The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-09-26

ing and he was the hardest person to
wake | ever saw. He was the quarter
master who followed me, and after a
little experience / learned to begin to call
him at seven bells. In that way, by
hard work, / would have him ready To
relieve me when the watch changed. He
never knew that he was being called
ahead of time. | would shake him, pound
him, shove a lantern In his face, and he
would demonstrate, push the lantern
away, and go to sleep, if left alone. |
never felt sure of him until he was out
on the deck. for he would fall down
asleep half-dressed whenever he happened
to be in the deckhouse. 1 don't believe
he was ever rightly awake; but at times
he had more of an appearance OF being
so than at others. Once after shaking
him until I was afraid that he was in
jured internally. ne came TO slightly. and
said in d thick. balf-conscious voice:
why don't you wake me?' AS il was
his business to be awake. this sounded
ungrateful. What he really meant was
slightly different, and his stupefied ideas
were coming SO slowly that l could fol-
low their workings. He was fighting
for a little more sleep, not more than
five minutes at the most, for the petty
officer of the watch would miss him by
that time anyway. Then when finally
forced out. he intended to say that l had
not walked him up. / could not blame
some of the men for trying TO get little
more of the sleep they were so desperate
ly short of; but this fellow was getting
his full watches below right along so |
threw a can OF water on him. In order
that he might have nothing to complain
of
| used 10 dread that midwatch. II Is a
time of the night that was never intended
to be seen by men. You notice that more,
out there on the water, than you do In
the four walls of a house or In a city's
streets. From twelve TO four Is a season
when things have grown primitive again.
"The face of the waters is once more in
the condition described in the first Of
Genesis. The human body Is then at its
period of lowest vitality. and II resents-
painfully resents-the unnatural demands
Tade upon 1t.
COiville's sleepy ways made him lots OF
trouble. He was always losing his mess
or forgetting something. Our berthing
space was so small that we could not
swing many hanmocks, which are very
comfortable to sleep in; so We were iitted
for the most part with pipe hunks. With
the hunks, a pillow went very nicely, for
the clothes We took of al night did not
make a bundle that amounted 10 any
thing. and your arm got numb If you slept
on that. There was one pillow FORWARD,
that had once been a boat cushion, no
one had a clear title 10 IL. 50 IL went 10
the first man In. who would hold IL by the
right OF eminent domain and the might OF
his mailed fist. II he had one. For Colvilie
there was a special ruling. II he were
asleep on the pillow and any one else
wanted fl, the person might take IL. pro-
yided he did not wake up the sleeper. The
method was, for the person 10 yank the
pillow out from under COlville's head, and
half the time he knew nothing about IT,
For a moment his head would be support
ed In the air. then the cords Of his neck
would suddenly give way, and down his
head would come on the iron pipe OF the
bunk. We used to exhibit this tick Of his
10 visitors Some thought II cruel, but II
was no more cruel than IL Il had been
done 10 a wooden Indian.
Mccormick was a good fellow lie would
come staggering from ais bunk with clcs-
ed eyes, and talking 10 himself. wake
up, Mccormick Eight bells. Turn cut.
You've got 10 wake up some time. Bear
a hand, Mccormick. and wake ap!" One
day when COlyilIe was asleep IN coil Of
hawser. he rugged up a piece II paper by
a string, 50 that IL would OruSn across
COiyilles face whenever she rolled. For
half an hour The ships comp tuy stood
around, and FOared as Colylle upcOn-
sciOusIy fought with that piece ~ paper.
The noise finally woke one eye. and NJ
saw what II was that Flagu d hun lie
snatched IL furiOusly. and threw it over
board "Ill break you ~ that habit"
saws Mac, and tied COlvilie's tobacco on
Z the string The plot proceeded "a nicely
as A pantomime. This time, without 30
much a. opening his eyes. ne GENT tho tC-
hsccO after the paper. 'Fetcn MS dltty-
bag" sayg Mae He Is getting ready 10
l aba ndon ship AnG ! ksve no doubt that
I they would have let MIN tnrOg sgs -ytniug
I he owned over the side II It had not been
| time 20 stand by for cOi3rs-
Every one, unles. IL vas COlville. llked
Mac. be was such happy. feaihc--brJin-
( "a sort % a chap, He was aeyeg known
/ TO remember anything ,or ten -niaut-r.
During the frat week after We let the
navy yard. and before We we're fully CT
ganlzed the starDOard bunker got ahFs-
/ After an aIl-night job II was put Og-, 9ni
some damage 20 the hull Fhe next mOTr-
9 INK. fire quarters were assigned to US all.
7 and the usual orders FOR fre dad aba udga-
/ ing ship we're posted. ] asked Ma 81 he
/ remembered hts station. NO. he sad.
I 'sDut III have time 20 oak on tlis order
board If I'm called That night ~ were
| ali chased out Ay station Was In the
/ rns zazine and ! ~Ss surprised - ma
Mac sitting on the anchor. Tor ] knew ~
| should be way aft with fmJther blankets.
/ Have you seen nay station around mere
/ anyShere7" said he You ca3 ssBfth
ne sald T. don't you know where II
isy "YeE" he replied. Il kno" Hncrs
I n Is It's on the order board, bet ]. . 20
/ dark ! can't see f. Have you &C. .
/ match