The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-20

only man about ship who can keep on
his pegs"
The Amusement on the faces of the
three gradually grew into shrewd intel
ligence as they stared into the twinkling
eyes of the old man
Tell us what the trouble is with u.s."
requested Bernal, land We'll be the sick
est fellows you ever seed in about two
flips of the ayin' jib.t
Wall" said the captain, Il amt as
good u liar as | wish / was, but / guess
it'll be likely enough If a truck fell and
smashed your jaw, Ozarias, frac-
tured your collar bone and kroke Be
ruals leg, eh?" And the skipper extend
ed grin from his wrinkles.
"Haint that putting consid' able respon-
sibility on one truck. cap'n?"
"Ther' amt no telling what a truck will
do on rampage" cheerfully replied the
captain.
Forthwith he bundled the tooth-aohy
Ozarias into his bunk and made him wrap
more elaborate bandages about his head
and shoulders.
Then he obliged Berual to remove his
trousers, and hastily but neatly he strap
ped bit of board upon the cooks leg,
bandaging It with strips from his dish
cloths.
"Fd kind of like to know the nature of
my complaint" broke in Constant Jud-
kins, $50 that l can be practisin."
The captain pondered Il suppose I
might have your arm broken" he said
obviously, But one block couldn't very
well knock out the whole crew. We've got
to have a little variety, for them frog
eaters are suspicious eusses. Ever nave
yaller janders?" he asked of Judkins.
NO.
We'll all you've got to do is to lay stlll
and haul your mouth down. I'll daub on
little slush," and the captain skiHfully
al oil
mates face.
Now, look sick. all of you," said the
captain as he prepared to go on deck and
receive the prize crew. "Itll help you TO
look sieker If you recollect that the frog
eaters have way of Sitting wizens
when they suspicion shenanigan,'
And he left.
OF the Frenchmen who came over the
rail none could talk English, and the cap
tain couldn't talk French. Yes, he could
he could say Bong shur.'' but he loftily
forebore.
However, when the new arrivals looked
around suspiclously, when for the crew
ana unslung their carbines and appeared
to apprehend ambush, the captain, with
many waves of his hands much "we-ing''
led two of the five below with an air like
a rooster CALAMITY conducting pullets to
worm banquet. In pantomime he ex-
planned the sad plight he was in, and his
crew groaned dolefuly at the proper
times. He tried to explain to the French
man how glad he was they had come and
taken the Hester at this time of danger
The men didn't appear to grasp that part
or the story, however But the captain
didn't care. The prize men We're evident
ly thoroughly convinced that below decks
was just the hospital it claimed to be, aud
after much ineffectual jargon and mitch
gesturing they made the captain under
stand that ne was to stay down and nurse
his men, The captain was good nurse.
He must have worked the faith cure on
his devoted crew, for in the deep gloon
of the dog watch three very determined
looking convalescents sneaked barefoote6
at his heels as he wormed aft in the shad-
ow of the Hester's bulwarks
The night was made for the enterprise
Twas clouded and from the mrk of the
west humming breeze sung in the
shrouds and murmured down out of the
hollows of the sails. One Frenchman was
at the wheel and one pendulumed back
and forward at the head of the compan-
ionway Another was doubled up on a
coil of rope in the lee of the house and
the other two were presumably below All
the men on deck were unarmed, for it
wasn't to be supposed that they would
lug about an arsenal to protect them
selves against nautical invalids home
So Capt. Dickey's miraculously healed
body guard had little trouble in downing
anu bgAilB ali lufe6 DeIOfe their surprise
was over
The only casualty was when a souirn-
ing Frenchman trod upon Beruars bare
foot. In his anguish the cook let out "a
howl that started the two men below on
rush for the deck. They bobbed out of
the companion hatch like two iacks-in-
the box, saw the situation and as quickly
jerked themselves back.
They stayed barricaded in the cabin
till the schooner came up into Bristol har-
Dor, twenty-four hours later, with bone
in her mouth and the foam bells tinkling
off her rudder. Capt Dickey would. in
the kindness of his heart have fed the
| garrison in his cabin on plum duff and
| salt horse; but every time he tried to ex-
| plain his wishes through the cabin win
| dow they poked their gun barrels at him,
| The poor chaps evidently thought their
| companions had been made away with.
and that the bluff faced old skipper was
| cajoling them to a similar fate.
What's your cargo, John, this trip?"
| roared Job Crimson, from the wharf as he
waited to catch the line and fling it over
! a spiling.
Rum, molasses, sundries and French
men" shouted back the captain; land if
| you'll bear hand with plank wen m
| load the Frenchmen fust"
And all Bristol fiocked down to fling a
sarcastic polly VOC" at Capt. John Dick
| ey's unhappy captives.