Catoctin clarion., 1901-01-24

crew would sign again for love or mon.
ey. Even when old Anderson put a
double portion OF grog in the article,
which must have been like drawing
teeth for him, it was mortal hard to pet
men, for sailors aren't fond of such II
hell's plaything as her crew made the
Northwestern out to be.
After that every time she went out
something happened to her. 1t was
never any ordinary accident. either, but
some uncanny thing like that first affair
which proved her one Of Satan's limbs.
It got so that whenever she made port
the question would 10 around: What's
| old Donald's she-devil been up to this
timer and there was always some hair
raising story in answer to it.
Sailors are superstitious as you know
and some of them SAID the curse of An.
drew Humes death had descended on
the ship. Hume had been one of DON
AIDS shippers who sailed the Baltic, an
old sieve which went down with all on
board, because, as folks said, Donald
wouldn't spend the money to have her
recaulked. After she foundered the
| orthwestern n had been built to take her
place. OF course sensible people didn't
take any stock in that story, but, at
any rate, the Northwestern's antics
made her a mighty unpleasant berth for
any man.
After time she got such an i'll rep,
utation, and only the widest and most
reckless fellows would ship on her, and
they rlsked their lives for the extra grog
that was doled out to them. Through
it all McShane stuck to her. He was
an obstinate Irlshmau, born fighter
with a mouth always full OF curses, over
fond of the cup, mayhap. but good
hearted man and careful master. The
contrariness of the ship set his dander
all on an end and be swore he'd rule
the hulk or she d kill him. 1guess the
ship won in the end for she made a
changed man of him. He drank twice
us much and cursed twice as hard as
before. He died at home at last, but il
was from Il fit of apoplexy by the drink
and fit of cursing at his ship.
THAT was how | came to take the
Northwestern. | was in port waiting
for my first commission as skipper Of
the Mollie Adams, which Anderson was
getting out for me. When McShant
went off the old man sent for me.
>'The Northwestern is freighted, sale
he, and the cargo must be delivered il
Marseilles before October or it means
damages. | want you to take her ovel
You can have the Mollie Adams wher
YOU come back, with an extra hundred
dollars in good, yellow gold il you maxi
the trip within the time our contrac
calls for. Marriage is luxury and cal
wait, Daniel. I've meyer had time 70
it myself But business must go on
YOU see l had been paying court t
Mistress Betty Williams, the daughte
of Methody parson, out along tn
Sound, and we had planned to be mar
red before 1 shipped again. So wa
in quandary. | WASN'T exactly psrish
ing with anxiety to lake charge of
> ship that had as many lives against he
: as Captain Kidd himself, and my wed
ding cake was, as you may say, alread
in the oven.
But on the other hand | was bchold
en- to old Donald. TO be sure he wa
miser and sk;nflint, but he had bee
. kind to me in his rough way, and ha
given me all the chance | ever had. 5
l followed out plan that I've alway
found to be good one and laid tn
case before my wife that was to be.
NOf course you muat 60 DAN sh
said when | had told her.
but our weddlng? said.
hWell have the wedding at once, an
III 90 with you,' said she.
u wouldn't hear of it at first. Ih
unsavory reputation of the ship wa
more than matched by the character O
the crew, and in short 1t was no plac
for woman, or a God fearing ma
either for that matter. But to all m
objections she said only:
"Where you 60, Daniel, there go
, unless you mean to cast me off.
so what was to do2 1t ended b
, my giving in to her just as have bse
. doing ever since. We sailed for ou
. honeymoon on as rakish craft an
with as rare lot of scoundrels as on