The Holly chieftain., 1902-03-14
The Promotion of the Admiral

send Mr.. Simpson forward and take
his place"
Capt. Blaker laughed. He went to
the break of the poop and addressed
the mate.
DO you hear. Mr. SIMPSON," he In
quired. genially.
Send him down, sir" said Simpson.
Are you sure you can pound him!"
Simpson gritted his teeth and
foamed at the mouth.
Kick him OF the poop. Sr."
Are you willing to stake everything
on your lishtin' abilities, Mr.. simp-
son7"
And when Simpson said .Aye"
through his teeth, the Admiral jumped
down on the main deck.
Now. according to all precedents,
the fight should have been long and
arduous. with varying fortunes. But
the admiral never regarded precedents,
and inside of ten seconds Mr.. Simpson
was lying totally insensible under the
spare topmast. To encounter the ad-
miral's right fist was to escape death
by q hairs breadth, and 1t took
Charles Simpson, able seaman {vice
Mr. Simpson, chief oficer). two hours
and a quarter to come to. asr
And tho't he could nght," said
the disgusted skipper; come right up,
Mr.. What's-your-name, you're the man
for me. There amt no reason for you
to trouble about my second mate, for
Simpson could lay, him out easy. All
I ask of you is to work the whole
crowd up good. And don't care IL you
are an admiral. you are the. right sort
all the same. l guess that Simpson
must have reckoned he struck a cy-
clone"
And Blaker rubbed his hands. Like
Simpson at the fight between the ad-
miral and knight. he did not know
when he had enjoyed himself more.
He improved the occasion by going be-
low and getting far too much to drink,
as was his custom. and the promoted
admiral took charge Of the deck.
Ability tells everywhere" said Sir
Richard Dunn. Il didn't rise in the
service for nothing. Ship me where
you like, and I'll come to the top. II I
didn't take this hooker into New York
as captain and master I'll die in the
attempt
He had quite come to himself. and
was beginning to enjoy himself His
natural and acquired authority bios
somed wonderfully when he took on
the new job. and, as Blaker never
swore, the admirals gift of language
was q great vicarious satisfaction to
him. Virgins accepted the situation
without a murmur. Even Simpson
himself bore no malice when his sup
planter not only showed none, but after
knocking the bo'sun's head against a
bollard gave his place to the former
mate. Though he kept the men work
Ing, and got the last ounce out of
them. none of them were down on him.
II tell you he's an admiral, sure"
they said.
He's got all the ways of one. 1
own" said Bill. an old man-o'-war's
man. II spoke to an admiral myself,
once; or. rather, he spoke to me-"
What did he say?" asked the rest
Of his watch.
He said," replied Bill. proudly, ''he
upped and said. You croas-eyed son of
a dog. II yoQ don't jump. I'll bash the
ugly head Of you!' And you bet l
jumped. Oh, he's all the ways of some
admirals, he has!"
Well, admiral or none" said the
rest Of the crowd, things goes on
pleasanter than they done when you
was mate. Simpson"
And Simpson grunted.
And he gets more work out Of us
than you done. either. Simpson. for all
yer hammerin' Of u.s."
"rl1 likely be hammerin' some Of you
again shortly, said Simpson. And as
he was cock Of the walk In the fo'c's'le,
whatever he was in the ship, the others
dried up.
Nothing Of great interest happened
till they were well east of the Horn
and hauled up for the northward run.
And then Blaker took to religion Tor
what he called religion) and rum in
equally undiluted doses.
I'm = miserable sinner, l. am" he
said to the Admiral; ''but, all the same,
Ill do my duty to the crowd
He called them AIT and preached to
them for two hours. And when one
man yawned he laid him out with a
weli-directed belaying-pin. The next
day. when 1t breesed up heavily and