The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1901-01-25

Daisy, well, | wasn't going to let that
Bwlnk Jones crow over me. He com
manded the Breeze, four-masted bark,
bigger than the Daisy, but with moth
ing Of her sailing qualities. He had
got some new fancy patent topsls, and
was trying to make the merchants be-
lieve that he'd be unloading In London
River before | was round the Horn. He
was good talker, was Jones, and made
himself out a proper hero, especially
among the women, who, bless their
souls! don't know a man when they see
one unless he has got torpedo beard
and apes the naval officer. Anyway,
Jones Dragging made me so sick that
challenged him to start the same day
we were both finishing our loads-and
race me home for $500 a side. He
wanted to back out, but the challenge
was made at the shipping office before a
crowd Of masters and merchants, and
Jones had talked to such an extent that
his friends forced him to stand up to
me like a man. I've heard since that
he was in desperate hard straits, so
much so that the loss of that bet would
mean sheer ruin to him; but he had
talked too much, and the Vancouver
people would have chaffed the life out
of him If he tried to sing small before
me-. We planked down the stakes, the
first man home to cable to the stake
holder, claiming the whole amount.
Then, | guess, Jones felt sick. Bar ac-
cidents, the man couldn't possibly beat
me sailing and | never suspected foul
play; such thing never entered my
head. | was short of bO's'n, my man
having run from the ship, and there
was not one of the forGmast hands who
could fairly claim the job. They were
good as sailormen go, the best dozen Of
them, but a really first-class bosn
could have given points to the lot. Now,
Jones had regular champion, Por-
tugee, who'd learned his trade whaling.
and followed that up under the best
masters in the deep sea trade. So when
he came to see me the day before |
was to sail, listened to all he had to
say about Captain Jones-which wasn't
exactly compliments. | couldn't tell
him to run from his present ship in
deed, as In duty bound, | advised him
solemnly to do no such thing; but did
drop a hint that I'd pick up valuable
men who'd run from such masters as
Jones, and slowed away in the Daisy.
Sure enough, before I'd been day out
found Diego Ramirez aboard of me
mighty poor in spirit, humble and will
Ing. Naturally, | wasn't going to lose
time handing the man over to Jones. so
! signed him on the books as A. B. He
soon proved the best sailorman in the
ship; such good man, in fact. that nv
own people weren't jealous when | pro-
NOTED him over their heads, and made
him bo's'n, | was proud of Diego Ra-
mirez. If Id only known!
We started fair, Jones and |. and all
the city turned out to see the start. A
II, ,00o mile race is out of the common.
the papers were full of it, and at the
time when we cast off the tugs the bet
ting was five to three on Jones. took
care to be abreast when we passed the
city of Victoria; took more care while
we ran down the Straits of Fuca that |
should round Cape Flattery ahead of
him. The betting there was five to three
ON me. Jones did all he knew, and as
far as speed went there wasn't actually
much to choose between our two ships:
but for seamanship, well, I'd be sorry
for Jones chance. OF course we mt
him astern the very first day. nor did
we see him again for many a long day
after.
There's no need to describe the voy-
age. | had all the winds | tried for
and not too much; rounded the Horn
without reef in my topsls, then reach
ed away to catch the trades for home.
We were bowling along towards the
1ine-running down our ATTITUDES in
fine style, and on Oct. 8, at noon. |
made II 100 30 s. We were under
close reefed top gallant sails. windG
about Sc, blowing about topsI
breeze, about as eaueh as we cared for
Indeed, the mate wanted to snug home
the top gallant sails. knew what the
Daisy could stand. and when | went
below at 10 O'clock | told the second
not to call me for less than a light gale
But | could not sleep, and that's
queer thing at sea how ones body stays
awake, expecting danger, while. so far
as mortal mind can tell there Is notb-