The San Francisco call., 1896-11-08

knew the ship was doomed to eternal bad
luck when they began 10 bring their new
tangled landinbber ideas aboard.
Then he went forward under the fore
castle, where he found "Micky" Farrell,
who enjoyed the nom de guerre of "Chief
Growler of the Navy" Farrell as usual,
was in warm condition of mind, as he
mad just caught tarry rope yarn blowing
across his clean white deck.
Donovan somewhat loudly began to
speak to him OF his latest worry, and the
chief grower, happy to find an object on
whom to vent his bottled-up wrath, turned
on the signal quar- ermaster like Wild
cat He wanted to know why Donovan
rushed at him about the machine. Didn't
he have troubles enough of his own? Did
he bring the blamed thing aboard? DID
people think he, the captain of the fore
top starboard watch, was going to run
hand me-down shop anu be man MILL
ner for every hay-making recruit that
wanted dude stitching on his mastering
clothes?
Donovan, more angry, retorted to the
effect that the foretop man was not too
good for such an occupation, and, come to
think OF 1t, he was probably silent
partner in the proposed tailoring estab-
lishment. They carried the truculent dis
cussion back through all the "last" ships
they had sailed together raising their
voices high and higher in profanity and
recrlmination until the officer of the deck
bore down upon them and ordered the de-
baters to the mast. When the childish
casus bell OF the contention was made
known to the commander the two were
severely reprimanded and their shore
leave stopped for a month.
In the meanwhile the word went on
down the ship till 1t reached John Fitch.
the captain of the afterguard. who was
fiercely nerding four sheep belonging to
the officers mess off the quarterback.
John was not a shepherd in the biblical
sense of the term, but the flock evidently
knew his voice and loved him despite his
frequently expressed bitter hatred for
them and they demonstrated their faith
and affection by making, uninyited. fold
o! his part of the ship. Occasionally they
would dine OFF his laundry spread out on
the coil OF boatfall to dry and it was no
uncommon thing for Fitch 10 find sheep
snarIeu up in the mizzen topgallant sheet
when was trying to let it go at the hrst
burst OF dark midnight squalI. He COM
planned to the first lieutenant TIL that
officer gave him lecture on the virtue of
forbearance and told him TO break out his
New Testament and study the divine IN
junction to Peter regarding the care of his
biblical lambs.
/ So when John saw the sewing-machine
standing on he hatchcombing he forsook
! the sheep like hire ling and joined the
sneering circle around the new trouble.
Boatswaln's Maze George Romer dropped
the whistle-lanyard he was braiding and
told Farmer Walker confdentially that
the navy was fast losing its fitness as
place for sailor. In view of the fact that
he hated the ship, hated the sea, and
hated the days that came and went over
it, and was always going to start a
chicken ranch ashore al the end of his en-
iistment. his soIicitude over the demoraI-
ization CT the service had just tinge OF
inconsistency. However, as Romer never
got ashore till he went six feet down into
it, there seemeth no charity in drawing
his frailties from their dread abode.
Dave Clark, sitting on a harness-cask,
heard the vocal commotion chorusing
around Tailor O'Keefe's purchase. He
laid down a copy of the "rules and regula-
! tions," which he had been reading, and
launched himself toward the crowd.