La Junta tribune. (La Junta, Bent County, Colo.) 1881-1939, 1898-10-15
A TAR'S REVENGE.

A strange man was Tom Dalton. first
mate of the whaler Ironbow st tropg man
among the strong ones In person he was
six feet in height and well proportioDed.
and for muscular power he heat anything
/ ever saw In my life .ct somehow In
looking ut his face one couldn't get over
the idea that he had suffered great sorrow
or had some wrong to avenge He seemed
to be always booking for some one, and we
never had u new mate and ne never met
. stranger bit he'd give ore SINGLE pene
trating look and then drop his eyes, as u
IL wasn't the man he 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
looking for man. and I'll find him yet.
please God! You may be thankful TOR one
thing. my lad"
And what IL thnt?" I said
THAT you are not the ono I'm looking
for, " he answered. with look didn't
understand then. but learned the meaning
later See here, Jack, must trust some
one or this thing will drive me mad
want to find man with the littlo finger
gono from the right hnnd-n sailorman,
with three stars In India Ink in the palm
Of his right hand and the letter q below
y
an old mate kindness That's all vc
got to say.
WINS q carpenter on the Ironbow. and
We had captain who was a error Oh.
he wns tough old salt. with face the
color of mahogany and u voice like the
roar Of tho wind In gale A stove boat
made him happy. II he only got the whale
That's all he asked.
But we filled carly In the season and
ran into port TO get rid Of our cargo. rcflt
q little and get some fresh provisions
While We lny therU d man came to the cap
tain and wanted to ship ms harpooncr lie
was fine. tall fellow. just the kind Of n
man n skipper would banker after. and he
proved to tho captains satisfaction that
he wns good hnrpooner too
He sailed under the nanio Of Gus Will
linins and WAS every inch q sailor. with u
handsome face, black curling hnir. and u
devil may care look in his eyes. Although
he was hail fellow well met with tho crew
Ididn' like the look Of the man and mailo
up my mind that didn't want him for
chum II Id known what no was It seems
10 me now that I'd have dropped him over
the rail some dark night before We were
fairly out OF port.
The captain shipped him when Tom
Dalton wns away ON another island look
ing after n kanakn or two that used TO
sail with him, and so It happened that
they didn't meet until the night before we
sailcd. and as no always did. Tom looked
at the new man hard for u moment and
then turned away.
When the new man heard the name Of
the mate. thought he gave a little start
and turned trile pale. though why he
did that didn't understand
We were well out to sea and bowling
along before a ten knot brceze when Tom
came to me ns stood by the rail
Where does Gus Williams hail from.
Jackf' he asked
"Martha's Vineyard. he says. won't
answer for II that he tells the truth. rc-
piled.
"Do you like himf'
"No He's got tho devil in him some
where and it's bound to come out. He't
a. queer q stick as ever saw In my life.
and don { want to chum with him."
There was one thing about Gus that was
rather queer, and l asked him one day
why be wore the finger Of an old glove on
bis right hand He aaid he had got had
Joint there. and be had 70 wear cover 70
keep the salt water out
1 didn't mind that % much, but one
day was working ON . boat and he was
helping me and holding the spike and
somehow managed to hit him on the
finger covered by the glove and he didn't
even dinch! and then was sure Of one
thing, and that was that he had no finger
inside tho glove
l didn't say anything. but somehow y
struck me as queer that this man should
have finger missing. and Tom bad asked
me to look for such . man
didn't think any moro Of ts until one
night In tho forecastle, whom We were AL
pretty full Of Rrog, tho young men got 20
brnxRinR about themselves and the girls,
aud Gus williams looked up and laughed.
.You might brag II you had the lunk
r'ye had" be said, There's only one
thing on my conscience after al. and that's
about . pretty maid made love to.in
Nantuoket years ago, snd then left with
cut : word. Poor little thingi wondse
what came 70 herr
"Maybe can tall you" said qnSss
voice, ..thas ~ u hr name was' Aay
Blake Z
Dalton had come Into the fcr~cestle.
s.Tbst's be- MANS. Z sspiisd Gus noa-