The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-17

I'll diet! I ran ATTN fact, all hands
were comm, and the young woman, very
white in the face and scared, ran forrard
t'other side. / was mad clean through
and l lifted Jim on the toe o. my boot
and made him take the wheel and shut
up; then l caught the young woman and
told her If she ever talked to the man at
the wheel again I'd put her fore the
mast So she let Jim alone after that.
But that was only one thing. There
was a scrap or a hair-puliin' most every
meal time forrard, and / could only pre-
tend not to hear it. and wish that damn
fool owner was along to regulate I'm.
But l wouldn't have a row on deck, to
break up the watch on duty, and told
my two buckle mates to stop the first
signs o trouble, even though they had to
use force Now, that was dangerous
license to give such fellows. for they'd hit
a woman as quick as a man.
The steward was a mild-mannered old
codger, who suffered badly and as he
was aft most o. the time he didn't yet
well acquainted forrard. One evening,
at supper time, a big, strapping woman
met him near the main hatch and said:
II say, cheward, can We gimme me some
ile?"
Now, she may have wanted coal oil for
the lamp down forrard. but the stew'rd
didn't know but what she wanted some
of the olive oil he had in his basket, so
he said
"Wha -wha-wha- what k-k-k-lSind do you
wantY'
"D-d-d-d-on't We m-m-m- mi mi mike
gyme O. me. we f-f-f-four-legged old BIB
b-b-bumble bee" she said. squarin' up TO
him. Him a lydy. Hi ham,
"J-j-j-just tell me wh-wha-wha you
want" said the old man. backing off. but
she followed and smashed him on the
nose, and the cabin supper went into the
scuppers. You see. the woman suffered.
too, when she got worked up, and she
thought the steward knew it and was
mockin her.
Well. along came Mr.. Dunkherst from
forrard, joost as the big wooman's hus-
band came from the wheel. and the mate
got between the woman and the stew
ard; but she was encouraged by the sigh
of her man, and she soaked the mate
tween the eyes Then he knocked her
down. and she lay kickin' on the deck,
squallin' bloody murder, and her husband
went for the mate. Then all hands came
out o. the forecastle, and the second mate
and l ran forrard, and pretty soon there
was a general, all-round, catch-as-catch-
can cotilion on that deck. Every one
was in it but the man at the wheel, and
while the men, to the last one, went for
the mates the weemen sailed into me-
The mates got belayin pins, but they
were free for all, and the men got EN-,
too. Now, fifteen able seamen can take
the tar out of any two buckoes alive, AMI
sixteen weemeu can take the good inten-
lions out Of any skipper. though ] don't
know to this day what they had against
me. I thought I was fighting for my life,
and when ] got clear O. them and aft to
The cabin, was scratched and bitten an
bleeding. and had hardly rag o clothes
left on me. saw the two mates lawn
quiet on the deck, and the men standin'
over 'em wait'n' for one to move, so l
went below and got my pistol. The wee
men saw me come out with II. and charg-
ed AFT. but I covered 'em and swore Ia
ehoot the first one that made break.
and they STONED; but ] got tongue
1ashin' that I'll never forget. They CALI
cd me all the names that a mad woman
ran think of, and demanded to be put
ashore.
Well. I considered that It was the only
thing to do Even though the mates were
not dead. they'd have no more influence
or authority over the crew. and there
was likely to be worse trouble ahead II
went on. So. I made n condition Of It.
said that II they'd promise to behave, AMI
keep off the deck I'd run back and land
EN-. And I did; / put into Cardin ana
handed the whole lot over to the police
and sent the mates to the hospital. Then
I wired to the owner to send another
skipper or permission to go on without
weemen. He did the FIRST and l went
back to Liverpool.
And what did they do to the crew. Mr.
Becker? / asked, after moments ST.
lence.
Let 'em go. weemen and oil. The
mates got well. You can lick a bueko.
but he's hard 10 kill"
but that voyage couldn't have made
YOU sour so on womankind, sir"
PARTY" he answered, slowly. yes 1t
was that voyage"
but your gr--didn't she show up diff
ferent from that crowd?"
my girl" he answered. looking away
into the night. my girl had eioped with
another man before ] got into Cadiff."
said no more. for I could think Of
nothing to say; but knew now what had
amblttered him. He began pacing the
bridge, and 80 continued until midnight,
while I. deeply sorry for him, and glad
that knew a brown-eyed, dimpled girl
80 different from those he had met, spent
the time thinking OF her and wondering
what she was doing that evening. ! have
since learned: she WAS getting married.