The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-04
PTRATING IN THE GUILE.
An Honest Mans Story of
q Scheme That Failed.
BY HYNE.

-. =, , %rosltion to pick md choose. In fact,
,,oa that pushed IL was n choice between
..lIpe tho berth | was offered or going to SEA
no orIIgnry fireman Mt ca n month.
II WAS my weakness that had get the better
~ me-, us usual. had come Into New Orleans
on ono Of tho West Indian Pacific boats, and
rho berth was good. l was third on her, and
though ought to have been second, the berth
"a third was distinctly good. We engineers
had a mess room. with n steward all TO our
selves. and bread was baked on board fresh
three times n week. There was no stint Of
ANYTHING; even pickles were to be had for
sticking out Your fork, and any one but a fool
would have stayed on that ship and read M
.eyt books and won promotion. / was a fool.
ls was n very nice. quiet, gentlemanly
fellow, the ono who got mo to go ashore with
him, and he could play. hymn tunes on the ar
Gordon like an organ In q chapel. / did SEQ
lin laughing and joking with some or the
others, but then, as he explained to me. n board
IN, house master had to suit himsclf to his
guests. lie admitted no wasn't Scotch him.
self. but his mother Ind como from Kilmar-
mock as q girl. and he'd a strong liking for tho
north country IN consequence. lie wasn't
wnntin. me TO go and stay in his house. he ex-
p,aincd to me, but only to come and have a cup
nj tea lust 70 the sake of the place I came
FROM. 1t was no: to cost me a single six
hence. 1t seemed he was q mcmbe. OF the
Free Kirk of Scotland himself, and that ex-
pla,ncd It. Ny father had once been minister
10 that sect at Balhndrochater
We had a bi: OF social after tea, and there
was hymn singing to tho accordion. and l sang,
too. They seemed TO like 1t, and.thoy drank
nv health. | just had q tot 20 drink theirs
back. There was corn whisky in q demijohn
on tao table, and you could help yourself,
with nothing TO pay. 1t would have looked un-
friendly not to taste.
Well, III admit that night was a bit thick
when it got to the finish, and where l slept
the guild Lord may know, but I don't. I'd a
thirst on me like Welsh coal ashes next morn
ING, and the whiskey was still there. and by
midday I was full up TO the eyes again, and
inclined TO talk. / went back to the ship,
found tho old man on the lovee oursing some
Niger roustabou.s, and forthwith told him
what l thought OF his conduct. 1 wasn't
content with telling him quietly. either; 1
must needs mount on a cotton bale and preach
aloud to all tho nigcers and loafers who would
hear, that any skipper who would use Ian
guage like that was no sort of company ror God
fearing men like us. and finally while I was ad-
vising. them 10 duck him in the Missis ,ippi. a
policeman came up an6 lucEed me of To the
AIaLooES- 40 "eS 49, toStSAS NAhs
policeman. He drove me before him with the
small end of q revolver. and I had n 20.
Policemen are valuable in New Orleans. and
drunks are not. They don't allow their police
TO go scrapping with madmen in tho public
streets. and II q drunk won't come when he's
told, he's shot, and good radiance of him.
Well. of course. 1 was sacked from the West
Indian Pacific after that; the British Consul
wouldn't look at me-; and after tho boarding.
house master had mopped up my pay and wha,
he lsnt on my chest, he showed me the door,
too. He wouldn't keep mo on in hopes Of get
ting his dollars out OF my next advance. He
said he didn'tt think I'd get another ship.
I'D 81 left when 1 got shown tho door there.
and with Sc @ man doesn't starve all at once
in New Orleans. There aye free lunch counters
everywhere. and with q 1o-cent glass of beer
you can have q very tolerabls fl out Of fish
pie. dry hash. cheese. and so on: but it doesn't
do to go to the same place too often. or the mig
ger behind the bar will forget to fill your plate
when you pass IL on. But 81 won't last lona.
and when I'd got dow n to my last 20 cents and
this berth on the Shah turned up, I'd Just got
to take 1t and hold my tongue.
1t was her skipper himself that lured me In 20
II. He was a smallish chap called Blake.
American Irish. / think. and the biggest thief
In the two Atlantics. He'd q face on him like
o saint IN q stained glass window and a repu-
tation that would have spoiled a gallows. But
he could talk polite 1T to make an actor Of.
So far no jail had ever claimed him. because
he had always kept TO windward Of the law or
hadn't been caught, buthe was considered q. bad
dish to ugh. even In New Orleans. and. good.
ness knows. they're not particular down there.
lie came across me sitting on o cotton bale on
the levee ut the foot of Canal street. He had
Iuat on-nn DOWN, rt,,rf &, - a, asstarp -IoaIo ~
and ! was the first person he spoke to after he
walked down her gang plank.
You're Mr.. Sandy McTodd. amt your"
Neil Angus McToid."
Same thing. Still cut of a berth. ~sonny3''
81 haven't decided yet which to take?"
Then take mine. or l reckon you'll starve."
rs that stern wheeler yours. Captain2"
No. Stree. I'm Capt. Blake of the Shah.
She's down river at anchor by the quarantine
htat!or, waiting orders. And / want n new
second engineer. Ny last skipped. II you
think you'd like the berth come and LIQUOR
Right. o." said l. and l walked with him
down Canal street. and we turned off and went
into a saloon. 1t vas on the French side. and
I'd seen moro respectable places. We went
Into an upstairs room. and a niger brought Us
two schooners OF beer. and When he had gone
We were alone. excepting for tho flies, who
wouldn't repeat what they heard.
Now" said the Captain, let's get to bust.
ness. Item the first, you're ston" broker"
I'm no Jay Gould for the minute" I said.
And you'd like to earn treble wages oven
with hard work?'
I'm with you there all the way"
And could be content tn ask no questicns?'
about what, Captain?"
"Carrajo. There you ere. beginning already.
You've co. to ask no questions whatever. my
Son, II you tomo aboard OF me, and you're Il
see nothing you're not intended to see. l can
get the ordinary type of ~tnquisiti 20 idiot chear
anywhere. My last second engineer was that
brand, aud l had no use for him. So l just
fred lin out. You can bet I'm not Offering
zig nay for nothing. No, Stree. want q mar
Fho can keep his head shut"
I'm that way, Captain, If the pays biz
enough"
Sufficient siller will make you concentrat,
your thoughts on tina; and not SEQ any thinl
else; I quite sec your IDEA. We'll, MIR. Nc
TODD, there's 4l2 u moath for yon as SECOND
engineer. and $50 when you're chief"
Me chief"
That's what / said"
VIII you tell me II there's any chance O.
That happeninaT"