The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-06-06

yoo doSd " Dc d pretty VI I'LL, Coli
tinued the boy, encouraged by his mas
ter's amiable mood-'got drunk on the
Copers an sold the gear and spars
from the bosss smack for rum an
brandy. An they say you once set
fire to smack that wasn't yours, an
| lost 'er-you was drunk
| The skipper found a strange pleasure
| in listening TO these details as showing
| that in the past he was a man of spir-
| 1T and Importance in the fleet, person
to be reckoned with and accounted for.
! For the moment he thought of himself
| as some other individual in whose do
| ings he CHANGED to be especially con-
cerned
But I've reformed" said the skipper.
I'm nice and gentle now since the
mission started. If I was to go on
poundin' kids, I might get nabbed by
| the perlice, an sent to prison. The
| missions very Watchful after little
| boys"
| Il shall get to be a mission skipper
some day." said the Vanguard's boy,
| and wear ss-buttoned jacket an
! a swell cap, an take ladies an gentle
men out to see the fishin', an sing an
pray WI the smacksmen.''
you've got a mighty fine cheek"
| said the skipper, pausing in the act of
raising his mug. He turned to look at
| the boy, who showing dimly in the
| gloomy light. with his bare feet and
arms crossed, and his ample trousers
| secured above his cotton shirt by a
| leather strap in the form of Shout
der-belt, looked an unpromising sub
| ject for promotion.
| The skipper would have pursued the
| conversation, but another heavy squat
| struck the Vanguard, and the boy was
thrown violently against him from the
| locker.
Dash you" said the skipper as if
| the boy had collided with him purpose
ly, IVY dye come in cap like that
on me? You can pick them taters an
mutton up, and make your dinner off
'em. But first rouse up the lazy beg
gars by the boiler, an tell 'em to go on
deck"
The boy obeyed, and three drowsy
oil-skinned men filed past and climbed
the ladder, the skipper telling them
sternly to clap the hatch on, and not
disturb his comfort
AN now" he said, before those idle
| fellers get their dinners, I'll ave a
smoke an drink o. whisky to keep
the cold OUT
| He smoked long, and drank hard The
boy had successfully chased and cap
tured the potatoes as they rolled about
the floor, and had eaten them with a
healthy appetite, accounting himself
| fortunate in the accident to the skip
| per's tin, for these vegetables were
| soaked in gravy. a luxury which he
| would not, in the ordinary course of
| things, have known.
Squall after squall attacked the Van
guard but the skipper kept below, and
Rugged the fire and his whisky. The
| boy had wedged himself firmly in a
corner on the floor and was sleeping,
but warily, with one eye open.
Once or twice the hatch had been
pushed back and the face of the mate,
streaming with rain and sea water,
peered into the warm mephitic depths,
per meant to close-reef the smack
mol" roared the skipper; mot a reef,
not an inch"
1.-THE sticks can't stand it long" pro-
tested the mate.
Then let 'em go, an every rope WI
EN-. 1 won't bulge if every spar an
bit O. sail goes. I've allus carried on
afore, an I'm not goin' to show the
wife feather now, not at my time o.
| life. Leave that to timber ships and
foreigners. If you're afeard, you can
give the tiller to Charley, an come an
| 'ide yourself below"
For answer the mate damned on the
hatch viciously, and rejoined his COM
rades astern.
The skipper dropped his pipe, and
| held on closely to the bottle. Dark
ness fell, and yet he made no sign of
! going on deck to see how the Vanguard
was behaving and how his hungry crew
were past eating by any but smacks-
| The cook had long since fallen asleep
entirely; the potatoes and the mutton
were past eating by any but smaks-
men or sailors of the mercantile ma
rine, and the busters, which had been
put in front of the donkey furnace to
keep warm, had been caught by the
| fire and burned to cinders. Only the
| tea remained unaltered It was i'm
possible to make that worse
The skipper was at last awakened by
a ringing cry of Waters coming" and
| he sprang to his feet as the hatch was
thrust back. and the mate tried to drop
below for shelter the others struggling
with him.
| There was a stunning crash on the
| Vanguard's deck, and an awful shout
which rose above the sound of the wave
| that broke on board. A deluge of water
descended to the cabin. The floor was
Cd md
deep pitch forward the water rushed
against the stove, and with a Kissing
noise the fire went out.
The mate tumbled into the cabin,
| with his back broken by the fall of
water. The skipper, sober and active
now, picked him up in his strong arms
and put him on a locker.
you done it this time" moaned the
mate; you was bit too rash for once.
an would carry on too long We should
ha' been close-reefed two hours since.
Yes, I'm done for, an I've a wife an
child at 'ome."
God 'elping me, I'll see to them -
said the skipper, conscience-stricken
But look up, Dan: you're only bit
banged. Ere, boy, see to Dan vile
go on deck; there's nobody at the
tiller''
He snatched his oilskin frock, and
| hurried into 1t before going up the lad
der. When he reached the deck he saw
that the mizzen-mast had snapped off
almost by the board, and was dragging
with its wreckage of rigging and sail
alongside; and the mainsail was split
| to ribbons that were Tapping wildly.
-Arthur-Joseph," he shout
| ed, but no answer came. The three had
| been swept overheard by the mass of