The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-06-06

to an indefnable aureole of good hui
NOR about him, had completely chang
ed the sullen aspect of our crowd, SO
that for the moment we quite forgot
that but fourteen of us were engaged
to take the four thousand ton ship Ga
reth to New Zealand first and then to
any other part of the world, voyage
not to exceed three years.
So, with even the Dutchmen laugh
Ing and chuckling in sympathy with
the fun they felt, but didn't under
vance notes to get such discount as
fate and the sharks would allow. In
good time we were all aboard, for ships
were scarce and all Of us anxious to
get away, but when we saw the vast,
gaunt hull well down to plimsolls mark
and the four towering steel giants Of
masts, with their immense spreading
branches, and thought of the handful
we were to manage them we felt a
colder chill than even the biting edge
of the bitter east wind had given US.
We mustered in the dark, iron barn
of the foks'l and began selecting hunks
temporarily until we were picked for
watches, when our attention was az
rested by the voice of McGinty, saying:
"Bhoys!'
All turned toward him where he stood,
with a bottle of rum and teacup, and
no one needed q second call. When the
bottle was empty and our hearts had
gone out to the donor, he said, clearing
his throat once or twice:
"Bhoys, fergive me. I'm an i'm
poshter. l broke me right kneecap an
five ribs comm home from Frisco in
the Lamech-fell from the foret' gallant
yard-an' bin three months in Poplar
hospital. | can't go aloft, but didn't
think what crime it was goin' to be
ag'in We all until see this awful over
spared brute here. Don't be hard on
me, bhoys. Ye wouldn't have me
starve ashore would We, now, or fret
me poor ovid heart out in the wurk-
house after forty-five years on the open
sea?'
He stopped and looked around dis
tressfully, and in that moment all our
wal tiiSNd W MN. w c were d
mixed crowd. of course, but nearly half
of lis were British, and there would
have been stormy scene if any of the
aliens had ventured to raise a protest
against McGinty's incapacity. We
didn't express our sympathy, but we
felt it, and he. with native quickness,
knew that we did and never from that
1ax aud l,n hue al al,
hear word of complaint from any of
us about having to do his work.
Just then the voice of the bos'n
sounded outside. Turn to-" and as we
departed to commence work, although
not q word was said, there was a fierce
determination among us to protect Nc
| Ginty against any harshness from the
| officers on account of his disablement.
There was too much of a hustle getting
out of dock for any notice to be taken
of his stiff leg, which he had so clever
ly concealed while shipping; but, the
mate happening to call him up to the
| forecastle head for something, his
lameness was glaringly apparent at
once to the bos'n, who stood behind
| lill' Il VI JUDI q ~ lOohCu AAS
trouble as the bos'n began to bluster
about his being a cripple, but we all
gathered round, and the matter was ef-
fectually settled at once.
We never regretted our. consideration,
| for, while it was true that he couldn't
| get aloft, and those mighty sails would
| have been a handful for double our
number in breeze of wind. there new
er was more willing, tireless worker
| on deck, and below he was a perfect
| godsend. His sunny temper, bubbling
| fun and ineXhaustible stock Of yarns
made our gray lives happier than they
| had ever been at sea before. If we had
| allowed it, he would have been a slave
| to all of US, for we carried no boys, and
all the odd domestic jobs of the foksI
had to be done by ourselves. AS it was,
he was always doing something for
somebody. and as he was a thorough
sailor in his general hardness and
ability his services were highly appre-
ciated He made the Gareth CON-
Portable ship in spite of her manifold
drawbacks.
| In due time we reached the roaring
fortics'' and began to run the casting
down. The long, tempestuous stretch
of the southern ocean lay before US,
and the prospect was by no means
cheering The Gareth, in spite of her
huge bulk, had given us taste of her
quality when running before a heavy
breeze of wind shortly after getting
clear of the channel, and we knew that
she was one of the wettest of her class
a vessel that welcomed every bowling
sea as an old friend and freely invited
it to range the whole eXpanse of her
decks from poop to fOkSl. And, in
accordance with precedent, we knew
that she would be driven to the last ex'
tremity of canvas endurance, not only
in the hope of making quick passage
but because shortening sail after really
hard running was such an awful strain
upon the handful of men composing
the crew, so that when once the light
sails were secure an attempt would al
ways be made to hang on to the still
enormous spread of sail remaining until
the gale blew itself out or we had rur
out of its vast area. But for some days
the brave west wind fingered in its lair
and we slowly crept to the southwark
and eastward with trumpery little
spurts of northerly and northwesterly
breeze. We had reached Al degrees
south and about 10 degrees east wher
one afternoon it fell calm.
One of the most magnificent sunsets
TN erit NaI Al re OI