The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-09-19
THE UNDOING OF DANSYL.
BY IL. II. WILMINGTON

Dansyl took an unholy delight in tan
talizing Siussen. He had his own peculiar
way of doing it. Long practice had per-
fected it, and three-quarters of Mussen's
was wasted in laying elaborate
plans to get square. But somehow they
always took an unexpected turn, and
Musscn generally got his shore leave cur
tailed in consequence. Then Lun Ding,
the sly, fat-faced Monaghan steerage
steward, would weep tears of salt and
red pepper, and assure Mussen, in
wretched jargon, that if he had the pull
with the department which his brother
ln-law's third cousin had with the great
god Joss, Dansyl would ere this have
been seeking an apprenticeship to navy
yard blacksmith, and he, AIussen, would
be the first on the register for the rank
of commodore.
Dansyi mad an exasperating habit of
giving mock orders, under his breath,
from his station in the foretop, across
the smokestack to Mussen in the main
top. When these mock orders were ac-
by gestures of an imperative
nature and a tantalizing grin, Mussen
lost his temper and said things deroga-
tory to the dignity of the occasion and
the service. Coming to the ears of the
executive, Mussen was forced to explain
away these things on the quarterback, in
the ingenious mode of the Storage, which
was humiliating, to say the least.
After while Mussen and Dansyl met
and ate and smoked in silence, and sa-
lutcd each other in the gangway with the
profoundest formality. When on duty
they exchanged orders with the air of
vain and pompous rear ad,nirals. Then
Dansyl spoiled tragedy, and the service
lost midshipman who might have been
depended upon to do strange things in
battle.
Musscn got his appointment from Mis-
souri,. He was long and raw and awi1-
ward. Two years at Annapolis had failed
to eradicate natural bashfulness. and
he came to our old sloop-of war III Oldest
and retiring, but with some laundering
ways that made him unpopular with !,
portion of the officers. and won for him
the everlasting ridicule OF his dudish New
York acknowledgement, Dansyl Bclden
and Whitefeld, the ether two midship-
men. frowned on the manner of Dansyl
toward their messmate, but took no ac-
tive part in opposition. And so Dansyl
ran on to his ruin unrestrained.
10 have a heavy cared cutter lowered
Oh your head isn't much of JOKE Mus
sen said it wasn't, with many wicked
explanations. But in addition to that,
to have your best white uniform streaked
with dirty water, in the presence of your
friends, at moment when you are
anxious to appear at your best-wcll,
that's what happened to Mussen; and
Dansyl, who was the cause of it, wisely
paused in his ridicule of his messmate
Just long enough for the edge of Mus
sens wrath to wear off.
Mussen invited some friends aboard
one day, when the ship lay in the North
river. Mussen logged out in his best
and obtained permission to convey his
friends in the third cutter The crew
the boat and drew up to the
gangway to take them on board. N1ussen
sprang into the sternsheets to arrange
things himself for his friends reception,
when the trim figure of Dansyl appeared
in the gangway above.
'AIr. Mussen." he said, in all authorita-
tive tone, twill you please to drop your
boat down? l wish to lower the second
cutter to convey Lieut.. Rivers ashore"
Had Dansyl not been in charge of the
deck, Mussen would have strangled him
and thrown him into the river. But that
would be mutiny now. He only gazed
kelplessly at his waiting friends on the
ggangway. Then he determined to de-
mand moments delay to take in his
friends and shove off: but Dansyl gave
the order to the men at the boats falls
to lower away, and she began instantly
to fall directly over Mussen's head.
There was nothing to do but get out of
the way, which Mussen did with as much
grace as possible. But clumsy sailor
with a bucket of dirty water got too
close to the gunwale of the lowering cut
ter, capsizing it, and Mussen got the
benefit of it all over his snowy uniform.
livid with rage, excused himself
to his friends and sent them ashore
Then he pursued his wrath at Dansyl
in the Storage, and affected to act good
humoredly with everybody except
Dansyl.
The next time they spoke was in a
ballroom in Halifax. A British frigate's
officers gave ball in honor of the Amer
lean admiral, and every man above a
warrant officer attended. Dansyl grew
giddy under the effects of the wine, found
a partner himself, and began a rather
uncertain dance. Fate brought him close
to Mussen and his partner, Dansyl stun
bled stupidity, and there was a collision.
The ladies, in great confusion, stammered
a request to be excused, and Dansyl,
turning savagely to Mussen, said: "You
fool, you'll hear of this again.
Mussen could scarcely restrain himself
as he answered, eyes, you shall hear
from me-"
When they returned to their own ship,
Mussen overlook Dansyl on the after
companion ladder. MIR. Dansyl,' he said,
you shall give me satisfaction for this
insult"
"You shall have it," said Dansyl. with
the bravado inspired by champagne.
AT Key West, then, shall expect you
to keep your promise"
wherever you wish it, said Dansyl.
And the next morning the ship sailed for
Key West.
Dansyl took Belden and White6eld into
his confidence, and affected to believe
that he had the biggest joke of the sea-
son on hand. He wanted a duel with