The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-11-29

a belayin pin in his hand, snortin like
a porpoise. why don't ye speak a
ship afore ye board her?'' says he. cuss-
IN awful. and then he threw up his
hands and dropped the pin.
My God, forgive mep' he says tits
Bill Marlin. -
"What eff 'tis?'' says Bill, gettin on
his pins. mighty sore and put out. what
sort of id blue nosed sea lawyer
of a-walkin ghost be you anyway to
shoot up out of a wreck and nigh slzeer
the life out o. two honest sailormen often
a raft, and them swamped and starvin?
I'm a fo'castle cat stuck in tar eff
didn't think better o. you, Lige Haw-
kins, = and with that they fell a-foul Of
each other, waltzin all over the deck,
and while they was at 1t the Kanal1er
sailOrman walked his black legs out Of
the ompanionway and began to dance
around the two.
''Today's the day, . says Bill, punchin
Lige in the chest and gettin the Boston
newspaper out of his oilskins- There's
the governors proclamation. Read it. -
''Well, I'm d--dI', says Lige, 1eerin
at it upside down
After Bill shook hands with the Kama
lzer man from the guano ship he intro
duced me all round and explained to
Hawkins how we had left the Nancy
and how we had refused to 20 on board
the ship for Liverpool the night before.
BY that time the sun was lightin up
Hawkins bald head. and he a-gapin at
Bill, wish his breeches in his hand,
which the Niger had brought to him
NOW, . says Bill. "what be you lay
in here for, Lige Hawkins, and what's
become of the skipper and the crew of
the LightfOOt?''
wv hat am [ layin here for?'' says
Hawkins. 4 m awaitln for ship into
Boston The old man and the rest O. the
hands went aboard a bark bound into
Bristol two weeks ago, and wanted me
to go along with them, bat I told EN-
I'd see 'em ID first, hevin a date
with a shipmet in New Bedford on the
'Merican coast -
cit into yer toys. says Bill.
We've got a chest full of plumduf and
grog aboard the raft. /"
The Lightfoot was loaded with wool
and some light merchandise, and when
the crew left her Hawkins said the sea
was SO rough the skipper expected her to
swamp, and it was all they could do to
get of the men There was no lack Of
provisions and stores on board, and the
Kanaker man and I turned in and did
the cookin and Bill nailed the govern
or's proclamation to the mizzenmast
Business is business, . says Bill.
Whats the bloomin cargo worth,
Liges''
"Nothin where she lays, " says Haw-
kins, sorreyfuL If we had her into
port, she'd be good for 500, 600 It's a
pity, Bill, so tbs. but there ain t a yard
of canvas onto 'er.
THAT u be $50, 600 apiece, allowin
four lays into 'er share and share, - says
Bill
WAL. = says Hawkins, what Of it?',
"Nothin, says Bill "only I've
brought along two mainsails and yer
far q sticks. =
And with that the two went down
the fore chains onto the raft.
BY dinner time they had got a new
set of sails onto the mizzenmast, hoist
ed the chest on board and laid their
plans for riggin light canvas forward
and takin the prize into New York. all
of which we afterward did.
When we sat down to the spread on
deck, besides the plumduf and the
erog, we had soup and salt junk and
marmalade and coffee, and Bill said,
considerin Of what we'd gone through
and what we had before Us. he'd be will
in TO give small lay into the cargo
for a sea parson to say grace onto the
grub
When we had cleared the board, we
brought out the pipes and bacy from
the chest, and al hands lowed we had
plenty to be thankful for
s'I'm plain sailorman, = says Bill
Marlin, land a 70 heave no. but when
makes date with shipmet I'm goin
for to keep 1t if SO be can, and the same
for Lige Hawkins from New Bedford
town. and 3 20 heave no. heaVe no "