Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-04-29

| I'iik ana tnen contradict CranZe natly.
Upon which out would come the revolver.
and down would go the humorist on his
knees. pitifully begging for pardon and life,
10 the vast amusement of the onlookers.
triVol1ty of this sort in no way suited
the appetite of Captain Owen Kettle He
talked with Crane with certain dry cor
diality and at times he contradicted him.
In fact, the little sailor was man with
strong opinions and he regarded tolerance
as mere weakness. Moreover, Cranze's
chronic soaking nauseated him. But,
though his civility was scant Crane never
rugged out the foolish weapon in his pres
ence. There was a something in the ship
masters eye which daunted him.
In pleasant contrast to this weak, con-
temptlble knave was the man Hamilton his
prospective victim. For him Kettle formed
liking at once though for the first days
of the voyage it was little enough he saw
OF his actual presence until the Flamingo
began to make her southing, and the will
lowy tangles of weed floating in emerald
waves bore evidence that they were steam
Ing against the warm current of the gulf
stream. Then Hamilton came into view
He found spot on the top of the fiddley
where chair could stand, and sat there
in the glow of sun and boilers, and basked
complacently. He was a shy, nervous lit
| tie man, and though Kettle had usually q
| fine contempt for all weakness. somehow
| MS heart went out to this retiring passen-
| ger. Myself, l am inclined to think it was
| because he knew him to be hunted knew
| hlm to be the object of a murderous con-
| spiracy. But Capt. Kettle says the mans
frailties, in fact, almost Disguised him be-
| lore he had made sure OF his other quail
| ties. But those other qualities were glar-
| ingly obvious from the very first. Kettle
| was poet himself, and with the kinship of
| species, he felt the poetic fire glowing out
| from the person of this Mr.. Hamilton.
| Kettle was intensely sensitive about his
| accomplishment. and with passengers espe-
claliy he kept scrupulously in the back
ground. But somehow he and Hamilton,
a 1iyDtya y coa ,ou5 70
| glide into the subject imperceptibly 1t
seemed that Hamilton. too, like Kettle, was
| deVotee of the stiller forms of verse
| You see, skipper he said. I've been a
| most of my time, and SO | suppose l get
| my hankerings after restfulness as the ma t
| ural result of contrast.
| Same here. sir. Ashore l can respect
| myself, and in our chapel circle you'll find
| few more respected men. But at sea. |
| shouldn't like to tell you what I've done.
| Ii saint was to come down and skipper
| the brutes we have to ship as sailormen
| nowadays he'd wear out his halo fiinginc
| ii at them. And when matters have been
| worst and I've been bash3ng the hands
anout, or doing things to carry out an own
| err order that I'd blush even to think of
ashore why then, sir, gentle verse to tunes
| l Know, seems to bubble up inside of me
like springs in barren land"
| We'll, | don't know about that" said
| Hamilton doubtfuly, but when get thor
| ouShiy sick of myself and wish | was dead
l sometimes stave off putting a shot
through my silly head by getting pencil
| ana paper, and shifting my thoughts out of
| the beastly world l know into-well, it's
| hard to explain. But get sort o. notions
| don't you see, and they seem to run best in
| verse. write EN- when the fits on me,
| ana Durn en- when the fits through; and
| you'll hardly think it, but l never told a
| living soul ever did such thing till | told
| you. But you seem TO be a fellow that's
! been in much the same sort of hoy vo,,r-
| self" 'N-
| Il don't know quite that AT any rate
L We never thought of shooting myself
| oh, dldnt mean to suggest we were
| alike at all in detail. l was only thinking
we mad both seen rough times Lord forbid
! that any man should ever be half the fool
| that I have BEEN
| He sighed heavily. However. sufficient
| for the delay. Look out over yonder there S
| a bit of color for you"
Shoal of flying fish got I'm ONT of tho
| warm shining water and ran away over the
| rlppies like so many silver rats, on the
western horizon screw-piIe light houses
nearness of the low-lying Flordian beaches.
man, they tell me- said Hamilton,
can go INTO that country at the back there,
| ana be hermit, and live honestly on his
own hsh and fruit. l believe l could live
there, and be decent, and perhaps in time I
should forget things"
Don't you try it. The mosquitoes are
shocking"
There are worse devils than MOSQUITOES.
now, should have thought there was
something about those everglades that
would nave appealed to you. skipper"
Ihere isn't and I've been there You
want shotgun in Florida to shoot callers
With, not eatables I've written verse there,
out II was the same old tale sir that
brought it up to my fingers ends No. Mr.
Hamilton, you go home and find a country
place, and get on a farm and watch the
corn growing, and hear the birds sing and
pEAt hTA11 Of hos H.
colors of the trees, and then you'll eniov
life and turn out poetry you can be proud
Of" - '"u
Doesn't appeal to me. You see, YOU look
upon the country with a oountryman's
eye"
Me-" said Kettle. I'm seaport and saa-
bred and brought UP. and ali | know Of
heids and farm is what I've seen from a
railway carnage window: No, I've had to
work too hard for my living to have any
time for that sort of enjoyment but that's
what m aiming at, and it's for that I'm
scratching together every sixpence of
money | can lay hands on
You want to be a farmer"
Inat me. L could be God-fearing every
day of the week then, instead of lust when
In ashore, as 1t is now. That's been the
dream of my life, Mr.. Hamilton. to live A
pastoral life like Abrahams and ride about
round a farm and boss the hands"
But here sudden cutlery below broke in
upon their talk. That's Mr. Crane. said
trums one of these days"
II m piously hoping the drunken brute
Will tumble overheard" Hamilton muttar-
ed. Eth, well, suppose I'd better 90 and
below. A "eipt
Capt. Kettle sat where he was. mus,np
He had no fear that Crane would murder
his man In broad staring daylight. Rnt he
dld not see his way to earning that extra
t2oO which he would very much like "
nave fingered. To let. this vulgar, drunken
rufnan commit some overt act against
Hamilton's life, without doing him actnsi
damage, seemed an impossibiIity.
HAD Crane been any other passenger bs
would nave stopped his drunken riotinss hv
taxing away the drink. But GRANGE soher
might be dangerous, whilst GRANGE tinsv
was merely figure of ridicule
At some twenty ports the FIamingo came
10 an anchor six miles offshore, and booted
with her syren till lighters came off
through the surf and the shadows with
cargo. WIN
There was a small ferrying business done
also between neighboring ports in unclean
natlve passengers who harbored on the
foredeck, and complained of want of defer
ence from the crew. Crane passed in
suits to casual strangers who came on
hoo Il, 4