The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-03-04
NEAR DEATHS DoOR.
nn J. shermnn Bristol.

and rolling through the heavy seas o
 the Atlantic. The regular pulsation
 of the engine were broken by the ter
 rife whirring of the immense screw al
 she lifted her stern high out of water
 while the big leviathan of the deel quivered from stem to stern from tht
 huge, 6oam-crested seas as they brokt
 over her bows. l looked out of thu window--it was pitch dark and tho wind howled through the rigging witt low moaning To read was impossi | ble, to write even more so, and in sheel desperation betook myself down into | the hold to watch the huge pistons O.
 the engine drive up and down in cease | less rhythm. As I stood by the doors O
 the engine room and watched the grea
 steel monster at his herculean task could not help reflecting what an i'm
 portant part the engine played in thu destinies of those on board. This mar
 vicious mass of mechanism must be con
 trolled by man ready for any emer
 gency and quick to act. A broken cyl
 finder head; cracked shaft, unless
 promptly attended to, might result 1T
 the disablement of the vessel and enc
 in tale of shipwreck. The chief en.
 gineer sat on a leather cushioned seal
 opposite his charge. and gazed intently
 at the machinery before him. II
 seemed as though his quick eye took in
 every motion of the great pistons. He
 was stoutly built, had sharp gray eyes
 an equiline nose, while his prominent
 cheek bones confirmed my opihion-he
 was undoubtedly a Yankee. The most
 singular thing about him was his sil-
 very white hair. Across his forehead a
 deep red scar ran slantwise till it
 reached his right eyebrow, where it
 ended. He was not an elderly man, and
 taking into consideration his white hair
 and that deep red scar, it was not un-
 reasonable to suppose he had met with some great reverse or frightful acci-
 dent He suddenly shifted his gaze from the engine and caught sight of me standing in the door way. Wont you come in and take a peep at the ma- chinery, sir?" he asked politely. thanked him for his kind invitation, and taking a seat alongside my new ac- quaintance, offered him a cigar, which he accepted, and after lighting it, sat pulling away with a very meditative expression on his sharp features. You are an American I presume?" I asked by way of opening up the conversation. You hit the nail on the head that time,' he replied. T am. I was born in New Milford, Conn, and can claim that none but Yankee blood flows in my veins" Pardon my curiosity, sir" I said, but may 1 ask if you have not met with some terrible accident, some tremendous shock, to produce such sill very hair in one so young2" And also to receive a scar of this description. he added, pointing to the deep red gash on his forehead, which I had felt was too delicate matter for allusion. And even as he spoke he shuddered, as if the recollection Of that fearful event. whatever 1t may have been, came back to him fresh and vivid. "As I said bel fore" he suddenly remarked, T was born in New Milford, and. at the early age of nineteen came Ito New York in search of employment, swhere, after around for some time, I at last got job stoking coal on board of ! Savannah liner. You may be sure the work was not easy, but as I had found q friend in the person of the chief angineeE who had shown me many points in regard to the mechanism of he engine, my plans were laid for thd 'uture, and I thought of nothing else put of that day when I should become l full fiedged engineer myself, to quit he black stoker's hold forever. One of | he stokers who took his turn with me vas called simply Bill what his other lame was none were able to find out. | Cross, morose, sulIen, and shunned by Ill the crew, he made himself generally | and lost no opportunity of | me. He could afford to bullyI ne, as his frame was gigantic with muscles in proportion, To see him tripped to the waist, the red glare of he furnace lighting up his coarse, cru 1 face; his powerful knotted arms, unched with muscles, heaying in great hovelfuls of coal as though 1t were hild's play; the great hairy chest ris- ng and falling with every exertionsl Tas a. sight calculated to instill fear nto the bravest heart among us. Un-
 apply, Bill loved the same girl that III lNls koilS WOIhEQ Oli llle DOdL dS dSSlSl-'i mt stewardess, and her small feet, del- ,ate white hands, refined face and ldy-like address, showed her to be very luch above the menial position which he occupied. Why Bill should ever
 ave had the faintest hope of her re- urning his uncouth attentions is more han I can imagine for what with his urly ways, ugly vtsage and coarse lan- uage, he was hardly what a girl of Iary's type would wish for. Bill had oticed, with great chagrin, my atten-
 ons to her, and the smiles with which he accepted them. I could see his row darl1en and his eyes glitter omin- usly when I uttered her name in his resenee. One night as Bill and wefe] l the hold, neither saying a word, heI lddenly strengthened up and said, "Il ear you and Mary is goin' to git mar
 ed" "Well, Bill" I replied good na- lredly, You know more about it than do then."Y 'Now see here, yer young ss, yer can't fool me that ere way.
 ow I gives yer fair warnin, " he al-
 ost hissed "Ef yer interferes atween e an Mary I'll kill ye! by God I will! { Thy, cuss ye! Yer hain't got no busi- ess with the gal! An when yer heads ,oke don't lay it to nothin' but yer own ,olishness, an above. all things, don't ly I didn't warn vel "I'd like to ,ovv mIat ripht yoI1 have tn beru I l