The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-01

pulled the singer from his bunk and ex-
pressed himself:
Shut up-shut up, you sniveling, cater
wauling insect. Don't let me hear any
more of this" Then he shook the I'M
lucky George until his breathing was diff
cult.
Don't you want us to sing in the last
dog watch below, sir?'' asked Tom,
standing up.
mo" yelled the mate Then, reminded
by their faces that the edict was revo-
lutionary, he added: Not such songs as
this. They're played out years ago. Sing
something decent-lively Hear me- he
said to the covering George. Sing some
thlng lively, If you want to sing; and
| don't sing so id loud
Yes, sir-all right, sir-aye, aye, sir,
| answered George, and the mate went aft.
He walked the deck until midnight, and
| for an hour into his watch below: then
| approached the captain
Mustn't think, sir" he said, hating,
that I'm trying to kill the men. I'm not;
but they aggravate me. There's no able
| seaman aboard"
That is a matter of opinion, Mr.. Ar
buckle" answered the Captain, colby.
Even so, able seamen are not really ne
| cessary in a little craft like this. Human
! beings are-and require human treatment.
| Ard. what's wrong with that boy? He's
| got good voice. | like to hear him sing;
| and he's the one man, beside the cook,
| that you haven't manreated. / thought
| you liked him."
Like him-the snivellng, psalm-sing
| in sneak? I've pumped him dry about
| the rest, and they put him up to sing
that song. l know it. It's the old fellow.
Have you heard what he's saying bout
| me?"
| About your wife?"
| Yes, Martin tod me when I bandagei
blIGinnGC
| shouldn't think a mere song could disturb
! you. Mr. Arbuckle. / know the song
| Faded Coat of Blue" It'll draw tears
| from a stone. but not from buckle mates
as a general thing"
! But I've got feelings, Captain, same as
! any man. And that's a song she taught
| the child-used to sing it together, the
| young I'm sittin In her lap, and me smok-
| in and listenin'. 'Tsnt on her account.
! To HI with her. She quit me when 1
was at sea. But she took the boy-my boy
| She took my boy away, and he died"
"Of Starvation"
NO" and the mates voice was horse,
81 won't have it that way She lied.
| DIN her, she lied. Starvation-my boy
| not that. He got sick, maybe, and she
| didn't take care of him."
| "Why did she quit you?" asked the
Captain, for lack for something to say.
"Why, Captain she was one of these
| nlSn-IOne> pleCeS-lOO SOOu lOT THIS WOllu-
| parsons daughter; and when her old dad
died she was id glad to marry me to get
something to eat But she objected TO
everything 1 did and said l wasn't good
enough for her-and when I gave her a
few bats in the nose she objected still
more. I had to take this-at school and
at sea. So does every man. Why should
woman be exempt? But she quit me,
id her, and took my boy"
| "WelI" said the CAPTAIN, slowly, III
! that is your code, we caniot discuss 1t.
You are too old to be changed III
simply say, Mr.. Arbuckle, that l am mas
ter here under the law. l forbid you
to strike another man aboard my vessel.
! You are big enough to thrash all hands,
| but ! know the law, and will prosecute
you, with my men for witnesses"
The mate went to his bunk. He may,
| or may not have been impressed by the
Captains threat. He certainly was by
an interview with the cook which occur
red few mornings later. SO far there
had been no friction between these two,
the most important factors in the econ
| omy of a ship at sea- But the watch
| on deck, being a little dilatory in drink
| ing their morning coffee, brought Mr.. Ar
I buckle to the galley door loudly COM
handing that the cook stop the morn
ing coffee until further orders. The cook
| came to the door with a 10-nch cary
sparkling eyes. II know you, you no
'cound white man. My father used to go
| into the forest an kill gorillas like you
fore the traders got him. l was a slave
| It'll was big enough to run way. Then
| l killed an overseer like you Now I'm
an American. You heah me? I'm an
| American. l signed heah to cook for all
hands an give 'em coffee at turn-to. Tn
| goin' to do it. l sharpened this knife
| the day you Joined, an I've kept it sharp.
| If you run foul O. me, I'll cut you into
little bits. You heah me?''
The officer head, and understood. He
went aft for a revolver, and the cook fol-
lowed to the cabin door with the knife,
and met him when he appeared. But
the pistol did not leave his pocket. The
cook was as large man as himself. and
| there was in earnest look i'm his sparkling
eyes that dominated other influences. So
the days work began without disturb
! ance.
From this on, though he carried his
revolver ostensibly for the cooks benefit,
| end cursed the men eXplosively, night and
day, he obeyed Capt. Haskins' injunctions
until the last day of the passage he
| struck no man. But in the case of George,
no longer exempt, the vocal abuse had
the effect of reducing him to state OF
chronic terror, which found expression
| in a willingness to betray to Mr.. Arbuckle
Il
hope of finding favor with him. The mate
would listen, of course, and abate none
of his contempt for the informer, while
the crew, easily surmising the object of
the nightly Discourse at the weather main
| rigging made life a burden to George In
the watch below. Never too wholesome
! in his attitude toward his fellow men, he
| yielded 10 the pressure, and became an
| illogical, irresponsible animal. Never too
clearly in his personal habits, he became
an offense to the eye and nostril, and this
induced the mate to apply heroic treat
| ment. He doused him with buckets of
water In the morning washing down of
the deck, and this not awaiting. he col
! Jared him one dark night when he had
! crept aft with a new tale, marched him
to the taffrail and in spite of his screams,
! tied him to the end of the mainsheet and
| lowered him over the stern, stacking
away until the poor wretch was immersed
to the waist Occasionally lifting sea
would bury him, smothering his cries;
then. as the stern arose, he would dangle,
dripping and gasping, from the upright
rope, until another sea came to overwhelm
him. MIR. Arbuckle watched from the
] taffraf, and might have pulled him in
~. al l,at n