Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-10-01
rested by the voice of McGinty, saying

gone out to the donor, he said, clearing
his throat once or twice:
Enjoys, forgive me. I'm an i'm
poshter. broke me right kneecap an
five ribs comm home from Frisco in
the Lamech-fell from the foretgallant
yard-an' bin three months in Poplar
hospital. can't go aloft, but didn't
think what crime it was goin' to be
ag'in We all until see this awful over
spared brute here. Don't be hard on
me, bhoys. Ye wouldn't have me
starve ashore, would ye, now, or fret
me poor ovid heart out in the wurk-
house after forty-1ve years on the open
sea?"
He stopped and looked around dis
tressfully, and in that moment all our
hearts warmed to him. We were
mixed crowd, of course, but nearly half
of us were British, and there would
have been stormy scene If any of the
aliens had ventured to raise a protest
against McGinty's incapacity We
didn't express our sympathy, but we
felt it, and he, with native quickness,
knew that we did. and never from that
day forward did the brave old chap
hear word of complaint from any of
lis about having to do his work.
Just then the voice of the bos'n
sounded outside. Turn to-" and MS we
departed to confidence work, although
not word was sid. there was n fierce
determination Aong us to protect Nc
Ginty against any harshness from the
officers on : count of his disablement.
There was much of a hustle getting
ont of doc for any notice to be taken
of his ste. leg, which he had so clever
ly copcsaled while shipping; but, the
mate happening to call him up to the
for. castle head for something, his
laIieness was glaringly apparent at
once to the bos'n, who stood behind
him. For just minute it looked like
trouble as the bos'n began to buster
about his being cripple, but we all
gathered round, and the matter was eff
fectually settled at once.
We never regretted our consideration,
for, while 1t was true that he couldn't
get aloft, and those mighty snils would
have been a handful for double our
number in breeze of wind, there new
er was more willing, tireless worker
on deck, and below he was perfect
godsend. His sunny temper, bubbling
| fun and inexhaustble stock of yarns
made our gray lives happier than they
had ever been at sea before. If we had
allowed it, he would have been slave
to all of us, for we carried no boys, and
all the odd domestic jobs Of the foks'l
had to be done by ourselves. AS it was
he was always doing something fol
somebody, and us he was a thorough
sailor in his general hardness and
ability his services were highly appre
ciated. He made the Gareth q com
Portable ship in spite Of her manifold
drawbacks.
In due time we reached the "roarint
forties'' and began to run the casting
down. The long, tempestuous stretcf
of the southern ocean lay before us
and the prospect was by no means
cheering. The Gareth, in spite of hel
huge bulk, had given us taste of hel
quality when running before heav!
breeze of wind shortly after getting
clear of the channel, and we knew thai
she was one of the wettest of her class
vessel that welcomed every bowling
sea as an old friend and freely invited
1t to range the whole expanse Of he
decks from poop to foksl. And. Il
accordance with precedent, we kney
that she would be driven to the last eS
In the hope Of making quick passage
but because shortening sail after reall,
hard running was such an awful strait
upon the handful of men composin,
the crew, so that when once the ligh
sails were secure an attempt would al
ways be made to hang on to the still
enormous spread of sail remaining unit
the gale blew itself out or we had rul
out of its vast area. But for some day
the brave west wind fingered in its lair
and we slowly crept to the southwark
and eastward with trumpery littl
spurts of northerly and northwestern
breeze. We had reached Al degree
south and about 10 degrees east whel
one afternoon it fell calm.
One of the most magnificent sunset
imaginable spread its glories over tn
western sky. Great splashes of go1
geous coloring stained the pale blue O
the heavens and Illuminated the fan
tastic crags and ranges Of cloud tina
lay motionless around the horizon Xix
fragments Of disintegrated world. 4
long, listless swell came solemnly fror
the west at regular intervals, giyin
that waiting ship stately, rhythmica
motion in the CLASSY waters and max
ing the immense squares of canva
that hung straight as boards from tn
yards slam against the steel mast
with sullen boom. Except for that OF
casionally recurring sound, solem
stiffness reigned supreme, while til
wide mirror of the ocean refiecte
faithfully all the flaming tints of til
Sky. Quietly all of us gathered on til
foks'i head for the second dog watc
smoke, but for some time all scenes
strangely disinclined for the desultor,
chat that usually takes place at tina
pleasant hour. Pipes were pulled il
silence for half an hour until suddenl
McGinty broke the spell, his yoic
/ oeAoi6StS NlDEuut
by saying:
Il had quare dhrame lasht night"
No one stirred or spoke, and after
few meditative pulls at his pipe h
went on:
II dhreamt that 1 was tiny COS
soon ag'in at home in ovid Baltimore
I'd been wandherin' an sthrayin', Coz
alone knows where, fer dhreadfu
long while. II seemed, until at lasht
whin was ready to die from shee
WEAKNESS an fright, heard me dea
mothers sweet voice cryin', Where
Fonnie apic liver got to this long while:
Oh. twas as II an angel from hivel
spoke to me, an cried wild all m,
heart an me tongue, Here. mother
here ann An she gathered me up ii
her arms that was so soft an coy til
l felt us II was IL little tired chicl
neshtlln' into its mothers feathers II
tile suggest ay nests. | didn't 90 n