New-York tribune., 1901-09-09
AMERICAN LEAGUE.
AT CHICAGO
AT MILWAUKEE.
Esr.-% 1900
NORWAY'S SAILOR FAUST.
THE SKIPPER WHO SOLD HIS SOUL BUT SAVED
IT THRIF'TILY.

Norwegian letter in The Chicago Record Herald.
The Norwegian sailor is claimed 10 be the smart
est man in the world, full of resources well
courage able TO meet any emergency or look any
Did you ever hear how a Norwegian sea captain
fooled the devil? He was a grasping man. this
wife and children and for his comfort in his
liar to that made by the celebrated Professor Faust
Satan guaranteed 10 give him always fair weather,
TO keep his vessel dry and Watertight for term of
twenty-one years. provided that after that period
The captain prospered- No ship in all the
snd nuentia but dnay the day day Of reefonng r
rived when he was compelled to keep his part of
to the control of the evil one. The horror of his
fate did not seem strike him until was cross
ing the North Sea. homeward bound upon his last
voyage which was even more successful than
he had accumulated was useless that he would no
longer be allowed to enjoy the society Of his wife
standn in the community which had been grow
ing greater ali these years would suddenly be lost
His terrible situation caused him such anxiety that
he lay r6 s Finally " toward @ ornngbe
approaching port and the time was up that very
Calling the carpenter, ne ordered him TO bore two
and the other at the stern, and fasten the pumps
down them with such care that no water could
reached port. and the captain smiled with conf
dence and as ne game am up to the dock
saIuted politely. lifting his tall silk hat with his
carefully gloved hand and congratulated him upon
his successful voyage.
me-" he suggested
Not mucht" retOrted the skipper
..IIow's that?'' inquired Satan. You don't pro-
nose to crawl out of the bargain, do yOU?"
.sIU keep my part we'll you have kept
Yours" said the skipper. with much indifference
cheap fake. You guaranteed that this ship should
he nj Wavs watertight and dry, and I'd like TO have
Won go ford and that big leak in the bows
Satan went ford, where the sailors were working
for dear life at the pumps. the perspiraton pour
ing OFF their faces. pumping the North Sea into
the North Sea. The captain then led him TO the
stern. where another pump was going In similar
manner as hard could be.
',Its all we could do to keep her shOat till
sot home he declared. and II Is your turn
IF YOU Will pump her dry you can take me when
ever YOU like and keep me long you like"
60 saving he took off hts sailor suit and put on
and children leaving the arch-hend in charge OF
the shIp The devil pumped for two days as the
story goes and the water didn't get any lower
Then ne made an investigation, and discovered the
caDtain's trick. At first he was furious and
for dragging the skipper of TO hades forthwith
hut the more he thought about it the longer he
uostponed calling for him. He realized that IL was
riskv business TO introduce into his domintonS a
man who could fool the devil like that So the old
captain sits by his freside In winter and In the
arbor I'm his garden in summer. looking over the
shipping in the Fiord OF Bergen. and smokes his
pipe and chucklcs himself and waits for the evil
one cali for him, and II he has not gone he Is
sitting there still