The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-03
GOOOMAN'S FORTE.


NN0 y AS
cious. and because Of the latter quality he was
much aiyen to INDUCING himself In the former,
II was said that he had trusted not wisely but
TOO we'll, and had become warped. MIR. Enlis,
his frst mate, gave 1t as his private opinion that.
although Jimmy Breeze had been through many
tieh Z places and INDUCED in many a dangerous
frscas on his ships main deck. his courage was
not "gilt-edged."
Just h he based this conclusion upon he
dh not say. A former second oficer-ono Gar
nets thoroughly disreputable sailor who
feared neither God, man or devil-had tried to
efplain this matter 70 some OF his watch. who.
Of course, In duty bound. saw that the said at
tempted explanation was duly carried aft to tho
captain. This lead TO some pickering and event
usilv IN a vacancy In tho second officers cabin.
sinoe then the meaning Of Mr.. Enlis's encon-
tnm was left 10 work itself out among those who
vsrs unfortunate enough to have heard IT,
.Idop't want no more dead beats with twisted
tdsas s'comin' aboard this here ship a. mates,
Ia Capt. Breeze. the morning after the
Northern Light had finished loading and was
about to pull out OF the River Plate,
AVE. aye, sir, said Mr.. Enlis. who sat at tho
end OF tho cabin table.
AN I don't want no remarks made forrads
eonoernin' the running Of this vessel neither
continued the captain, IF I hear any moro
eonoernin' me or my Affairs therh be some
vhansing a-takin' place. Dye take me for .
fool. Nj. Enli'"
mo. SIR; you ains no fool. an that's q fact
eaid the mate.
sD'ye think can't si,e up . manor woman.
sithsr, for that m~atter-becanse I've trusted IN
one or two male or female raskils. hey2-
III - .-., .Anh thtpn rann-
replied the mate, psnitently.
.fdidn't ask 70 what ye cud say. roared JIM
~ I.ese. I'm taikin'o' what ye might say
an II 70 do Here he looked straight at MI
Emit. and set RS vida Jaw tight until his large
mouth drew into q line. Mr.. Enlislooked meekly
at tho salt junk on his plate and said nothing
There was very little left to 10 said. and he was
satisfied to leave that little where It was.
I'll have q second mate aboard before noon
that1l Be Q credit to this here ship continued
the akipper, so you'll be on the watch for him
He's Q gentleman. that's what he Ia. an q man
Isin't ashamed OF at the table-like some know
or on the poop. An besides that he don't tax
too much. Igot him up at Jackson's. An he's
been captain o one o them bone vessels before
Il once went out In Q bone vessel said Enlis.
By way Of turning the subject, AN call to mind
how tho scorpions and cent!pedes took charge.
They was more'n q million In the bones, an
every one was bit. He'll be all right II no ever
JAILED in . bone ship. reckon he'll do"
You reckon he will do. hey'-
I do, sir
wen, you've got another reckon. Reckon
again. Don't 20 taking anything for granted
aboard hero. scot
FL you mean for mo to take him in hand.
cay So
Il mean to have you do Yer duty or whsns
Yer hide loose. That's what said Jimmy
Breeze. As Mr.. Enlis's duty was perfectly
plain theA was nothins more worth discuss
ins. The meal ended In silence.
At four bells In the morning the crew had
I'll been mustered and the new second mate
had arrived. He was q tall man. thin and
ssunt. His face was smooth shaver and the
lack Of beard disclosed q strangely angular
law With many lines and creases about the
mouth. His eyes looked out from straight
brows and had . peculiar shifting motion,
FOCUSING for a moment upon the skipper and
drawins to small slintins points to shift
again Instantly and resume their apparent rest
lsss search for something. His voice had
q harsh drawl, but he evidently had II we'll
In hand. for in spite Of Its grating sound the
words we're gentle and the tone conciliatory.
my forte IL the running Of q ship the way
she should CO. said Jimmy Breeze, after meet
ing him at the sansway III you know your
business you'll soon see the lay o that. My
forte Ia running a ship without any extra adj
Woo from forrads. see' l know q thing or two
about men when I see them. an I'll Just make
Il known now that I'm the whole thina aboard
here. This is Mr.. Enlis, first mate, There're
the men-an' the sooner you get down on that
main deck the better. You say you haven't
my paper. or . d~ischarse'"
The newcomer looked sharply at him with
his slintins eyes. shifting them from mate to
skipper while he spoke.
f.No, I haven't no mates certificate, nor
discharge. I'll have to 60 on tick, =" he drawled
slowly. when you get tired Of me, put me
ashore, hey' Amt that IT. Any passenecrs'-
well, I'll trust you. l know something about
hundlne men. an l reckon | know a good
one when / see him. There's some passengers
coming alona. an the rules Ia. politeness at
IN times. They amt enemies, Of the company.
an, ! wont have them treated that way, ,seep"
ins nc one on deck. he nodded To- the skipper
and declared that was tho way he liked to hear
IN sst your dunnase slowed, an then set 70
WORT bending them royals fore an aft. Well
at TO sea before night. My forte IL settin'
sway while the breeze holds. an on time. A
Oood start an a quick passage, saysI"
end the passengers se ali aboard. There were
several Of them. Three were coast traders
bound 10 Rio, the bark's destination. and they
were Of the nondesoript dago type small,
wiry men, dark hair, dark akin and having
Ehe cdSarettS habit while ohattertns nervouAy
aond man With a clean-shsved. elencal,look-
I'M faoe, and his wife. They were evidently
ether English or American by their speech
and general appearance. but long residence
to South America had given them both the
dr snd accent Of lassitude, to their talk. The
ma h ,Sao : Ss' s % lC9alns Sent .p n,y SRen 'v snS
when Capt, Breeze addressed him he smiled
gently and beamed upon him.
Nov, Mr.. Goodman" said tho skipper,
shere you are aboard the finest ship on the
ooast. get your letter and CHECK Ter passage
little, decker AMONG. ourselves, My forte is
running q ship. an. I don't want. no owners
a-mixin' IN the affairs Of the cabin. You get
your pas sage reduced one-half, see?"
Il see, Of course" said Mr.. Goodman. beam
Ina upon him. 4 never interfere with those In
NO said Mrs. Goodman. 1T would be very
That afternoon the bark pulled out and
started down the River Plate. The pampero
reason was at hand and the heavy banks
behind them. The lightning was vivid and in
cessant by. dark and Mr., Enlis had her down TO
her topsails, drifting like a log through the
swifllns. muddy current. BY midnight, how
ever, she had cleared the point and the first
weight OF the squal struck her, The WIND
came from almost due west, and she, tore along
hafora IL through n COmDaratlyply smooth