The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-21
SHIP BOYS WIN A BATTLE.
THE STEWARD WAS THEIR FOE AND
PLUM DUFF THE PRICE

away. ana the heat was increasing daily. 1eg
no ono aboard the Bonito seemed to mind IL
very much except Adam. the cook. and he. be-
ing q fat man. and Obliged to spend most Of his
waking hours over the galley stove. sweltered
and svore In a manner alike shocking to eye
and ear.
oh, Lord !" he eroaned. a. he leaned against
the side OF the weather door. And we 'aven't
crossed the line yet"
The cook, after wipinR his face on the greasy
rag no always carried. and consulting an
equally greasy watch. proceeded to take the
cabin dinner out OF the oven. which he placed
on the locker near tho door. ready for the
steward. 1t was a good dinner for q ship thirty
days out. There was some timed soup. roast
chicken. dry hash and dried-apple pie. The
chicken which had been called for this par
ticular Sunday dinner was a fine. fat bird and
as It lay In the pan. all nicely Drowned itlooked
and smelled tempting.
Where's that duff-'eaded stooward. I won
der 2" said the cook. impatiently eying his
watch again. A I'm. 'e's allus a-keepin'
me waitin'."
At that moment q short. round-faced boy.
apparently laboring under great excitement,
rushed to the Ice door.
"Oh. look. doctor. lookl" he cried. There's
something in the water over therei"
where" said the cook. sliding hurriedly
to the door.
IneTeI IneTel duSWeTeu Jn6 DOy, pOlnt-
ing vaguely toward the horizon. Don't you
see something black
"Jigged II / soc it, said the cook. with his
hand shading his eye.
Must have been q blooming old whale. then,
or something" Rrumbled the youngster.
"when l looked first I made sure 1t was the
sea serpent"
Sea SERPENT" returned the cook. scornfully.
"Ye ought to ave more sense. Tubby."
yvliIo Ait. conformation katraan a.-ro,N;o.
Tubby and cook Adam was in progression at
the lee door. the head and arm Of a second
small boy appeared at the weather door. The
newcomer remained Just long enough to grab
the fat chicken by the drumsticks and drop It
into a deck bucket. Then he disappeared.
why. don't you believe In the sea serpent,
doctor ?" asked Tubby. innocently.
"Lummy. no." replied tho cook. "That's
sum'at as as bin busted long ago. Though I
remember one time when l was in the Celia
G., Just out o''Frisco. re seed a long snaky
crltter. with q 'ead on i'm as big as a 'arness
cask, a-laying atop o. the water. an'-but I'll
tell you about that later. Tubby. Ere comes
the stooward."
The round-faced boy vanished in the direc-
ton Of the poop. and the cook returned to the
cabin dinner.
Now, then. Doc, 'urray up, me lad. TIL ole
man teroshus 'ungry to-day. an ah'm laate
hDN, odlu lIc t"olu puSbtlilB ihOo Tx kul-
ley In his clean apron.
He was n ridiculouslY dumpy individual. with
a very red face. piggy eyes, and bristling NUT
tonchop whiskers. Coon. COON. man." he
continued. what ails tina ?"
But Adam apparently lid not hear him: for
he neither moved nor answered. Holding a
platter in one hand and an appraised fork in the
other. he stood like a purple-faced waxwork.
savagely regarding the empty pan. He ex-
,IpJod nt laat with ona tramnpdnua ." damn
They bin an gone an dun it again!" he
screamed to the steward.
"'Oo? Wot2 Where ?" asked the bewildered
man from abaft.
THE chicken. you fooll" answered the cook.
They've took it."
The steward gasped and turned pale. The
same thing had happened once before on the
voyage. and the Captain had told him then in
strong deep-water language that II it occurred
a second time he would discharge him when
the ship reached Calcutta.
"Oh. dear! oh, dear. cookieT he exclaimed
wringing his pudgy hands. "Wot will we do
Ell give us both our walkin' tickets for this
'Oo was it. dye think 2"
THE men. l s'pose." replied the COOK
More like them dlvils O. boys" said the
We'll, it's your fault. any way. 'ooeyer it was
they wouldn't be takin' things"
My fault" returned tho steward. waxing
The threatenedGuarre between the two mel
was nipped in the bud at this moment by the
snatched W, the soup t%ureen. and, calling tc
the cook to follow him to the pantry. he sour
Ere. doctor,"he said. after the soup hat
been put on the cabin table, take these tTc
lie notices the differ Iltoll i'm as 'ow you &c
"Ay, that's right; toll i'm it was a haxident.'
As Il happened the skipperand the mate were
indulginG in one OF their periodical rows. apt
spite OF this, however, the, steward was by nc
means satisfied. From what the cook had tolc
slble for the theft. and he promised himself q
speedy and awful REVENGE .,., -,
spprcntices' Iuartersl and the pantry was pc
f slsr s' had ' had thew the worst "sf Of if' It. '? The a Cause SO u ,i +
all was his own astonishing ,meanness.. Or
tittii%" differently from the forward TIA hands as re-
CARDS food. They had been allowed "cabir
b breaE ( an and eNi's we're Tet the re- Tsco oSSnps 9a roeip'en aG
o of D The cabin !, tai tables ns ds e,s;psrsss Al o, Wh 4ihg ar,
done away with. The boys, very naturally
At this time the boys we're stealing every
their hands on. aud in addition, harassed thoii
sH@" alon en the sla %H frsP aset WITH htR a a cabin 81 Si mea
In his, hands. by dropping balls OF spun-yarI
upon his head from aloft. and by play ing tn,
hose on him whep they were washing decks
They might indeed have passed as such. 81
cleverly were they managed. but for thei
frequency.
The steward. on his side. after making on,
or two unnoticed complaints to the Captain
retaliated by giving the boys their bare allow
Ancc. and by wantonly heavlng messes. OF fresl
meat. halves of pies. and such luxuries owe
the side before them.
This new development. the stealing OF tn
Captains Sunday dinner, reused the steward
ire to such an, ,~extent that he determine,
upon a return blow which should, be crush
OF it. The following sunday the blow fell
about in this way: Masters. the only ap
prentice, In the SECOND mates, watch. wa
out promptly. and. tin plates in hand. wen
forward to the galley for his. dinner; After re
ceiving the usual ration OF salt horse" an,
toft bread on one plate. Masters held out tn
"Wot's that for2" asked the cook. with pre-
tended ignorance.
THE dun. of course" answered the boy. -.
You might a saved yourself the troubl