The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-08-23
CHAPTER I.

Now, I'll not deny guessed there
was something fishy about the Shah
from the very first minute her skipper
talked to me, but was not in posi-
ton to pick and choose. In fact, was
that pushed it was choice between
taking the berth was offered or going
to sea as ordinary fireman at ga a
month.
1t was my weakness that had got the
better Of me, as usual. l had come into
New Orleans on one of the West Indian
Pacific boats, and the berth was good.
I was third on her, and, though ought
to have been second, the berth as third
was diElihiIes FOOD. We engineers had
a messroom, with steward all to our
selves, and bread was baked on board
fresh three times 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 staid on
that ship and read up textbooks and
won promotion. I was q fool.
He was very nice, quiet, gentle
manly fellow, the one who got me to go
ashore with him, and he could play
hymn tunes on the accordion like an
organ in chapel did see him laugh
ing and joking with some Of the others,
but then as he explained to me, a
boarding house master had to suit him
self to his guests. He admitted he
wasn't Scotch himself, but his mother
had come from Kilmarnock as a girl,
and he'd q strong liking for the north
country In consequence. He wasn't
wanting me to go and stay in his house,
he explained to me, but only to come
and have cup of tea just for. the sake
Of the place came from. It was not to
cost me single si1pence. IL seemed he
was member of the free kirk of Scot
land himself, and that explained it, My
father had once been minister to that
sect at Ballindrochater.
We had q bit Of q social after tea,
and there was hymn singing to the &C
Gordon, and sang too. They seemed
to like it, and they drank my health. 1
just had tot to drink theirs lack.
There was corn whisky in demijohn
on the table, and you could help your
self, with nothing to pay. It would
have looked unfriendly not to taste.
Well, I'll admit that night was bit
thick when it got to the finish, and
where slept the guild Lord may know,
but don't. I'd thirst ON me like
Welsh coal ashes next morning, and
the whisky was still there, and by mid
day was full up to the eyes again and
inclined to talk. went back to the
ship, found the old man on the levee
curslng some niger roustabouts and
forthwith told him what I thought Of
his conduct. WASH 4 content with tell
ing him quietly either. must needs
mount on a cotton bale and preach
aloud to all the niggers and loafers who
would hear that any skipper who would
use language like that was no sort Of
company for God fearing men like as,
and finally while WAS advising them
to duck him in the Mississippi u police
man came and logged me off to the cal
aboose. There was no foolery about
that policeman. lie drove me before
him with the small end of q revolver,
and had to go. Policemen are valua-
BILE in New Orleans, and drunlss are not
They don't allow their police to go
scrapping with madmen in the public
streets, and if drunk won't come
when he's told he's shot, and there's
good radiance of him.
Well, Of course l was sacked from
the West Indian Pacific after that. The
British consul wouldn't look at me-
and after the boarding house master
bad mopped up my pay and what he
lent on my chest he showed me the door
too. He wouldn't keep me on in hopes
Of getting his dollars out of my next
advance. Ee said straight he Didn't
think I'd get another ship. He said my
tongue when l got 1t oiled was enough
to brighten Grover Cleveland
I'd So left when got shown the door
there, and with So man doesn't starve
all at once III New Orleans. There are
free lunch counters everywhere, and
with 10 cent glass Of beer you can
have very tolerable fill out Of fish pie,
dry hash. cheese, and SO on, but it
doesn't do to go to the same place too
often OF the niger behind the bar will
forget to fill your plate when you pass it
on. But So won't last long, and when
I'd got down to my last 25 cents and this
berth on the Shah turned up ia Just
got to take it and hold my tongue.
1t was her skipper himself that lured
me into it He was a smallish chap
called Blake, American Irish, l think,
and the biggest thief in the two Allan
tics. He'd face ON him like saint in
a stained glass window and nputa-
ton that would have spoiled gallows,
but he could talk polite fit to make an
actor Of.
I So far no Jail had ever claimed
him, because he had always kept to
windward of the law or hadn't been
caught, but he was considered baddish
tough even in New Orleans and, good.
ness knows, they're not particular down
there. He came across me sitting on
cotton bale on tho levee at the foot OF
Canal street. He had just come down
river in a big "stern wheeler,' and ]
was the first person he spoke to after he
walked down her RGngplank