The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-07-18

imploringly rs they swept past again.
I'VE can't manage the engines.
Put her round again., said the
mate. "I'll go for him with tho boat.
Haul her i'll, boyl"
The boat, which was dragging astern,
was hauled close, and the mate tumbled
into her, followed by tho boy, just as
the captain was i'll the middle of an
other circle, to the intense Indignation
Of crowd of shipping, large and small,
which was trying to get by.
"Ahoy!' yelled the master of q tug
which was towing Il large ship '"Take
that steam roundabout out of tho way.
What the thunder are you doing?"
Picking up my engineer, replied
the captain as he steamed right across
the others bows and nearly ran down a
sailing barge. the skipper of which, IA
Salvation Army man, was nobly fight
ing with his feelings.
"Why don't you stop?" he yelled.
Cos l can't" walled tho skipper
of the Bulldog rs no threaded his way
between huge steamer and schooner,
who, in avoiding him, wero getting up
little collision on their own account.
Alloy. Bulldog. ahoyr' called tho
mate Stand by to pick us up! We've
got him.
The skipper smiled in an agonizcd
fashion as he shot past, hotly pursued
by his boat The feeling OH board of the
other craft rs they got out of the way of
tho Bulldog and nearly ran down her
boat, and then i'll avoiding that nearly
ran down something else, cannot be put
into plain English, but several captains
venturcd into tho domains of tho orna-
mental with marked success.
Shut off steam! yelled tho engineer
as the Bulldog went by again. "Draw
the fires then
WHO'S going to steer while do it,"
beloved the skipper as he left the
wheel for II few seconds to try to get n
line to throw to them.
BY this time the commotion in the
river was frightful, and the captains
steering rs he went on his round again
something marvellous to behold. A
strange lack of sympathy OH the part
OF brother captains added to his trou-
bles- Every craft he passed had some
thing to say to him, busy rs they were.
and the remarks wero rs monotonous rs
they wcro insulting. At last, lust as
he was resolving tn run his boat straight
down the river until he came to n halt
Tor want of steam, the matc caught the
rope ho flung, and the Bulldog went
down the river with her boat made fast
to her stern
Como aboard, you-you lunatic!" he
shouted
Not aforo knows 'ow stand, said
tho engineer, who was now beautifully
sober and i'll full possession of some.
what acute intellect.
What do you mcan?" demanded the
skipper.
Il don't come aboard" shouted the
engineer, until you and the mate and
tho bye all swear as You won't say moth
ing about this littlc game"
iii report you the moment 1 get
ashore. " roarcd the skipper. "I'll give
You i'll charge for desertion. Pip
With supreme gesture the engineer
prepared to dive, but the watchful mate
fell OH his neck and tripped him over
sent.
Come aboard, " cried the skipper,
aghast Mt such determination. Come
49, ,NANA i "a saw sou ~ WITCH
we get ashore instead
Honor bright" inquired tho engi-
neer
How bright" choruscd the three.
Tho engineer, with all tho honors of
war. came OH board, and after remark
ing that he felt chilly bathing OIL an
empty stomach went down below and
began to stoke. In the course of the
voyage he said it was worth while max
ing such a fool of himself, if only to sec
the skippcr's beautiful steering, warm
ly asscvcrating that there was not an
other man on the river that could have
done 1t. Before this insitlious flattcrv
the shippers wrath melted like snow
before the sun, and by the time they
reached port he would rs soon have
thought of hitting his own father as his
smooth tonSucd engineer w. w.
Jacobs in Short Stories.