The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-21
YARN SPUN BY A SAILOR
PICKED UP A CHEERFUL PERSON
OFF THE DANISH COAST.
Lost Him at Sea and Found Him
Later In New York, Much to a
Museum Managers Dismay, Pre-
pared For Four Months Swim
ming Cruise.
Chicago Inter ocean.l

was before the mast on the American
bark Andrew Todd, I met Dan Fish
Curious thing that the durndest swim
mer I ever heard tell of should be
named Fish, but it was so. Names
come that way once in while. Once
1 knew a Teller named Barnes that was
hostler A Teller named Ketchum
was a deputy sheriff once in the town
where 1 was brought up. But he never
did.
well, about Fish. We went up the
Baltic on that trip. On the way out
we run pretty well in toward the Dan
ish coast One day we saw a Teller on
lonesome cape making signs. He was
jest a working himself into spasms
with the signs that he was making
Old man happened TO be on deck at the
time, and he said
Wonder what the blamed jumping
jack is trying to make out TO do?'
Mate said he thought man must De
having fits. Captain allowed 'twarn' t
that Thought he must want TO say
something to us. Captain didn't want
to stop, but thought it might be some
thing he ought to know, and so lie
hung up head to the wind, and sent a
bot ashore. Bot came back with the
Teller aboard. He clum over the rail.
WHAT XIII uo LUZ Se. dSheu 'iS
old man.
Coin to New York; asked the
Teller.
Yep; started for there"
"'Wal, all right, then; L want to go
along
"'You do, hey? Wal. this amt no
omnibus. We amt running stage
coach. We amt advertising for passen-
gers
Exactly; but I don't want to be
passenger. l want to work want 10
get to New York, and I'm an a. b
able bodied, and you bet your life
amt nothin' else
Wal, it so CHANGED that the old man
was short the right kind of second
mate. So he thought the thing over
and asked the stranger II he under
stood things well enough to take the
berth. Man said that was just the lay
he was strong on So the old man
took him below.
1T come so that he wasin the skip
pers watch. Old man usually hurg
round deck until about 9, and then he
dropped below for forty winks. He al
lus left word that he was to be called
if breeze piped up any Things went
along fust-rate for a few days. We got
down pretty well into the mouth OF the
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 partik-
Ter.
THE MATE CHEERFULLY FAMILI
"One night 1 was at the wheel. Heard
all the conversation. Old man got down
so that only his head was above the
Said he TO the mate:
Looks sort of muddy around the
aidges tonight
:. Sure, Mike says the mate.
-"Old man didn't like for a 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.
1.-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-
onway and out of sight. In a moment
L came up again.
'Sayi' he yelled.
-"'Aye. aye, siri' shouted back the |
nate, still with that 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. cap'n, can handle her |
ike book. Don't you worrit- Sleep !
he sleep of the angels
We'll, if it comes on to blow and |
you don't rout me OUT said the old |
nan, you'll be an angel. You can sure |
Nike that all right
"'Twasn't long before the wind began |
% pipe. l had to wrasSle Summat hard |
With that old wheel to keep 'er up. But |
he mate pendulumed up and down the |
ieck, whistling, and never said a word /
lbout taking in a stitch of SAIL Pretty |
Don she began to wopse around so that |
he old man stuck his head out. The |
Wind caught up his hair, and it strung |
t up into the night like flag of truce.
Say, ye ought to take in your roy
is there. yelled the old man.
IS all right, s all right just as
heerfully answered the mate, as |
hough they had been talking about the
lay crop. We might jest as we'll keep |
er on. We shall get there sooner. /
There amt no danger at all. She amt
,ot a mite more sail than she can lug.
10 right down and go to sleep, cap'n.'
The old man didn't like the looks of
hings, but the mate acted so confident
Ike that he gave a few snuffs and then
obbed down out of sight.
In another half an hour he was up
nee more. The mate was whistling a
une and looking at the stars. The old
rib was lurching down into the seas
Ike a gentleman jag going downstairs.
:" Take in them r'yalsn screamed the
Id man,
l." 'Northin' but a puff. cap'n; northin'
ut a puff said the mate.
THE MATE OVERHEARD
Jest then there was a mighty rip
nd whoop of the wind, and the upper
ails went out of the eyelets like smoke
he mate was standing looking at the
ags scudding off on the wind, when
he old man came stomping up behind
i'm. The old man hit him one clip be-
ind the ear, and over the rail he went,
light into the smother.
Shall / put bout Ship / cried, for
he thing sort of stunned me.
- Put bout nothin, said the cap'n.
ought to have done that long ago.
lie was hoodoo, that's what he was.
don't want any loonytics on board the
odd And he ordered the watch to
urn out and furl.
1T made the men feel sort o. blue for
few days to lose man in that way.
nd do you know, we all sort o. liked
he cuss? He allus had cheerful ways
18th him. And we thought the old
ian was a little mite hash to knock
i'm overheard the way he did and then
, slide away and leave him. But the
ceiling wore away, and almost before
e knew it We were sloshing on our
ay uo New York harbor.
Say, now, I'm going to surprise you.
m afraid you'll think I'm not telling
lie truth. But. so help me the Great | I
rawfish. If the man who came run
ing down to the wharf to take the bow
awser wasn't Dan Fish. There he
as. just as large as life. Old man