Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-09-29


he. "Yonr English pills make me tired.
guess man might as we'll swallow
shot corns for all tho good they do.
| Nhw, Cody's are regular twisters. 1t
doesn't matter what man has the mat
| ter with him, Codv's get right thcro
and let him know they're attending TO
business Arc you interested in drugs,
| Mac"
"No man moro so. I've been in tho
west coast trade, captain, and drugs
just keep mo alive. ] fairly lived on
them and no expense spared. "
";5it down right here " said he, land
| put that cigar in your face. We must
have moro talk about this. / need Il
great deal of drugs myself and what l
don't know about them isn't worth
/ knowing. Dear Il hand, and we'll pull
cat the medicine chest and go through
it right now"
We'll, | have got to tell good deal
against Captain Blake later ON, but 1
will say hc was u man who was splen-
didlv informed with regard to mcdi-
cine. never met his equal. It seems DO
| always read carefully all the papers
which his bottles and pill boxes were
wrapped in, and that's thing many
people omit and besides he'd book on
doctcring that he knew better by heart
than he did his Norie's cpitomc Ho
showed himself quito gentleman, too,
i'll tie way he left the Shah's medicine
chest 10 my discretion. "Wade il" lie
said, "Gnd Eclp yourself, Mac I'd not
a man that knows what he's about
equal TO II doctor in II hospital ashore. +"
1t was while we were having this
talk that the propeller stopped. He gave
INC curious look, and II reckon, said
he, "that means we're on the ground. 1"
But he didn't offer to move from his
scat
"Wcll," thought l, "thc Gibbs max
ing fast, and if we don't get Off quick
hero we'll stay for another tide" But
as it was not my place to say anything
I held my tongue
Dangerous things those Mississippi
bars, " said re- Very likely to get
some platcs started over this game"
"Oh, no, y said l, there's 10 danger
It's all soft mud underneath. Why, we
never felt her going on. There was no
shock whatever. ~
lie leaned acposs and whispered in
my ear: But l say there is danger Mr.
McTodd. l tell you that this ships bot
tom has very likely received such dam
age here that it is quite On the cards
sho may sink when she gets into TIE
seaway outside. If yen let news Of that
slip out among Your Erulby crowd in
the stokchcle, l shall 10 your debtor.
Now, sonny, don't stop to think. Go
right row and do your bid. "
| said, AYE, aye, sir" by force of
instinct and went away lolow Tho
third engineer was standing by the re-
versing gear and asked me what was
amiss. l told him we woro or tho
ground and said I'd fear we might
have somc Of cur bottom plates started.
He cacl:lcd at me with laughter, and |
felt my face grow rcd. why, what Il
blessed scary Scotchman you must be, "
said he. "Shc took the ground like but
ter going O to II bar Of soap. 1t would
not have cracked the glass in green
house"
"Therc are snags in this Mississippi
mud" said. We're down in the pass
now If you go on deck and look over
the banks, you'll SEQ the sand outside
in tho gulf regularly sown with tree
trunks. They re as dangerous to ship
bottom as coral rock"
McTodd," said he, "get away to
your bunk and sleep it off. Your nerves
are Il bit joFgled up still" And Off l
Went, feeling pretty foolish But had
noticed one Of the fircmen listening to
our talk and judged that l had done
what tho captain intended.
We did not get of that tide or the
next, but staid there stcwing in the
heat and gnawcd at by tho mosquitoes,
while the engines ran ahead and astCrn
i'll half hour spells alternately, and the
captain on the bridge talked to the pilot
for trying 70 rip the bottom OFT Of her.
Indeed when we did get of tho bar at
last and slowed down off the lighthouse
on the Port Eads spit to drop tho pilot
into his boat l thought then that he
mast have been glad to see tho last of
us. But ! have guessed since that the
follow must have been paid to let rs
ground OH the bar, 80 as to pave the
way for what WAS to happen afterward.
Only one other conversation did
have with Captain Blake before the
Shah was pirated, and that was the aft
ernCon VIC were OF Key West.
l met him, as it We're, by accident in
tho port alleyway, and he asked me to
come along to the charthouso and see il
! could find out what was wrong with
his hanging lamp. "Tho carpenter has
tried his hand, said he, land made no
sort Of a job Of it at ALL and l guess my
room stinks of kerosene like Pittsburg
tool shop. But you're man of ideas,
MoTodd, and you'll SEQ what's wrong
at Il glance,
81 can smell no oil just now, cap
tain, said l when we got inside the
charthorse, "but if you'll just let me
handle the lamp Il minute or SOL
"Shucss," he says, "let the lamp
alone. That was only I. blind because /
didn't care to say below what / wanted
you for, in case somebody was listening.
Sit down on the sofa, Mac, and fill your
pipe. What do you think of the chief
onginoer?"
Its no for me to speak evil Of my
superiors, butt d call him very care
full officer"
lies IN old woman, q nervous old
woman, that's what the chief is And
he's no idea which side of his bread &