New-York tribune., 1902-10-19
SAVED FROM THE SEA
THE DEEP WATER MATE SURE HE W.,
"HOODOOED" BY A SEA LAWYER

Spin yarn. did you say?" asked the deep wa,.
mate. whose boast 1t that his feet had ,an
trod the deck Of coaster or steamer a..
chewed into a Havana that owed Uncle San, ~
Why and II will be true talk lust as nm.
my name is Ned Lawson If You think I'm ios,t.
write 10 the United States consul at Campechs ars
get the proof
1t was In 90 when I was second mats ~ H.
brig Alce-a sweet lass she was too Stewar, ne,
her master. as fine seaman as ever walkea W.
quarterback When the crew got sobered IN NJ
found them landIubberIy lot, save for Tn.
Rowdy He was sea lawyer. one Of those isI
lows who talk slick and shirk When I Arst sav
The Rowdy' something told me he was going -
make that voyage memorable one for me. and
though am not superstitious. as seamen ordfnars
y are, felt it stronger every time laid eyes an
him
we had good run to Aspinwau and on III,
Fourth of July the crew got shore leave. Abov,
II 80 o'clock that night The Rowdy' came 10 IA.
wharf which were tied up. and he was loaded
10 the gunwales with a cargo OF rum and had =,
heavy list to port. a locked gate barred his way
70 the gangplank leading aboard. and he was Toe
blind drunk 10 md the gate that was open Hs
set up terrible bowling and the old man sent ne
out 70 get him aboard had him hv the cola,
and was leading MIN up the gangplank when hs
gave Iurch, and both went. He gripped
round the body. and sank like plummets In
twenty-five feet Of water When we came I'D
managed to get hold of the wharf spiles and cling
to them with one hand. while I held The Rowdy'
UP with the other and yelled for help. Those on
board came tumbling up and threw a moose TO Us
had got il around The ROwdy's neck and under
one when they began to haul in. II The
ROwdy hadn't been drunk he would have been
strangled. As l. was he was pretty we'll choked
with rope and water. and we rolled the wet out Of
him after I had been pulled aboard.
Soon after this set sail for Campeche. The
haT haar, urffIo ,aIu for onqA ard
as the weather was mild and the water smooth il
was decided 70 give her new coat OF green. The
R0wdy' had the job OF singing the stage on which
Thing mat sinnorted the stage was a few snail
nails l got down my end with my big can OF
TN plank gave way. Before / could grab the rope
-The RoWdy' and myself were stTugg ing the
water, he holding 70 me for dear life and keep
Ing above water by holding to the plank q the
stage. which trailed in the water by of ths
ropes. The green paint had spilled all over Us.
tlne. the crew was below and no one at the wheel.
the weather being so calm that this post could be
The steward was the drst to hear our cries. and
leaning over the side Of the ship shouted, What's
Oh We Just forgot our pipes and tobacco.
I'VE we're hoisted aboard and swore The Rovdy
would vet be the death OF ne We reached OaIn,
been ashore and returning % The boat for some
papers he had forgotten ordered aAe NoWoyy &c
sCri7 crIi br as1srr instead he wound the sheet
sCur @ I'7 To,st 1savfTE The upper part haneins
ont and the boat at the ships side. In the after
oesan dSo 70 6 s gP TRd I'll she orP Gp In [ as @
The old seeing the sail fall told ne 10 maNe
il fast and scuu the skin astern. When got ing
her / could not ind the upper part Of the sail
IL had evidently sunk. I began 70 Scul pui tnt
any headwsy the skin had drtfred several yard.
away from the brig hSd only one car ,aIl. &nc
/ was miles from the Alice saw that was oeins
dri.en % Guy IL 70 tI vsni t, thought could returr
TO the ship as the wind had died down and the sea
shore when a squaU struck me without warnias
and over went the skin on her side l Giung 10 Jn'
mast and tried in every way TO right her | sup
ported myself by leaning my arms on her side anc
with my feet I worked all the ballast out OF aer
as had a dX as before for she turned bottom up
T craW,Ied on ton giving up the attempt TO right
her Night had in and had drlIteG so -aI
that I could not see either land or orlS me storr
big that every feN minutes one would sweep ne
into the water 1t must have been midnight Wnsn
that time was so weak that ii I had been washed
from the boat again should have not naa 'hs
mo sooner had the storm ceased than the sharks
stuck their grinninG jaws UP al around ,inst iIis
Every few minutes one would rub his nose dstl,' dstS
the boat. \ big wave would mean a horrible letGi-i
lnS M uTvI'S ~ 49, in the er5 All that had
happened 10 me since childhood seemed to 90
night had come II would have been better 70
have been drowned than 20 be eaten alvt !
SnUTs bbs6nS NAV m he dear faces that loved Every
prayer that knew offered up to the Amlsh'S "
be spared
AT last morning in. and the sun had JUS. Jus.
showed its first rays when far away thousHS
7 saw a speck 7 trained my eyes until IL SSeh.sr
as n they would leap from their sockets , "a"
that it boat became almost ty T['i-'J ~ me-
and gathering all the strength that was Lett H ~
made all sorts Of motions To attract attention. ~
last IL got near could see thIl ll vi Wi is1sni
naSted canoe used by the natives vt Snt-' 4S5.
about thirty miles from Campeche II looAeU
which seemed 10 attract their attention NnsT si
they got near enough jumped into the canoe. ~ ~
I remember is landing lot " Water1lelons '''
| had tainted. ,,z5 IN,
''They rovved me 70 the Alice As l climbed Ls IIo
ladder the first To catch sight of me was 4-'
ROwdy." -, ~, bs
So YOU ain'J drowned after dN- Wen l+' ~
hlowed" was his congra tulatiOn ~,
'Td hate to tell YOU what I did % The ho"Ss
but broke the hOOdOo. and broke u Wlth my N'