Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-03-28

Port Edes' deck had heard them oil stinct-
ly, and disquiet arose under the belts of
nine out of ten. The mates grew nervous
and the men inattentive, and from the
bridge Captain Kettles voice and whistle
kept ringing out with biting clearness.
As it was, only one man attempted to put
the warning into practical effect. He was
q miserable half clad wretch, a coal trim.
mer by rating, already repentant of the
spell of physical toll which he had signed
on for
Passing through the lock gates into the
basin, the steamers port quarter swung
gently toward the wall. A sailor in readi-
ness dropped from above and ran aft with
the lanyard of a cork fender. The trim
mer jumped on the bulwarks, and one
might have thought that he was going to
bear hand-an unnecessary hand. THE
sailor did SO and cursed him for his Off
ciousness. The donkeyman, however,
who was oiling the afterwinch, had other
ideas on the subject, and stood by for a
rush; hence, when that trimmer was get
ting himself ready for a spring back on
the quayhead, the donkeyman's long legs
took him rapidly across the red irca decks.
and when the trimmer was already in
midair the donkeyman's huge paw de-
scended upon the slack of his black
brooches and drew him back as though he
possessed the weight of u feather pillow,
whereat the crowd at the pierhead yelled
with delightful laughter, and the dingy
steamer made her way stolidly on to the
muddy waters of the Mersey ebb, which
bu5bled against the lip of the walls be-
yond.
Curse you," snarled the trimmer,
whats that for?''
Because we're short manned in the
stokehold already, me son, and if there
hand goes it's mosclf thatll have to
stand watch and watch in his place. Hav-
in got you, shall be a jintleman now ard
slape in me bed at night all the way to
New Orleans. See that.'
''This mucky old tramp'll be bowed up
sarc's death, and 1 shall be killed.
We'll, bless Ine!' retortod the donkey
man, who'd miss you if you werc killed?
Always supposin you weren't wanted for
our furnaces. Here, get up, you half baked
scum of the workhousc, and tumble be-
low. Thank your stars the old man
hasn't seen You from the bridge, but don t
give me any more of your lip, or Ill report
you to him and the chief to boot Now.
moseyf'
The coal trimmer blew his nose on his
gray neck handkerchief and shambled off
below, muttering. Tho donkeyman re-
turned to his winch, unbent the chain
and sent it down into the adjacens hold.
Then he returned to the poop deckhouse,
where he lived with the carpenter and
boatswain, and offered to bet those wor.
thies, who had just come in for dinner,
that Captain Kettle shot some one on
board before the Port Edes tied up against
New Orleans levec.
Hes inst holy terror, our old man, "
observed the donkeyman cheerfully II
sailed with him once before, and he I'M
bent quartermaster' front teeth with
the bridge telescope before we'd been three
days out. With the smudgy crowd WEI
got here now it's a pound to brick they
start him moving even sooner than that
Not that mind myself. Sea- dull enou Oh
as general thing, and I like to see bit
Of Lie throwing about, and at that game
little Red Kettles good as Yankee skip.
ocr any day.