The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-08-28
pipe, and rolled into the berth with a

seaman's sigh of contentment
That was good dinner" he muir
INJURED. after he had filled the room with
smoke, "a good dinner. Nothing on
earth is too good for sky pilot. I'll go
back to the business when I've made
my pile; II 1t wasn't so all fired hard
on the throat-and then the trustees
and the sisters, with their eternal kick
| ing on economy and the donation par
| ties-yah, the dickens With EN- Won
der If this brig ever carried Chaplain?
Wonder how Bill and the boys are
making out? Fine brig this: 'leven
knots on bowline, I'll bet-fine state
| room-good grub-nothin' to do but
save souls and preach the word on Sun
day. I'll strike the fat-duffer-for the
| b-in-the-morn-' The rest of
the sentence merged into a snore, ana
MIR. Todd slept through the night in
| the fumes of tobacco, which so perme-
ated his very being that Captain Bunce
remarked it at breakfast Smoke.
Captain Bunce? L smoke? Not L."
he answered warmly; but you see
those ungodly men compelled me to
clean all their pipes-forty foul pipes
and i do not doubt that some nicotine
has lodged on my clothing" Where
upon Captain Bunce told of Chaplain
be had once sailed with whose clothing
smelled SO vilely that he himself had
framed petition to the Admiral for
his transfer to another ship and sta
| ton. And the little story had the eff
| feet on Mr.. Todd of causing him to
mentally swear that he'd ship with no
| man who didn't allow smoking" and
openly aver that no sincere consistent
| Christian clergyman would be satisfied
to stultify himself and waste his en-
erCieS in the comfort and ease of a
naval chaplaincy, and that a Chap
| lain who would smoke should be dis
credited and forced out of the profess
sion; but later, when Captain Bunce
and his officers lighted fat cigars, and
he learned that the aforesaid Chaplain
had merely been a careless deVotee of
pipe and pigtail twist, Mr.. Todd's feel
| ings may be imagined (by a smoker);
but he had committed himself against
tobacco and must suffer.
During the breakfast, the two Lieu
tenants reported the results of sur
vey which they had taken of the wreck
at daylight.
I'VE find" said Mr.. Duncan, about
nine feet of water over the deck at the
stern and about three feet over the
forehatch at low tide. The topgallant
forecastle is awash and the end of
the bowsprit out of water, so that we
can easily reach the upper ends of the
bobstays. There is about five feet rise
| and fall of tide. Now, we have no pom
toons nor casks. Our only plan. Cap
tain, is to lift her bodily" And We
have a diving suit and air pump" said
Mr. Shack, enthusiastically, and fifty
men ready to dive without suits. We
can raise her, Captain, in two weeks
Gentlemen" said Captain Bunce
grandly, II have full faith in your sea-
manship and skill 1 leave the work
in your hands" Which was equivalent
to an admission that he was fat and
lazy, and did not care to take an active
part.
Thank you, sir" said Mr.. Duncan,
and thank you, SIR said Mr. Shack;
then the Captain said other pleasant
things, which brought other pleasant
responses, and the breakfast passed off
so agreeably that Mr. Todd, in spite of
the soul-felt yearning for a smoke in
spired by the cigars in the mouths of
the others, felt the influence of the en-
thusiasm and bestowed his blessing
qualifiedly-on the enterprise.
Every man of the briggs crew was
eager for the work, but few could en-
gage at first, for there was nothing but
the forecastle deck and the bark's
rigging to stand upon. Down came the
disgraceful black flags the first thing
and up to the gaff went the ensign of
Britain. Then they sent down the fore
and main lower and topsail yards and
erected them as shears over the bow
and stern, lower ends we'll socketed in
spare anchor stocks to prevent their
sinking in the sand, upper ends dashed
together and stayed to each other and
to the two anchors ahead and astern.
To the shearheads they rugged heavy
threefold tackles, and to the discon-
nected bobstays (chains leading from
the bowsprit end to the stem at the
waterline) they hooked the forward one,
and heaving on the submerged windlass
lifted the bow off the bottom-high
enough to enable them to slip two shots
of anchor chain under the keel. one to
take the weight at the stern, the other
at the bow, for the bobstays would pull
out of the stem under the increased
strain as the bark arose
Most of this work was done under
water, but wetting is nothing to men
looking for gold, and nobody cared. Yet,
as result of ruined uniforms the order
came from Captain Bunce to wear I'M
derclothing only or go naked-which
latter the men preferred, though the Of
fcers chung to decency and tarry duck
trousers. Every morning the day began
with the washing of the briggs deck and
securing of rasswork-which must be
done at sea though the heavens fall
then followed breakfast, the arming of
the boats ready for an attack from the
shore and the descent upon the bark of
as many men as could work
Occasionally Captain Bunce would or
der the dingy, and, accompanied by Mr.
Todd, would visit the bark and offer
interesting suggestions, after the man
ner of Captains which only embar-
rassed the officers: and Mr. Todd would
take advantage Of these occasions and
show a sad Ignorance of things nauti-
cal. But often he would decline the
invitation, and when the Captain was
gone, would descend to his room, and,
shutting. the door, grip his beloved
though empty-black pipe between his
teeth and breathe through it, while his
eyes shone fiercely with unsatisfied
desire, and his mind framed silent mall
ediction on Bill Swarth for condemning
him to this smokeless sojourn For
he dared not smoke; stewards, cooks
and sailors were all about him
In three days the barks nose was
high as the seven-part tackle would
bring it, with as many men heaving as
could find room at the windlass brakes.
Then they clapped huff tackle on the
fall, and by heaving on this nipperine.
q nd he, ho