The Topeka state journal., 1899-09-13
CAPT. DAYE,s SEA ROBIN.
[From the New York SUM


voice that characterizes him, what
these here scientists don't know about
nature would fill many books"
The skipper and his guest were seat
ed in the snug cabin of the trim oys-
ter s1oop AlbatrOsS. She lay at anchor
on the bosom of the beautiful Great
Kills. .Cap'n'' Dave-but then! every
body who is anybody knows Cap'n
Dave. Those who do not, have yet
much to learn.
You hear that, now he continued,
as a strange sound as of hoarse roar
ing issued forth apparently from the
bowels of the sloop.
The weird sound was certainly much
in evidence It is perhaps best describ-
ed as muff1ed roaring, like unto that
of live steam blown off under water,
save only that it contained the sug-
geStiOn of a human note. The skipper
and his guest were the only persons on
the slOOp, yet the semi human roar
continued to come from the unknown.
The guest became both curious and un-
comfortable.
There is nothing a sailor relishes like
throwing an impression either of fear
or wonder into friend or guest. Cap'n
Dave was no exception to this rule.
He watched the impression quivering
in the mind of his companion as a
Whaler watches the harpoOn culver in
the blubber of his victim. He deliber-
ately sharpened his jackknife on a mar
linspike and sliced some tobacco from
a plug with serious nicely and judg-
ment He filed his pipe and began to
smoke.
You hear that now" he repeated.
this time with a solemn chuckle;
that's old Tom Williams a-roarin'"
Tom Williams?"
mot the Tom Williams you mean"
said the captain, who writes fish stor-
les and yet don't know any more than
to go over to Jersey for weakfish- 1t
amt him that's a-roarin'. It's my sing
ing pardner.''
"Singing?''-
ITS my Sea Robin, and he's known
in these parts as Old Tom Williams.
He's a-roarin' now and he'sa-roarin' for
me. He wants me to sing"
1t was one night last May" went on
Captain Dave, his remarks being pune
tuated by puffs at his pipe and the out
bursts in the boat, that Old Tom in
troduced himself to me. 1 had been
Oystering all day and was just about
to turn in, when I heard a roaring
sound in the trunk of the sloop That's
where the centerboard is, you know.
It's Sculpins,' says L While 7 was un-
dressing began to sing in a careless
soft of way:
Fifteen men on the dead mans chest,
Yo' no, no. and a bottle of rum
while was singing the sculpin
stopped roaring. When I left off sing
ing he began roaring. Between us we
kept it up this way till went to sleep"
Next day 1 went a chummin for
bluefsh along of a be Ha'penny. No
fisherman hereabOuts can hold a candle
to Abe, and we caught quite some fish
quite some. Twas getting late when
I got back aboard the sloop in the kills,
and while was cleaning some fish and
hanging them up to wind-dry, after
throwing a little pepper on 'ern, with
out thinking at all L began to sing
again. / had hardly finished a few
words when the sea robin in the trunk
began to roar for more. AS before, he
kept still when L was aSinging and sang
when kept still. 1 began to think as
how Abe Ha' penny had said when we
were chunamin' that these here scien-
tfc sharps say that fish have got no
sense. I began to get kinder interest
ed and I didn't go ashore that night,
but spent the evening with that queer
cuss in the trunk. After awhile I got
tired of singing and listening to Old
Tom roar. Just before I turned in I
thought I'd Oblige him with one more
verse, so, in sleepy kind of a way 1
began:
Drink and the devil had done for the
rest
when, man, o man, something happen
ed that made me go all of a tremble!
1 thought some one was singing with
me, and when got to the chorus, durn
my skin if that sea robin didn't roar
it without missing a motel No don't i
mean to say that he sung the words
exactly, but he sung the tune as good
as myself. Who says fish amt got
any sense% says I, and just then I
thought of the row of blue fish a wind
dryin' in the rigging and I just felt like
murder, that's what seemed to take
a different view o. fish from that min
ute"
AS Capt Davis voice subsfded. the
smothered sounds began again in the
trunk producing an indescribable feel 1
ing in the mind of the guest.
He knows I'm a-talking about him
does old Tom said the oysterman
knocking his pipes on the paneling as
a signal to the sea robin to keep quiet
and I often wonder how he knows |
when Pm coming aboard. He generally |
to make his hours the same as |
mine. Nor do I know where he keeDs
himself when take the Albatross to |
Ork with load o. CLANS e-uess he (
thinks that that North River water |
would spoil his voice, for he never goes !
along With me- OF course, the trunk !
would not be a safe place for him to |
live except when were atanchor. Shift 1
ing the center board might cut him in [
two He's too valuable a fish to take |
any chances" 1
Gould you
i've been a-trainin' his voice now
for three months, and he knows about |
all do. I've been thinking of giving |
aboard, but I don't know as |
ne, q stand for it. Sometimes I think |
he's bashfu1''-
Gould you''-
Hes improved wonderful" said the /
skipper, 'and he knows a dozen or more |
songs by heart. He prefers madrigals |
or part songs. Strange to say, he won't |
sing any song that makes fun O. fish
in any way. Can't get him to touch |
such songs as The Amorous Goldfish.
l think his best effort is Rocked in the |
Cradle Of the Deep 1t reminds him of /
his home in the trunk
could you'-
He likes operas. Strange to say, his
favorite song is Taken from Coun- /
try Jail from the 'Mikado.' He sings |
bass"
Gould you get him to sing a few bars |
now?" asked the guest, as the uncanny
the vessel.
The eaptain arose slowly and knocked |