El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-18
Sailor Jin'S Bible
BY j. O. Curwood.


There is mystery about Jim. Some
thing had happened many years ago.
even before the war. and ever since then
| he had faithfully worn little leather
bound Testament inside his shirt. He
! told the story one bowling night when
most of the other sailors were drinking
or asleep.
Say" said he, tipping his glass to an
old man who sat on the other side of the
rough board table, and whose only repu-
tation i'll the River street place was that
his lucky stars had destined him to be
born upon the sea. dye r'member tn
hold United States. an o " tn bloody tub
done FIR six on 'er crew off tn rocks of
Gorg'in bay in 1S54T'
The man who wgas born in the salt
spray of the banks and who was already
booked for the Zapotec of Marine City
for the coming season. hadn't hear d for
that was before rheumatic legs and bad
kidneys had encouraged him TO wander
little bit inland. He would like to
Know, however, why Sailor Jim so incon-
vcnienced himself as always to wear the
worn, little Testament inside his grimy
shirt
Il heard she was a right pesky craft"
ventured an overGrown, unnautical lad,
who had sailed n season or two and in
one way or another had managed to pick
up little history.
"Pesky: Oily 'eavens. Cap'n Jason,
that was is name, picked 'er up after
Cleveland parties. who used L run 'er
twice week [ Detroit, 'ad dumped 'er
has 'owling good rot f'r tn fish. e
didn't want 'er FIR cargo. did Jason, hand
there was somethin mysterious about our
trip [ tn bay, but tn secret died with tn
n nj % la1-r xx-,fh !,
other five
The unnautical youth, who was trying
to get his bearing and act at ease in
good company, awkwardly motioned to
the man behind the bar
WET yer whistles, gents?"
Sailor Jim" WINGED as he listened to
the whistling of the wind and the beat.
Ing of the sleet against the window out
side The River Place is a gloomy place
at night, and he shuffied a pack of cards
uneasily.
"'Owls jes' like tn night 1 saw 'er
a-comin over tn rocks" he shuddered.
Listen. Don't she wall like a blizzard
'mong tn ropes?''
1t was late, and most of those who
hadn't gone above We're sleeping in their
chairs or half reclining over the tables.
Only Sailor JIM" the Zapotec hand. |
and the unnautical youth were awake.
"Twas cold wen we left an colder still |
wen we got there" said Sailor Jim"
"A dell o note did tn cap'n ave in tn
bay, but e paid us like 'alf howners. hev- |
cry soul, an bloody few was tn questions
we axed. Then weather stuck Us like
an 'owitzer, an FIR almost a week We
bucked an twisted right up ag'in tn
rocks Hit all 'appened one black night
wen tn wind was a-'owlin like creased
fear, an tn cap'n e came t ME an seq. !
sez q, Jim. IN wife is DYING
lis face was mos awful white in tn
gale. an e looked at me queeriike
that / trembled stepped back as If q
was an aunt"
"'You will 'elp hout on deck. JIM
seq e { me. kinder 'usky, an then turned
an went below.
'It grew blacker an blacker, lads, an
tn sea was worse than twistin TIL 'Orn
in a gale. Thar warn't no rain, an tn
sleet died away in tn middle hof tn
night. We men 'uddled in tn lee O. tn
bu1'ark an shouted t one another now
an thea Z see was we all right, an 10
tened t wat we fapcied was tn breakin
an thunder o. surf on tn rocks. All at
once one o tn men up an SEE, sez e:
My God, we're goin.
"Then e cursed, FIR it jes' come out
O. i'm sudden like. wi no cause. but hit
made us all feel like somethin was up, an
We 'ugged closer.
" 'Barrin tn rocks seq 1. t strengthen
'em. thar amt much danger
but she was rotten like punk, tn hold
craft. an they knew it.
Toward mornin tn cap'n came hup
ag'in. Twas black has pitch. an e
stood alone in tn bow but 1 could car
tn stranGle in lis vice Wen he spoke.
Jim e, she's goin.'
f. left ag'in. an i knew e meant is
wife.
Five minutes later l saw her, lads,
comm straight hover tn from tn
rocks. hits eyes a-glcamin an hits cad
in tn center of bar - flame"'
Sailor Jim was excited. He jumped
from his chair and seated himself on the
edge OF the rough table.
Twas an hangel. lads. as God ear
me. an hangel with air o fire gold an
eyes that shot straight at me like daz-