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

Now, I'll not deny guessed thero
was something fishy about the Shah
from the very first minute her skipper
talked to me, hut l was not in posi-
ton TO pick and choose. III fact, | was
that pushed it was "A choice between
taking the berth l was offered or going
TO sea as ordinary fireman at "a u
month.
1t was my weakness that had got the
better of me, as usual. | had como into
New Orleans on one of the West Indian
Pacific boats, and the berth was good.
] was third ON her, and, though | ought
TO have been second, the berth as third
was distinctly good. We engineers had
mcssroon, with a steward ell TO our
selves, and bread was baked on board
fresh three times week. There was 10
stint of anything. Even pickles We're TO
be had foz sticking ont your fork. and
any one but a fool would have staid on
that ship and read up Textbooks and
won promotion. l was fool.
He was II very nice, quiet, gcntle-
manly fellow, the one who got me to 20
ashore with him, and he could play
hymn tunes OH tho 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,
boarding house master had to suit him
self to his guests He admitted ho
wasn't Scotch himself, but his mother
had como from kilmarnocli as girl,
and he'd strong liking for the north
country in consequence. He wasn't
wanting mo to 40 and stay in his house,
he explained TO me, but only TO como
md have II cup of tea Just for tho sake
Of the place / came from. II was not to
cost me single sixpcucc. 1t seemed he
was q member Of the free kirk of Scot
land himself and that explained it. Ny
Father had once boon minister to that
sect at Bnllindlpchater.
We had a bit of social after tea,
md there was hymn singing to the ac-
Gordon, and l sang too. They seemed
to like it, and they drank my health. l
just had u tot to drink theirs back.
There was corn whisky in demijohn
on the table, and you could help your
self, with nothing to pay. 1t would
have looked unfriendly not to taste.
Well, I'll admit that night was a bit
thick when it got TO NE finish, and
where | slept the guild Lord may know,
but 1 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. l went back TO the
Ill
cursing some niger roustahouts and
forthwith told him what | thought of
his conduct. / WASH { content with tell
ing him quietly either. must needs
mount on cotton bale and preach
aloud to all the nigycrs and loaferS who
would hear that any skipper who would
use language like that was no sort of
company for God fearing men like US,
and finally while l was advising them
to duck him in the Mississippi police
man camo and lugged me Off to the cal
aboOse. There was 10 foolery about
that policeman. Ho drove me before
him with the small end Of Il revolver,
and had to 90. Policemen are valua-
bic in New Orleans, and DRINKS 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 ] was sacked from
the West Indian Pacific after that. The
British consul wouldn't look at me-
and after the boarding house master
had mopped up my pay and what he
lent on my chest he showed me the door
too He wouldn't keep NE on in hopes
Of getting his dollars out of my next
advance. Ito said straight he didn't
think I'd get another ship. He said my
tongue when l got it oiled was enough
10 frighton Grover Cleveland
I'd 81 left when ] got shown the door
there, and with 81 man doesn't starve
all at once i'll New Orleans. There are
FREQ lunch counters everywhere, and
with q 10 cent glass of beer YOU can
have very tolerablo fill ont Of fish pie,
dry hash, cheese, and so on, but it
doesn't do TO 90 to the same place toe
often or the Niger behind the bar will
forget TOLL your plate when you pass it
Oh. But 50 won't last long, and when
I'd got down TO my last % 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, lie was smallish chap
called Blake, Amcrican-Irish | think,
md the biggest thief in the two Allan.
lies. He'd face ON him like a saint in
stained glass window and a reputa-
zion that would have spoiled n gallows,
out he could talk polite fit to mako 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, but he was considered haddish
tough, even in New Orleans, and good
ness knows they're not particular down
there. He came across me sitting on n
cotton bale on the levee at the foot If
Canal street. He had just come down
river in u big "stern wheeler" ana |
was tho first person he spoke to after he
walked down her gnngplank
You're MIR. Sandy MoTodd, ain t
youf"
"Neil Angus McTodd."
"Same thing. Still ont Of a berth,
'sonny?'
~ haven't decided yet which to take ("
Then take mine or | reckon you II
starve."
"Is that stern wheeler yours, cap
tain?"
mo Stree. I'm Captain Blake of the
q ,,iv 4.