The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-11-20

known the second officer, a lonely man.
/ to execute an order himself rather
than disturb you when you were play
ing cards or anything like that.
About the middle of the second
month our captain was taken i'll, SEEM
ingly all of sudden, and died the
same way, followed Immediately or
very soon after by the two mates. The
ships surgeon failed to locate the
disease. Il should have used another
word instead of locate, but l have for
gotten how to spell it and I don't want
to make any bluffs in this true account
OF very remarkable voyage. Of
course for time we were panic-strick-
en-, but as no one else was taken ill we
at last regained our normal equilib-
rum. Yes. And after having social
chat and three funerals we decided to
elect officers by ballot. The surgeon
tried to make us believe that he was
our natural protector and expressed
his opinion that he should be elected
to the Office of captain, but on mount
ing the poop deck to make his cam
paign speech he slipped, fell and broke
his leg. That of course let him out.
So we were compelled to elect one of
the crew and our choice finally rested
on German named Rudolph Flute
meyer. "Flute" we used to call him
for short. He was a noted singer.
Many times have 1 heard his melodi-
Gus voice raised above the roar of the
turbulent waters singing the sailors
familiar tune,
Throw out the life line,
Throw out the white line
Throw out the clothes line, too.
Rudolph made nice captain, only
he drank. Not,that he went to excess,
only he kept at it all the time and we
sailors frequently, when dining with
him, were compelled to caution him
about drinking out of the bottle on
account of microbes. Some people,
even sailors, are fastidious. After
sailing several months we finally hove
in sight of the main island, and after
sailing around it a few times to make
sure we were at the right place we
came to anchor in the beautiful harbor
named by the natives Butt-In, which
translated into English curiously
enough means stay out. We did not
know that of course, and seeing the
shores lined with all kinds of dusky
ladies and men the whole ships COM
pany dug up few tin whistles, some
red calico and empty bottles and pro-
ceded to 60 ashore. Some swan, 9th
ers preferred the boat-sailors call it a
dory, but try to use as few nautical
terms as possible wishing to be ex-
plicit.
This left the poor surgeon with the
broken leg alone on the brigantine,
and strangely enough, now 1 come to
think of it, his name was Stoney Lone
some, Scotch name and one well
known in his town. So he said him.
self. believe his father was hung
there, or something like that, and such
things cause comment and notoriety
even when it's not appreciated or de-
sired. On reaching shore our first
mate, one Baldy Sours, proposed that
we celebrate our successful trip by
opening couple cases of "mountain
dew" thoughtfully brought ashore by
our beloved Captain Rudolph. Every
sailorman Immediately shouted "Aye,
Ave." which translated from nautical
to common sense means '"Y ou bet your
life" After several husky natives of
the femenine gender had tasted little
of that "dew" and had learned the air
to "There'll be hot time in the old
town tonight" there was some excite
ment, you can depend on that. I had
beautiful specimen myself, and after
she had taken d drag or two of the Old
Reliable that would have turned
Mariah Baxter green with envy, she
gave me a playful tap on the head
with what they call bolong- -bulong,
which is nothing more or less than
club and hurts just as much. Older
and more experienced men in the party
told me that was the marriage cere-
mony of the country and my shipmate,
Foot and Half McF Fadden, said all /
needed to complete it was to kick her
in the face. Suicide was at that time
no pet hobby Of mine, so I recited
poetry to her till she shook me and