The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-11-21
Winning THE captain.
"
It Was Effected by a Girl, but at
the Expense Of the Ship.
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could get hold of. She was on the books
as passenger, and when she come
aboard at Gravesend with red para
sorl and brown 'andbag. and asked
the way to her room we knowed on the
! instant that there was something go.
ing to happen, and we changed our
lives just as if we'd bin born agen and
couldn't help it.
"Why, afore we was of the More
blest if she admit begun attacking to the
cook about the greasy knives and tea
spoons, till the poor Teller was in such
fiutter that he took two hours. turn
a-polishing every bit of brass as might
'appen to come under 'er eye.
"And then she started on the men.
The ropes was all sticky and nasty, she
SEES, and so was the bul'arks, as she
couldn't lean agenst without messing
'er blouse. And the men never said
nothing, but just went below and fish
ed out their best toys and took to scrap
ing away the coal dust and tar when
they ought to ha' been below and in
their hunks.
"The fact is, we was all knocked
cad over 'eels and silly with fear and
admiration. For, no mistake, she was
as trim a gal as ever set a parasorl.
That is to say, we was all stuck 'cept
the skipper, and e wasn't that sort. II,
"They did say as e was a woman
'ater and didn't see no use in 'em, and
| dare say as that was so, for when
she was on deck a-airing her best
things and a-making us poor chaps
wish we was good looking enough to
lay our carts at 'er feet e was a-slink-
ing out of the way and only came on
deck when e knowed she'd be below
curling 'er air or getting 'erself up for
another attack.
well, this state of things continued
for a couple of days, and then one
morning she come right up to me as l
was a-splicing lashings and poked me
in the chest with 'er parasorl
Sailor she ses, what's your
name?'
Bill Sniggs, miss, if you please l
ses, with my knees a-shaking as If
they was sprung.
"'Well, BILL she SEES, you look to me
to be the kindest 'earted and the hon
estest man aboard, and l want you to
do me a favor as 1 can never repay.
Will you?
willv l answers, serious, just as
when they take 'em for better or wuss.
And when she smiled and showed Ter
pretty teeth and 'er eyes ,shone like
melted stars thought should ha' had
to back on the deck ouse for support
CHOW, sailor she ses, I'm a-going
to take you into my confidence. First
Of all, must tell you Pm In love- l
was almost a-falling on my knees to
tell 'er knowed it. Now, can't you
guess with whom? Why, of course,
with your dear, good skipperl But, oh,
dear, e is so 'orridly backward! e
won't even look at me. e knows /
came ere on purpose to be near i'm
and to talk to i'm and see 'ow e neg
lects me and keeps out Of my way!
Oh, sailor, am so 'orrid and uglyT
Il told 'er as well as l could as
didn't think the old man need take on
so, COS she wasn't arr bad to look at.
On the contrary, she was about as
pretty a picter as you'd see in q
months cruise.
"'Well, sailor she went on, what
do you think I've determined to do?
believe he won't have anything to do
with me simply because I'm a woman.
and some silly people think a woman
can do nothing but receive admiration.
Now, if l could show him that i am
brave and strong and can think and
act for myself perhaps he would learn
to love me. So | want you to help me.
l want you to fall overheard and let
me jump after you
1T come on me bit suddenlike, and
sorter reeled with establishment. But
she took old of my and and squeezed
it till | thought l should faint away
in 'er arms.
"'Now. don't look surprised, she
SEES; I'm an awful good swimmer! I've
won lots of prizes at our baths, and I'll
see that we throw a buoy or two over
board so that we shan't be in danger.
And when it's over, sailor, I'll give you
f5. Now you can't say no to me, can
you-you dear. kind man?
mo couldn't. and that was fact.
It's bad enough when you've got a
lovesick maiden gasping and a-leaning
on you, but when it comes to five quid
in ard cash dangling before your nose
it's too much.
$50 we arranged it that next day, II
the sea was smooth and the weather
fine, I'd sprinkle few life buoys over
board and accidentally tumble among
'em. Then, with cry as 'ud bring
the skipper on deck, the gal would dive
after me, and we'd go through sorter
life saving performance, and If that
didn't make the old man fall on 'er
neck and ask to be forgiven-wel
then we'd ave to throw i'm in next,
and let 'er ave a try at saving i'm
''Well, next day was fine, with just a
bit of breeze as kept the bark steady
under all sail, and as we were only
making about four knots an hour
reckoned this was the time for the
final scene. So / whistled to the gal to
get ready, and then got old Of all the
buoys l could find and pitched 'em
astern when nobody wasn't looking.
Next l slipped off my boots and drop
ped quietly over the side.
when l looked up seed the gal
a-loOking as if she was a-wondering
'ow cold it was. And then all of sud-
den she gave a yell, and diyed in and
come swimming toward me like fish.
"Lor', the commotion there was on
board when they heard that Yell First,
up come the skipper from below. He
looked astern and saw the girl in the
water. OF went lis coat. and splash e
came after 'er. Then l seed the cook
rush out of the galley. E took in the
situation, and the next moment e was
taking header from the stern. Two
seamen as 'ad card the cry next tum-
bled over, and before l 'ad time to oil
Ter out and tell 'em it was all right the
other two seamen and the boy was a
bobblng about In the water.
by this time the gal 'ad got to me,
and we was each Of us 'anging to a
buoy. Away in the wake of the bark
we could see seven 'eads a-bobbing
about, and one by one they came up to