The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1902-02-13
THE MARINERS TALE
BY GEORGE BROOKS.

What's she going to do:'' | asked the
ancient mariner as ] sat down at the pier
and cast a glance over the great eXpanse
of the blue lake wind rain, or both al
together"
"Hit's a-goin' to blow great guns" said
the ancient mariner, AN that afore dark.
Hits agoin' ter blow like hit did that yer
mite when we run the Glad News acrost
from B,adford's Pint to Little Weasel
Tan"
| could see indications of a good yarn
coming whether the storm did or not, 50
i took in all sail and rode at anchor by the
side OF the ancient mariner and stood by
with his favorite brand of cut plug while he
went on with the story.
Il was tn only sailor man on the Glad
News said the ancient mariner They
called me the 'saiin master er something
like that Anyway, | was tie handy man
that knew how, when the land lubbers we
were takin fer a vacation cruise lost Il cir
heads and tried to pull the forethrote
hallerds in two when the skipper told them
to let go the foresdeet. There was six OF
the crew, all friends of the skipper what
owned the boat. We wuz having pretty
good time until we put into Bradford ;
Point on Thursday. way up on the pinin-
that was a-brewin'.
"The skipper was as happy as the jolly
boat on a whaler until he went down to tn
post Jihce and got a little blue letter that
was awaitin' Their fer him. When he came
back | c'u'd see that something was tn
matter. He looked pale and stern like.
jess as he jumped on board he yelled out:
Here, now. men, stand by to git under
way Well | was that astonished YOU
could have pushed me over with a two
knot breeze. | up an says: There's only
,Jes Tommy'-he was one of the skipper :
fr'en's-'an' the cook on board Tn rest OF
the boys are a-hangin' around the.grls over
at tn hotel Never mind says the skip.
per; stan by the foresail, and after you
make that get up the mainsell
"Well, o. course, orders wuz orders an
me an Tommy an the cook made sail, an
then one of the life safers, who sed we wuz
crazy, cast off our lines an we hauled 'em
in an started out inter tn lake, right in
theteeth of one of the howinest sou-westers
] ever see. | didn't know wot was the mat
ter, but allowed as how the skipper he'd
got word of his pa err ma err tn whole
family a-dyin' on one of them islands, and
that he wanted to git there before their
sta board lights went out fer good an all
1--WE had the wind right on the stern quar-.
ter an how we did go. We wuz maxim nine
knots from the start, an nine knots feI
such a ole tub as the Glad News is a sailm'
Then the skipper bawls out: Put on tn
head canvas Say, most had fit. But I'm
a sailor man and took the cook an Tommy
an went forerd We made the jib all right
an the Glad News Jest begin ter snort.
wuz holding on with my feet teeth, hans
L. IL /.
Clap on that staysel'
''Well, | jest says to the cook: Here's
where we go to the bottom of the lake, an
the cook. who is the blacklist man | ever see
purity near turned wife. We had horrible
time putin on tibet staysel, but finally we
got it up, though it threatened to carry
away every minute. Then we crawled at
on our hands ands knees, with the seas a
comm over us and a-sousin us every second
Pretty soon the skipper says: Go aft now
and make the iibtopsell' Pm a sailor man
but amt a-goin' to Jest throw my life away
on a ole hog trough like the Glad News
and ! says so: Hold the stick. says the
skipper and | took the rudder an the skip
per crawls forerd and wriggles out rite or
to the end of the bowsprit. He set out there
a-fussin' with tibet jibtopsell an every min
ute or two the ole ship would stick its most
way down in the sea and the skipper wouC
go under just but his he'd. Then he yelled
and Tommy went forerd and got hold Of
the jibtop hallirds an up went the jibtop
sail.
"Say | thought the old Glad News would
les. Jump out o 'er hide But it held an
how we did CO. The cook was laid out il
the cockpit ded to the worl', only once il
=. awhile he would moan sOmethin about
his babies. How we wuz a-goin The lee
skuppers was away under the water anC
half the time we wuz a-standin' up on oul
beams end The skipper KEEP a.lookin
astern an suddenly e yelled to take out thc
reefs in tn mansell ! knew he wuz plum
crazy then, but we took EN- out though
how we done it | don't know The fore
jbtopsel carried away, as knew it would
an we had t jump to cut it loose.
Everything was a-poppin an a-snappn'
an | thought the Glad News would jumr
its masts clear out of it. But luck was witt
Us, an about eight o'clock we went slidn
around Little Weasel Ilan' an into cain
water on the weather side of the place w,
ran into good snug harbor an dropped
anchor, an the skipper baled out the dingy
en- went ashore with his valise. An after
he'd gone | picked up the blue letter ht
dropped an wanting to know whether i
was hiz ma er his pa that was dyin', reaC
it, an wot do you suppose?
The note wuz from one OF them punches
of kaliker on tn islam an it Sed tibet if the
skipper didn't git over Their by Thursday
mite he was a hateful ole, mean thing, anC
she would go to tn party with the major, Sc
I, there now. jess laid down in the cockpit
an he'd a spasm Chicago Tribune.
Comfort in Affection.
Director called on Ledgermar, our ole
bookkeeper, this morning and found thu
poor fellow in very bad wayjndeed he ha'
been i'll for a long while, so learned from hi
wife, and is now in a state of extreme tinan
cial as well as physical distress. There wa
evidence on all sides that both he and hi
family are in condition of pitiful need,
President-Poor fellow! He has been il
the employ of our bank for a score OF year
or more, and has performed his duties will
unusual honesty and fidelity.
Director-We can all bear testimony t,
that, I'm sure, and | have no doubt you vii
join me in the opinion that we ought to d.
something for him.
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