The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-07

standing rigging and running gear was
made Of hemp, even down to the signal
halliards and the reef points in the jib.
Her hull was painted green on the outside,
she had painted ports and her inside bull
warks were the color of pea soup. There
was an after house for cabin, the top of
which was reached by pair of steps that
were dashed down when at sea, and we
lived under the t'gallant forecastle. 1t
was cold, wet place with no hunks. We
had to furnish our own hammocks and
those we slung overheard on each side the
keel of the boHsprit. Mine hung over that
portion of the anchor-chain that ran out
through the hawser-pipe. She was loaded
with coal and we were bound up the Medi-
terranean for Alicante, in Spain. We
kedged her out of the Butte docks the
morning before, anchored in the fats and
as the tide left US she settled herself into
muddy bed and lay there very comfortably
till she was foated by the food tide.
Her refusing to move when the tide re-
turned, till the water rose close up to the
scupper-holes, created some surprise and
no little amount of comment among the
Oldest of Us forward.
This yer craft pears to me to have no
life in her; she'd better shake herself
pretty soon, else we'll have to take to the
rigging" remarked a rusty-looking old fell
low, who had on canvas jumper.
"If it's a-goin' to be the riggin' here to
git out o. the tides way, wherell we go to
git out o. the way O. them short rollers as
topples over in the Bay O. BiscayT ex-
claimed another.
''Wait till we get there fust, won't yer?"
growled the first speaker, and he added :
'I've seen as big rollers in this yer blarsted
channel as l ever seed on Biscay, where
they's lot o. elbow room"
II never knowed yer whin ye wasn't
growlin'. Sawney, yer never happy only
when yer findin' FAULT"
'"E may ave bloody good reason to
growI, too, lad, afore we passes Lundy's, "
interrupted thiekset, stubby man,who was
sitting on the combing Of the fore hatch
smoking a short-stemmed pipe that was as
dirty and greasy looking as his face and
hands.
"Don't interrupt gintleman when he's
spakin' till he have finished his sintince.
Yer ignorant, We are"
This bleedin' old 'oaker amt what She
cracked up to be" continued Stubby, ig-
noring the man whom he interrupted.
"I've been kind a-kickin' meself ever since
/ lined her. Bill Tompkins showed itself
to me last night, and Bills been dead
these seven years. He was drowned in the
Chiny Sea, and so he was. Last night he
says to me, AIRY, me boy, Nell nd like
to see thee Nell was is sister and me
sweetheart, but she died nigh on to six
months ago. I'm not the man as 'ud talk
discouragin', but, shipmates, my word on
it, suthin's goin' to 'appen."
"WilI you shut up them there goblin
yarns of yourn, Harry2 You're allus Dor
rim trouble, spoke up young man
whose hair and skin was the color of the
port light.
Turn to, there, men and clear this snow
off these decks" said the second mate
coming forward to where we were loung-
ing. was glad of it, for the stories of the
elder sailors had shaken my nerves trife
We got under way the next day and
started to beat down the channel against
a stiff breeze that was blowing from the
sou west ana an ugly head sea. We
stood across the channel under courses and
double reef topsails broad sharp up on the
starboard tack.
There were two ordinary seamen on
board-a Welsh lad named Tom and nv
self. We both joined her at Cardiff and
that morning we had to slush her down.
Tom was in the mates watch and in the
second mates watch.
We wore ship at midnight and were head
ing for the coast of Wales on the port tack
when about A. NJ. in the middle watch a
great big ship ran into and striking us for
ward Of the main rigging cut a hole in our
side SO big that inside Of ten minutes the
Fincbley sank and but two-the Welsh boy
anu myseu-Were saved out OF crew OF
twenty.
1t was an English winters night. The
snow and hail were falling fast and the
atmosphere was so thick that one could
scarcely see a ships length ahead.
Brick dressed in oilskins, sou'wester
and seaboots, was on the t'gallant fore
castle keeping lookout. He couldn't see
very far through the binding snow, nei-
ther could the mate, who walked the
weather side of the quarterback, watching
the topsail leeehes.
Tom had sneaked into the fo'k'sle to
escape the GOODNESS of the sleet and snow
outside, and was sitting on the heel of
the bowsprit under the hammock where I
lay sound asleep. He was dressed in his
monkey Jacket and seaboots, ready to
Jump if the mate called.
"Red light off the weather cathead pa
foared Brick, as he leaped on to the main
deck and ran aft. Tom jumped to his
feet and in doing SO capsized my ham
mock and threw me on to the forecastle
floor. Shoeless. hatIess and frightened ]
rushed cut onto the cold deck and looking