Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-12-29
AN ENGINEERS YARN,

Our steamer had just cleared Singa-
pore. My duty in the engine room was
done, and was sitting with the mate
on the bridge watching the downward
sweep Of the tropic dusk. 1T puts me
in mind Of theater sunset" he was
saying; "they always go by the run.
And that was n pretty theatrical bit You
had in tho engine room," he said TO my
chief, who had joined us We had found
oil the nuts but one of the connecting
rod head Had another half turn been
made, our engines would have been Q
scrap heap.
"Only once has 1t happened before"
said my chief, "and there was a grand
tableau. as You call il. hut not in the
engine room. Our stem and three wall
eyed junks were the actors II was up
there" jerking his head northward.
"There was nothing but a thousand odd
miles of water and dustiug OF islands
DttNttl w Nuu
The mate held lighted match 10 the
chiefs pipe and set him drifting on with
the current Of his yarn.
"You see. it was years and years ago,
and was second IN local toat-I Hong.
kong 10 Yokohama. We V ~ tao first
TO employ Chinese fICncn. We Lad been
repairing and had put on fresh crowd,
all except one. Ii Chin. II was near
monsoon time. and tho stcCnd day out
we were sitting "a we might 10 here.
but there was no sunset Oh view. Ii had
been hazy all day. and We were watch
ing the moon rising-just past full. IL
looked us il some one bad Dashed one
side of the true. IL got up TO the haze,
big and blood red. like fire balloon at
old Cremorne. A mean. staggering swell
had set in. so oily that il had no more
20 TO il than the slush in greaser's
bucket We were all pretty well hipped
and morose, being company for no one
except the sea, and that-well, that
looked rs il it wanted to be sick and
couldn't Ii Chin. who was decent for
heather, was in charge below.
MY chief was sitting on the rails.
and somehow he went over the side.
You know pretty well how things like
that galvanize everybody. Lose him?
No The oily swell saved him, for the
old man ran the boat straight back IN
her own wake, which was marked out
like q dusty road at night through
hilly country. Well, we came to where
he was yelling and got him out BY all
law the old man ought to have got into
q splitter, hut instead OF that he said:
Look here. Mr.. Gnmwell'-that
was my chiefs pame-'I knew some
thing had to happen 10 this cock eyed no
side up looking weather. but don't be-
lieve this is the only thing tonight.
"And we all said together, That's
Just what | was thinking, sir, as they
do at church when the parson pipes ont.
"'Then send her ahead again, and
let's get il done with. he said.
"'Give her steam, Ii Chinr | shouted
down the skylight. LII Chin looked mp
and chittered:
Hi, no talkee talkee! Come chop
chop So Iwent down to him.
II was pretty green in those days,
and whatever came within hair
breadth Of happening made me feel as
saueamish as if il had come of. OF
course you grow out OF that, but then l
felt my hair creep. Our high pressure
connecting rod was OH the down throw,
with only single nut on! She had
the old style engines, remember, and
when they went on burst they went
handsomely tinkering up. New en-
gines, perhaps new ship, maybe even
new hands However, we began to screw
up-at least the chief did. He'd only
trust himself. Presently he showed q
nut under my nose.
"'That your trademark? he asked.
The nut was Clipped and scribed with
bad spanner marks. which repudiated.
"In what followed | can never quite
settle Ii Chin s share in the programme.
This was how we were after we had fix
ed all tight again Ii Chin was leaning
through the eccentric rods, with the
lamp. Iwas half out the crank pit, and
the chief was at my back. He had the
spanner. All in n breath he dragged
me backward, fat, my head cracking on
the plates, and saw the spanner go
spit through the standards. IL didn't
hit any metal, but something soft Then
he clapped his hand Oh my face and held
me stone tight, and something came
down and rubbed by my chest, scratch
ing me-no more-ard through his fin
gers could jnst see the crank moving.
but it had passed me- II any one be-
lieyes that engines haven't souls, just
YOU stick hin in the crank pit and let
her go, only dead slow and just to clear
him. That converted me.
"He dragged me right out, kissing in
my ear:
"Whip up on deck! Tell 'em to shoot
on sight any who leave the stokehole!'
| He slammed the iron door tween the
boilers and US and turned OIL Ii Chin,
who was still holding the lamp and had
him by the throat before he could finish.
"'No bobbery, all samee white man. ;
As jumped past the starting platform
/ saw one of the new stokors lying on
his back, his face a thing Of horror.
That was the soft thing the spanner hit,
and yon know what size connecting
rod takes.
both mates and the old man were
on the bridge watching something ahead.
All in q sweat, sang ont my message.
and the old man never asked why or
wherefore. but popped in the chartroom
and slipped revolver in the second
mates hand. saying:
cts come to Us. then The mate
didn't move. so the old man yelped sf
him:
"'why dye stand there. Mac9 Are
you white livered?'
"Now. Mac was q Greenock man.
and he said
"'Ye ken, sir, ! want orders frae
ye, and I'll shoot yer ain brother.
Just in a quiet and matter of fact way.
And, Scott, he wouldl ] know them.
Shoot anything that comes out OF