Kay. a. we viii call him,
then IN command Of =. VI. :. s.. 81
anchor il Adan harbor. having been
three years on he Fast Indian station.
was clearing ont his cabin prior 10 L.
ing ordered home. and finding his Lon
don hat case opened it, and. as may
easily be credited, three years moth
and dampnoss had reduced it, tenant 90
a dilapidated condition, besides which
sundry pictures in illustrated journals
had made the gallant captain aware
that his once fashionable tile had been
superseded by "a shorter and more curly
brimmed dracription of the hatty genus.
Wanting in shape. color and condi-
ton. the captain said to his servant,
Throw it overheard. and overheard il
went, but was not got rid of, as events
quickly showed. One of the crew Of a
boat from the flagship coming from the
shore, espying the hat floating in the
water, picked II up, and seeing the
name inside the coyswain brought il
to the commander Of his ship, and he
sent il on board Captain hay's ship
with his compliments, thinking Of
course that it had fallen overheard by
accident.
Dash the hatI' said Captain Kay
here. chuck it overheard again, and
tell your commander I'm very much
obliged. and down he went TO his
cabin.
Two hours afterward the hat return
ed. looking sadly ont Of repair, with
Captain y. ) compliments. This time
il had been picked up by the boatkeepe.
in one of the boats lying astern of Cap
tain y. S ship. an American man-of-war
lying farther down Alden harbor. and
having been dried in the sun was sent
back to its proper ship and owner. Tell
Captain n. I'm very much obliged to
him, ;" said the now wrathful captain,
and the American officer departed.
"Confound the hat!" said Captain Kay.
"Ishall have TO ask N. to dinner. Here.
bring me shot or lump Of coal or
something else heavy" A lump OF
coal was produced. it was placed in
side. and by the captains directions the
hat was taken down the accommodation
ladder, carefully allowed TO fill with
water. and it sank!
We'll, I've seen the last OF that
blessed hat, said Captain Kay, ana
whistling cheerfully descended to the
cabin. but again he underestimated that
hats resurrective powers, for two days
afterward parcel arrived addressed to
Captain Kay, H. NJ. S. s." with
8 rupees 8 annas to pay. The money
/ paid, the parcel was opened, and inside.
looking still more disrepurable and dis
sipated, was the hat again, together with
a very civil note from the superintend-
ent of police. saying that one of the
! diving boys-and there are swarms of
them. as any one who has been in Aden
harbor knows-had found the inclosed
hat, which he saw from the name inside
belonged to Captain Kay, and as he
! knew Captain Kay would wish the div
ing boy 10 be rewarded for his honesty
he had presented him with a rupee.
which action he hoped would meet
with the captains approval. Police
station fees. rupee and boat hire. I
rupee 8 annas.
Then Captain Kay smiled graciously
at the hat, and he ordered big fire to
be lit in the stokehold. and when it was
very hot he took the hat below. and
having jumped ON it directed it to be
pushed into the hottest part of the fur
mace, and then he gloated ever its de-
struction. but even "a it crumbled to
ashes, Captain Kay, r. n, was seen
inside 10 the last