Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1898-07-13
OUR NOBLE TARS.
Story Of a Notable Trip with a Party
of Detroit Schoolma'a ans
MAN-O'-WAR'S crew is a goo

leDBln vi tliIc. sdi'l al LoNa ~
THAT is, unless something remarkable
turns up to put the curb on them. L
saw this fact eXemplified a few years
ago in a singular and rather humorous
way.
Il was attached TO a vessel stationed
at Honolulu when the cholera broke out
there in 1895. We were doubly quaran-
tined because a boy died on our ship.
As soon as the boys body was disposed
OF we up nchor and pulled into the
outer harbor, where we tossed around
in the swell for a few days in a jolting
style that finally determined the skip
per to pull away from Honolulu and the
island of Oahu altogether and to make
a cruise of the islands. We made a
cruise hat lasted nearly three months
and finally g t into Hilo harbor. Next
to Honolulu Hilo is the most important
town in the group 1t is on the main
island of Hawaii, and, towering nearly
$4,000 feet above the sea, 60 miles or so
from the town, is the great volcano of
Mauna Loa. The burning lake of Kila-
uea is midway between the town of Hilo
and the crater Ca.
During the cruise none of the men for
ward was permitted to go ashore. When
we reached Hilo the skipper decided to
give ali hands shore liberty. The boat
SWANS mate passed the word on deck;
starboard watch was to &C ashore the
next day, port watch three days later,
upon the return of the starbonrd watch
to the ship, for the length of the liberty
was to be three days. The yelp of joy
that went up from the forward part of
the ship when this announcement was
made must have been heard ashore.
The men waltZed around like dancing
dervishes and acted as if they We're al
ready drunk. Aft in the wardroom we
commiserated in advance the towns
people of Hilo, for we knew there would
be the devil to pay directly those sea
Indians of ours struck the peach.
1.-The men of the starboard watch,
about $50 all told, got together and de-
cided to make the trip up to the burn
ing lake of Kilauea, and to start as soon
as they got ashore. All hands were paid
off AID received their three months
money, and the men of the starboard
watch turned into their hammocks
early to be ready for the big jaunt the
next day. As soon as they got ashore
Aiit iiith uiS'i icdttt aiiiohS
the gin mills to take a preliminary
drink or two, and then all turne up at
the big livery stable in Hilo, where con-
veyances and horses were to be hired
for the trip to the burning lake, which
is 10 hours from Hilo. Most of the men
felt pretty good from the preliminary
drink, and most of them, too, had a
gooG-sized jug to keep out the cold of
the higher altitude on the journey.
They hit up these jugs with considera-
BILE frequency while the master at arms,
who was the spokesman of the crowd,
made arrangements with the ~liveryman.
He engaged a lot of stages for such of
the party as wanted to travel that way,
and horses for the men who preferred
that means of reaching the burning
lake.
Everything was ready for the start
and the men were becoming comfort
ably Jagged, whena dozen young Won
en-, most of them pretty, and all Amer
lean girls by their looks, tripped up to
the stable and got into n stage that was
awaiting them. The blueiackets Pazed
with n good deal of respectful interest
e: these n~ice-looking girls, who laughed
and chatted together once they c
settled in the stage. and chatted in the
american language, too, which is pleas
| ant music unto the ear of the sailorman
in foreign ports. The bluejackets all
perked up their ears and nudged one an
other.
Hey, there, mate called out the
master at arms to the liveryman, if it's
a fair question, where's that packful
/ ,f x-a,,nr nmn hnnn1-fhn Sama mort
as my gangs making forg
YES replied the liveryman, they're
just starting for the burning lake of
Kilauea, and they'll reach it at the same
time your party does
THE master at arms, a rough man of
| some self-acquired education, walked
up to the stage in which the young
women sat. They watched his approach
with interest. The master at arms re-
moved his peaked cap with the diff
dence of h salutation and spoke:
".Young ladies' said he, you're from
the United States, amt We?
Were not only from the United
States spoke up one of h young
women, smilingly, but we teach the
young idea of the United States how to
shoot. We're all school-teachers from
Detroit
That bein' the case said the mas
ter at arms, it's only right and proper
that you should have a United States
guard, when there's one at hand, while
you're in foreign parts. I've got a gang
of $50 men here, all ablebodied, and 80
of 'em ounted bound for the same
place you're making for. They all wear
the uniform of Uncle Sam. Young
women. / place that guard at your dis
position durin' the cruise to this here
hell-fire lake we're bound for
"The girls were one and all delighted
with the idea, and the girl who had first
spoken told the master at arms so in
enthusiastic terms.
"The master st arms saluted g~ravely.
and wallal Lacl To N.here tho LI,a~ i