Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-03-06

know was TO have this chance WA
to do my human utmost to carry II
through myself. God sends us all into
this world with hands and heads, and
he isn't pleased with man who doesn'
put these to their proper uses.
The three captive Portuguese were
brought mp on deck and were quickly
induced by the ordinary persuasive
methods Of the merchant service Officer
30 forego their sulkiness and turn tc
diligently ct what work was required
of them. But even with this help the
heavy ship was still considerably under.
manned, and the incessant labor at the
pumps fell wearily on all hands. The
day, true to its fickle nature. changed
on them again The sunshine was
swamped By a driving gray mist OF
rain, the glass started on steady fall,
and before dark Kettle snugged her
down to single topsails, himself laying
ont on the footropes with the Portu-
guese. as no others Of his crew could
manage to scramble sloft with 20 heavy
sea running.
The night worsened as IL went on.
The wind piled mp steadily in violence,
and the sea rose till the sodden veesel
rode it with very babel Of shrieks and
groans and complaining sounds. To
ward morning a terrific squall pow
dered up against them and hove hei
down, and dull rumbling was heard
In her bowels. to let them know that
once more her cargo had shifted.
For the moment even Kettle thought
that this time she was gone for good.
She lost her way and lay down like a
log in the water, and the racing seas
roared over her as though she had been
a half tide rock.
Then to the impact Of heavier gasI
Of the squall the topgallant masts went.
and the small lose Of top weight seemed
momentarily to ease her. Kettle seized
upon the moment He left the trimmer
and one of the Portuguese at the wheel
and handed himself along the streaming
decks and kicked and cuffed the rest Of
his crew into activity. He gave his or.
ders, and the ship wore slowly round
before the wind and began to pay away
on the other tack.
Great hills Of sea deluged her in the
process. and her people worked like
mermen. half Of their time submerged.
But by degrees. rs the vast rollers hit
and shook her with their ponderous i'm
pact. she came upright again and after
little while shook the grain level in
her holds and assumed her normal angle
Of heel
Dayton Philips struggled mp and
hit Kettle on the shoulder. How s
that. umpirer'' he bawled MY faith.
you are clever sailor.
Captain Kettle touched his cap
"God bore hand there. sir. +" he shout
ed through the wind. If I'd tried to
straighten her up like that without his
help. every man here would have been
fish chop this minute
Even Dsyton-Ph Philips, skeptical
though he might be. began to think
there was something in it.. as the
voyage went on. To begin with. the
leak stopped They did not know how
it had happened. and they did not very
much care Kettle had his theories
Anyway ii stopped. To 60 on with, al
though they were buffeted with every
kind Of evil weather. all their mis-
chances were speedily rectifed. In a
heavy sea their unstable cargo surged
about as though it had been liquid. but
1t always shifted back again before she
quite capsized.
All hands got covered with salt wa
ter boils. All hands. with the exception
Of Kettle. who remained as usual neat.
grew gaunt. bearded. dirty and un-
kempt. They were grimed with sea
salt. they were fayed by violent suns,
but by dint Of hard schooling they were
becoming handy sailormen; all Of them,
and even the negro stone mason, learned
10 obey an order without first thinking
over its Justice till he earned premon-
itory hiding
"It's blooming Flying Dutchman
we're on. said the coal trimmer, who
acted as mate There's no killing the
old beast. Only hope she gets Us ashore
somehow and doesn't stay fooling about
at sea forever just to get into risks. /
want to get off her. She's too blooming
lucky to be quite wholesome somehow. "
In Bristol channel little scattering
tug wheeled mp within hail. tossing like
q cork on the brown waves Of the
estuary. and her skipper in the green
pulpit between the paddle boxes waved
Q hand cheerily.
"Seem to have found some dirty
weather, captain, he bawled. want
q pull into Cardiff or Newporti"
Cardiff. What pricef'
"Say e100"
II wasn't asking to buy the tug.
You're putting Q pretty fancy figure on
her for that new lick Of paint you got
on your rail
"I'n take ESQ.,"
"Oh. I can sail her in myself il
you're going to be funny. She's as
handy as a pilotboat, brig rugged like
this, and my crew know her fine. I'll
give you eco into Cardiff. and you're
to dock me for that.
"Twenty wicked people. Now look
here, captain, You don't look very pros
porous with that vessel Of yours, and
you'll probably have the sack from
owners for mishandling her when you
get ashore, and I don't want to imbit-
ter your remaining years in the workus,
90 I'll pull you in for 80 quid."
Twenty pounds, old bottle nose. :"
"Come now, captain. 80. I'm not
here for sport I've got to make my liv-
ing"
"My man." said Kettle, "I'll meet
you and make it ea5, and III see you
in Alden before I give a penny more.
You can take that or sheer of. +"
Throw us your blooming rope, said
the tug skipper.
"There. sir" said Kettle soto voce
to Dayton Philips, lyon see the mar
velousness Of it. Gods stood by me to
the very end. I've saved at least G1O
over that towage, and, by James, I've
seen times when ship mauled about
like this would have been bled for four
times the amount before tug would
pluck her II"
"Then we are out Of the woods nowr'
4 "We'll get the canvas of her and