The record-union., 1899-05-22
A MAINE SAILORS YARN.

..sneaking of swimmers, said a re-
tired Maine sailor, 'in the year 90,
when I was before the mast on the
American bark Andrew Todd, l met
Dan Fish. Curious thing that the
durndees swimmer l ever heard tell OF
should he named Fish. But so 1t was
Names come that way once In aWhllt.
once I knew feller named Barnes
that was a hostler. A feller named
Ketchum was Deputy Sheriff once IN
the town where | was brought up
But he never did.
"Well. about Fish. We went up the
Baltic ON that trip On the way we
run pretty well in toward the Danlsh
coast. One day saw a feler on lone
some cape making signs. He was jest
arworkirg himself into spasms with
the slams that he was making. Old
man happened to be on deck at the
time. ard he said
wonder what that blamed jump
ing-jaclz is trying to- make out to do?
Mate said he thought man must
be having fits. Capn allowed 'tWarn
that Thought he must want to say
something to us Capn didn't want to
stop. but thought it might be some
thing he ought to know, and so he
hung up head to the wind, and sent
bot ashore. Bot came with the feller
aboard. He clum over the rail.
What kin 1 DO for YEP asked the
old man.
Coin to New York; asked the
feller.
Yep. Started for there
wal, all right, then. want to go
along
You do. hey? Wal, this amt no
omnibus. We amt running a stage
coach. We amt advertising for pas
sengers.'
Exactly; but don't want to be
passenger. 1 want to work. l want
to- get to New York, and I'm an A. B.
able bodied, and you bet your life
amt nothin' else
We'll. it so CHANGED that the old man
was short the right kind of a second
mate. So he thought the thing over
and asked the stranger if he under
stood things we'll enough to take the
berth Man said that was jest the lay
he was strong on. So the old man
took him below.
1T come so that he was in the skip
per's watch Old man usually hung
round on deck till about 9 and then
dropped below for forty winks. He
allus left word that he was to be called
if breeze pipedi up any. Things went
along fust rate for a few days. We got
down pretty we'll into the mouth of the
channel Got so that we could see our
way clear to go whoopin' down into
the deep water. Weather began to
look a little more nasty. Old man
would warn the second mate every
night more up and stiff about calling
him up if the thing come on to blow
any in partikler.
''One night was at the wheel. Heard
all the conversation. Old man got
down so that only his head was above
the companionway. Said he to the
mate:
Looks sort of muddy around the
aidges tonight
Sure, Mike, says the mate.
''Old man didn't like for cent the
familiar way the mate had, and he
jawed him by the acre about it,
Say, don't you talk to me like that
any more he yelled to the mate.
Not on your life, Pete the mate
said. so cheerful like and sincere and
all that, you couldn't get mad at him.
The old man looked at him for a
minute as though he would like to eat
both his ears off without pepper or salt
Then his head went down the compan-
ionway and out of sight In a moment
ii came up again.
Say. he yelled.
Aye, aye. sir. shouted back the
mate. still with the cheerful grin on.
:" If she comes on to blow up any be
sure to rouse me out
Sure Mich, aye, aye. sir, But
bless your soul. Capn. I can handle
her like book. Don't you worrit
Sleep the sleep of the angels
Well if ii comes on to blow and
you don't rout me out said the old
man. you'll be an angel. You can be
sure, Mike. that's all right
g 'Twaemt long before the wind be-
gun to pipe I had to wrassle summat
hard with that old wheel to keep 'el
up. But the mate pendulemed up and
down the deck whstlng, and never said
WORD about taking in a stitch of sail
Pretty soon she began to wopse around
so that the old man stuck his head out
The wind caught up his hair, and il
strung it up into the night like a fias
of truce.
Say. ye ought to take in your royal:
there yelled the old man.
"''S all right, s all right, just as
cheerfuIly answered the mate, as
though they had been talking about the
hay crop. We might jest as we'll keel
her on, We shall get there sooner
There amt no danger at all. She aim
got a mite more sail than she can lug
Go right down and go to sleep. Capn.
The old man didn't like the look!
of things but the mate acted so con
fident like that he gave a few shifts ant
then bobbed down out of sight.
"In another half an hour he was VI
once more The mate was whistling
tune and looking at the stars. The ole