The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-23
A Sailors Revenge.

toned. and Tor muscular power ne pea l
anything 1 ever saw IN my life. Yet, some
how. in looking al his face. one couldn't
get over the idea that he had suffered
great sorrow, or had some wrong 20
avenge He seemed 10 be always looking
for some one, and We never had a new
mate and he never met a stranger but
he'd give one single. penetrating look and
then drop mis- eyes, as II u wasn't the
man ne was looking for.
I told him one day how he seemed TO
affect me. and he gave me- one OF his
strange looks.
Yes, Jack, my boy he said. I'm look
ing for a man, and I'll find him yet
please God! You may be thankful for
one thing. my lad"
And what Is that?" I said.
! That you are not the one I'm looking
for" he answered. with a look l didn't
understand then. but learned the mean
ing later. See here. Jack, must trust
some one, or this thing will drive me
mad want to find a man with the
little finger gone from the right hand
sailor man. with three stars in India
ink N the palm Of his right hand. and
the letter G below them. Find me that
man and you'll do an cid mate a kind
ness; that's all I've got to say"
| 1 was carpenter on the Ironoov, and
we had captain who was a terror.
We filed early in the season and ran
/ into port to get rid of our cargo, reft
a little and get some fresh provisions.
While we lay there a man came to the
captain and wanted to ship as harpooner.
He was fine. tall fellow, just the kind
Of man a skipper would banker after,
and he proved to the captains satisfac-
ton that he was a good harpooner, too.
He sailed under the name of Gus Will
| Jams and was every inch a sailor, with
handsome face black. curling hair, and
a devil-may-care look in his eyes.
The captain shipped him when Tom Dali
ton was away on another island looking
after a Kanaka or two that they didn't
meet until the night before we sailed;
and AS he always did Tom looked at
the new man hard for moment and then
turned away.
We were well out to see and bowling
along before a ten Pinot breeze when Tom
came to me as I stood by the rail-.
Where does Gus Williams hail from,
jack" ne asked.
''Martha's Vineyard, he says. I won't
answer for it that he tells the truth. -
I replied.
do you like him."
'SNo. He's got the devil in him some
where and It's bound to come out. He's
as queer stick as l ever saw in my 1--we,
and l don't want to chum with him."
There was one thing about Gus that
was rather queer, and l asked him one
day why he wore the finger Of an old
glove on his right hand He said he had
got a bad joint there and he had to wear
a cover ito keep the salt water out.
1 didn't think any more of it until one
night in the forecastle when we were all
pretty full of grog. the young men got
to Dragging about themselves and the
iris GuS Williams lOOkad IN and
laughed.
You might brag if you had the luck
I've had" he said. There's only one
thing on my conscience after all, and
that's about pretty maid I made love to
in Nantucket years ago, and then left
without a word. Poor little thing! I won
der what came of her?"
Maybe I can tell you" said a quiet
voice, that is. if her name was Mary
Blake"
We all looked up, and saw that Tom
Dalton had come into the forecastle.
That's her name,' replied Gus, nod
ding his head with drunken gravity,
while he raised his right hand to his
mouth, showing the palm plainly. There,
in plain view, were the three stars and
the letter G..
Il reckon you've led a wild life Gus"
said the mate seating himself on locker.
yarn myself Didn't you promise to mar
ry her and do your best to make her set
her heart on you, and then leave her a let
ter TO say you were never coming back?'
''Why, yes; perhaps 1 ought not to have
done it; but it was jolly fun to make
love to her Marry her! 1 wouldn't do
that; for I had wife in Bedford. But
1 didn't tell her that-oh, no, nor
And then he broke into careless song,
such a one as a sailor loves, and the
mate got up and went out
Things went on all right, until one Sep
TENDER day, when we were lying off the
Alaskan coast, the captain sent three
boats ashore for some timber he wanted,
and l went in Toms boat. Gus Williams
who was harpoon in the second mates
boat went too.
saw Tom come up and speak to Will
Jams after they landed, and they went
away together, and something put 1t in
to my head to follow them. There had
been light snow, and it was easy track |
ing them; and after 1 had gone a mile |
1 heard the voices in a little gully, and |
crept up close.
you told a queer story the other night !
when you were drunk, Williams" the |
mate was saying, about a girl named !
Mary Blake. in Nantucket. Was it |
true?"
Why, yes, as far as this: made her |
think 1 was single man, and made her |
love me, and then ran away from her" |
Didn't you know, or didn't you hear, |
that she had a lover-a man that would |
have died for her II she asked him2'
1t seems to me, now I come to think |
of it, that l did hear something about |
a tar that had a fancy for her. But |
what did 1 care for that? I wanted my |
fun"
did you never hear what came of 1t,
then?'
NO, I never bothered myself about it
much. I've wondered sometimes If the !
tarry jacket came home and married /
her"
III tell you the end" Kissed Tom !
when she got your cruel letter she /
dropped and faded, and when the man !
who loved her truly came home from a /
cruise she was very near the grave. Then, |
one day, when the burden OF her life |
grew too much for her 10 bear. she told /
him Of your deceit, and described you. and |
then died. with her head upon his bosom. !
Then he took a VOW that Il you and he /
ever met he'd XII you"
Tn elad we never met" said Will
Jams. laughing.
we have met cried Tom. I'm the
man that loved her and took that VOW.
and now 7 mean 10 keep my word Down
upon your knees and pray. for you have
not FIVE minutes 20 live"
Then I saw g spectacle such as hope
never 70 see again. as Tom slowly drew
a revolver ard waited. The harpooner
fell on his knees. weeping and begging
for his life. but that stern face never
changed. The self-6ppointed Judge and
executioner did not know the name Of
mercy. The wretch crawled ups~ the
Il.