The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-15
By CUTCLfFFE HYNE.


Copyright, 1898, by Cutcliffe Hyne)
Her cargo'n have shifted" said the
third mate, and when she got that list
her people will have felt frightened and
left her"
shes a scary look to her, with her
yardarnlS Spiking every other sea-, said
Captain Image, and her decks like the
side of a house. shouldn't care to nav
igate craft that preferred to lie down
on her beam ends
Take this glass. sir, and you'll see
the lee quarter boat daEit tackles are
overhauled. That means they got at
least one boat in the water. To my
mind, she's derelict"
I hope her crew have got to dry land
somewhere, poor beggars, said Cap
tain Image. Nasty things, those old
WInd-jammers, Mr.. Strake. Give me
steam"
But there's a pile of money in her
still, SAID the third mate, following up
his own thoughts. shes an iron ship,
and she'll be 1900 tons good. Likely
enough in the Frisco grain trade"
And you're thinking she'd be nice
plum if we could pluck her in any
where?" said Image, reading what was
in his mind We'll, me lad. know that
as well as you, and no one would be
pleaseder to pocket $500. But the old
Mposo's a mailboat, and because she's
got a quarter of a hundred weight of
badly spelt letters on board, she can't
do that sort of salvage work if there s
no lfe-saving thrown in as an extra
reason. Besides. were behind time, as
it is, with smelling round for so much
cargo, and though 1 shall draw my pa
per cent on that, l shall have it all to
pay away again and more to boot in
fines for being late. No. [ tell you it
isn't all sheer profit and delight in be-
ing skipper on one Of these West Afri-
can coast boats.
Strake drummed at the white rail of
the bridge. he was a very young man,
and he was very keen on getting the
chance Of distinguishing himself; and
here, on the warm MINDLESS swells
abeam, the chance seemed to it beck
oning him. I've been thinking, sir, if
you could lend me half a dozen men. 1
could take her in somewhere myself
I'm as likely to lend you half
dozen angels. Look at the deck hands;
look at the sickly trip this has been.
We've had to put some of them on
double tricks at the wheel already; and
as for getting any painting done, or
having the ship cleaned up a bit, why.
can see we shall go into Liverpool as
dirty as a Geordie collier. Mr.. Strake.
If you have penn'oth of brains slowed
away anywhere, I wish TO whiskers
you d show EN- sometimes.
''Old mans mad at losing a nice lump
of salvage" thought Strake. Natural,
1 guess" SO he said quietly, Aye, aye,
sir" and walked to the other end of
the bridge.
Captain Image followed him half way.
but stopped irresolutely with his hand
on the engine room telegraph. on the
fore main deck below him his old friend
Captain Owen Kettle was leaning on
the rail, staring wistfully at the dere-
lict.
Poor beggar,'' Image unused. "'tisn't
hard to guess what he's thinking about.
/ wonder if 1 could fix il for him to
take her home. 1t might set him on his
legs again, and he's come low enough,
Lord knows. If l hadn't given him d
room in the first-class for old times
sake, he'd have had to go home as a
distressed seaman and touched his cap
TO me when L passed. I've not done
badly by him, but I shall have to pay
for that room in the first-class out of
my own pocket. and if he was to take
that old Wind-jammer in somewhere,
he d fork out, and very like give me a
dash besides. Yes, I win say that
about Kettle; he's honest as a barkeep-
er, and generous besides. He's a steam
er sailor. Of course, and has been most
of these years, and how he'll do the
white wings business again, Lord only
knows. Forget he hasn't got engines
till its too late. and then drown him
self probably. However that's his pal
aver. Where were going to scratch
him up a crew fTOm's the thing that
bothers me. Well, Wen see He leaned
down over the upper bridge rail and
called:
Here q minute, captain
Poor Kettles eye lit. and he came
up the ladders with boys quickness.
Image nodded toward the deserted
vessel. Fine fullrigger, hasn't she
been? What do you make her out for?"
Frisco grain ship. Stuff the bulk
And it's shifted
Looks that way. Have you forgot
ten all your 'mainsail haul and the
square rig gymnastics"
I'm hard enough pushed now to re-
member the theory sums they taught
at navigation school if 1 thought they
would serve me-
Il know. And I'm as sorry for you.