The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1899-08-31
THE MYSTERIOUS COCKSVA|u.

The big battleship was rolling ma
jestically to and fro several miles of
the coast when the fiery sun appeared
above the horizon and bathed in golden
hues the stunted palms and deserted
shores of Cuba. The bluejackets had
been turned to earlier than usual, and
the work of the morning watch was
already completed. On the forecastle
the idlers and marines were performing
their morning additions, while the
tackles who had been washing down
decks and cleaning ship were gathered
in picturesque groups forward of the
big turrets, excitedly discussing the
news which had been brought forward
by some of the wardroom boys.
''The first huff has been ordered to
cot out a steam launch and cutter
and send some one into the harbor' g
mouth to cut 81 cable. 1t will be dan
gerous job. for the boats will have to
-.rapple for the cable right in range of
the Spanish batteries. -
Here, at last. was an end to the mo-
notony of blockading service and a
chance to do something. For weeks the
big ship had been steaming idly back
and forth without once firing shot or
even chasing blockade runner. 1t was
not strange that the news the ward
room boys were telling created a furore
of excitement among the jackies on the
forecastle. and the early appearance of
the young officers on the deck showed
that "steerage' had also been informed
of the intended expedition.
Among others who heard the story
on the forecastle was Cockswain WEIGH,
who, with his trousers rolled up to his
knees and his muscular arms barred to
the shoulder, had just come in from the
third cutter his especial pet and pride,
where, with bucket and swab, he had
been removing some of the traces of
cinders and. SCOT deposited by the big
tunnels overhead.
WEIGH was not a popular man among
his mates. He had but recently joined
the ship. and, to the disgust of many
an old shellback, he had hardly been
billeted to the after guard when he was
rated cockswain-vice Murphy, dis
rated for dfunkenness-and now had
charge of the best cutter on board.
Many strange stories were being whis-
pered aboat among Welchs mates con-
corning the new cockswain. He was
too young to have been an apprentice,
and there were some who said he was
now serving his first enlistment and
had obtained his rating because of a
pull with some of the youngsters in the
Storage Others avcrred that Welch
was not the cockswains real name and
that he had a story to tell which would
make a fine sensation for any of the
newspaper correspondents lowering
about the squadron on the swift little
towboats could any Cre guess what il
was. But WEIGH. by his quiet atten
tion to duty. his reticence and gentle
manly manners, had hitherto remained
a mystery. which bothered the curious
ones among the iackies not little.
Withal. he seemed tn NJ good seaman
and to have the confidence of his supe-
riors, who. if they knew his secret, had
kept it well to themselves.
"Pass the word for WEIGH, the cock.
swain of the third cutterp' piped the
| boatswain's mate "Lay after to the
quarter deckp'
The message was taken up and re.
peated by the boatswain's mates in the
different parts of the ship, and the
cockswain. rolling down his duck trou.
sers and setting his watch cap squarely
on the top of his head, hurried off in
! resDonse to the call