West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1897-01-21
CHAPTER n.
NATE OF THE HINnn


Sailors and laudsmen-good people
all-permlt me TO introduce rayself as
Ralph Tompkins, "a sailor man by pro-
fession and mate of the merchantman
l,indu. Whatever has gone before this
is from the pen of good friend of mine
who has to do with books and newspa-
pers After he had heard my story he
Gays to me, says he:
"Tompkins, that would make full
cargo for book, and warrant you it
would be read with interest. Why not
put it in that form?'
One cannot reach the position of mate
OF a craft sailing TO all ports without a
fair education, but even out of hun
dred college bred men not more than
one in hundred ever attempts book,
I'm told. One must have a gift that
way, they say. I'm sure that nature did
not give 1t to me, but after thinking the
matter over for notwithstanding my
latitude and longitude, as it were-I
answered my friend after this fashion.
I'm hut plain sailor man, as you
know, and can only write in a plain
sailor fashion. If you think the readers
of books will overlook my slips of gram
mar and not be too particular about my
language as talk TO them, and if you
yourself will agree to write the first
chapter aud get me under weigh and
well on the coast, SO TO say, 1 will try
my hand at print
He instantly replied that it was a
bargain, and as he has stuck to his
promise l must stick to mine.
The Hindu was fine new bark
hailing from the port of Liverpool.
One-half of her was owned by Mr..
Abernethy, the we'll known trader, and
Captain Clark and each owned quar-
ter interest. The captain was my own
brother-in-law, and, though 1 held q
masters certificate and was competent
to command ship, circumstances made
me glad to take the berth of mate for q
few voyages. We had come home with
full cargo from Smyrna, but had met
with disaster on the way, and the Hin
du had to go TO the dookyard for repairs
as soon as unloaded. When the last of
the cargo was out of her, said to the
captain;
Tom, I think I'll take a run M
country and have bit Of visit with
mother. It's going ON three years now
since had sight of her blessed face,
and II / don't take advantage of this
breeze it may be three years more"
by all means, Ralph - by all
means, " was his ready reply, land I'll
send her new dress and my love along
with you. You can have a couple of
weeks on firm ground, and, if the Lord
spares your life TO get back, you'll like
ly be the better for it, though I've
known of plenty Of cases where even a
week IN the country was the spelling of
. good sailor man.
That's the way, may it please the
reader, happened to arrive at the town
Of Dudley on the day before the events
recorded In the chapter that has gone
before. Ny old mother had lived there
Tor nigh upon 30 years, wife and widow,
and you'll excuse me for saying am
proud to declare that it was my money,
earned by hard knocks at sea, which
gave her the little home and Kept the
pot boiling. If it want the popular
belief, which is all wrong, that no sail
or man ever makes good use of q dollar,
shouldn't have made the above state
ment
arrived in Dudley in the morning.
Along about o'clock in the evening
word came TO me that some of INV old
friends had gathered at the Dudley inn
not far away and on the banks Of the
Severn 70 drink cup and have chat
with me, and went over. found Tom
Vance, Jerry Simpson, John Wakefield
and two or three more--all old chums.
and some Of them sailors who had given
mp going 60 ses. With chat and cup and
story the time fled rapidly away, and
the first we knew il had gone four bells.
which signifies 10 O'Clock. Il was lit
tie later, and was about to take my
departure, when Jerry Simpson, who
had lost an arm a year before and who
lived In cabin across the river, speaks
zap and says:
Come, now, but who is 20 take on,
Of the skis at the landing and SGT me
across at my doOr7'
It's me that'll be glad % set Won
over, " / replies 70 his words. And pres
emily we went down and got aboard Of
one Of the small craft drawn up ON the
bank.
The Severn Is bat a small stream at
that point, and / soon had old Jerry
cafe on the far shore. II was a quiet
night. with never a soul aboard. and AZ
pulled ont after bidding my old friend
frtN HtNMt htAA rftiNk MIN disappear IN
the darkness I rowed mp the stream a
few rods and then let the boat drift
back can't say why did this, except
that the solemn stiffness Of the night
gave me n rather serious turn, and / felt
that ] wanted 70 DO By myself for a BIT
before going home.
Crash Bumpi Smash A boat had
fun into me ~ / was drifting and mus
ing. IL was being pulled 20 fast that e
stove a great hole in the port bow Of nv
skin, and tho water rushed in ON me as
lay gprawling on the bottom boards
However, was % like monkey, and
as ny skin fIlod leaped into the craft
which bad brought about the collision.
Everything happened inside Of 10 on Is
seconds. When the man who was row
Sng, and - had bis back 70 me, looked
over his shoulder. was seated in tho
bow II his boat. and mine was water
joeFed
'Cnrse you for an idiot. bat why did
700 rnn into my crafif he gasptd at