The sun., 1903-12-27

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into EN- before we got clear Of Ushant
light an, the scuppers was red with blood
well, about five days out we struck
bit of nasty weather. an one night all
hands was up aloft reefin' the fore upper
topsail Black Jack was up there in the
bunt lookin' arter the job
ut so happened as was next to him,
but he didn't know II was me- Well, some
thing happened to rile him. and first thing
l knew he landed on my, jaw an nearly
sent me down on deck, Fancy him takin'
me for blasted limejuicer."
Steve stopped for moment to thoroughly
enjoy Black jacks mistake.
Well, he continued, when his laughter
had subsided,. when we got down told
But blast me. he didn't see the Joke.
Good for ye,' SEE he.
We'll, naturally, that kind o riled me,
bein' taken for a bloomin,, greenhorn. an,
! / tod d! Black 81 Jack right then as how I'd I'd
me an upper cut that sends me down to
leeward into the scuppers.
well, things went along that way until
we got down into he trades. an one night
a funny idea struck me as was a. -pacin'
the deck. Ye remember, Black Jack
was bow legged an / was larfin to myself.
wonderin' how he'd look swimmin' with
them bow legs.
| Ever Stt d DOW ltSktu IudH sWulf rhli-
niest thing. yet. But Black Jack was the
bow-leggedest man We ever see.
That idea stuck to me for long time.
an whenever I'd think Of it, night or day,
I'd larf. l was just a-hankerin' to see
Black Jack swim with them bow legs O.
his a-waggin' behind.
"One night, in the middle watch. the
chap at the wheel wanted to be relieved a
few minutes, 80 went and took the wheel
while, he went ford Black Jack was
pacin' the poop slowly, it bein' sultry
night. Pretty soon he goes up TO the
weather rail and leans agin it, kind O.
sleeRgsii, sRssi, ts,,srs them legs o, b;s never
looked so bowed as they did then I could
already fancy him kickin' them out as he
was swimlnin'.
"The more thought. the stronger that
dsa got go an ahat1 se xod TO ali the Nere oa
bein in it; Why not give him boost into
AN I thinks, O. the easy times wot would
come to the poor chaps ford wot he had
when he smashed me, too. But, most OF all,
wanted to see bow legged man swim.
Say. you fellers don't know what good
larf is till .ye see bow legged man swim
I've seen it once.
Here Steve broke of his narrative to
chuckle over funny memories.
well" he resumed at larst | couldn't
stand 1t no longer. There was Black Jack
a-leanin' over the rail, an there was me
helm pretty good, an then kicks of my
slippers, easy like. SOS he couldn't hear.
AN then l leaves the wheel. softly, an
creeps up to the weather rail, an so help
me. there was Black & Jack a-snoozin! moo Yessir, i
lam poor feller from ford dead for doin'
that same thing. Wot yer think O that?
He was leanin' over pretty far holdin'
on to awning stanchion. Wot yer think
did? Ye'd never guess.
-The canvas draw. bucket was layin'
on the skylight, an 1t looked so much like
cork helmet couldn't help wonderin, how
IL would At Black Jacks pear-shaped head.
So l sneaked over to the skylieht an cut
Then tried it on my head: an it was
jest fit Black Jack. tight At. too. SOS
he couldn't get it of
Back to the weather rail tip toes. until
stands jest in back O. Black Jack. His
head was jest in a daisy position. so care:
F.! fully raises the draw bucket above it: an
down plumps it-jest jammed it down
| tight to his shoulders.
well, fellers, ye'd larfed to see the
jump he made. like chicken with Its head
cut off, a floppin' his arms like they, was
wings. Yes sir, Jest like bloomin'c chicken
The simile struck Steve's sense OF humor
so strongly that ii was some moments
before he could continue, Even some
of his audience laughed with him.
"But that was only for a minute. he
continued. " Fore he could do anything
! ups with his heels as the chap on the
Nancy Ben would "a said, an over he went.
with the draw bucket stuck fast an a
smotherin' his squeal -
The humor of the situations ghastly
humor. perhaps-so struck all hands,
| owing more TO Steve's manner than to his
words, that all burst out into long guffaw.
The idea of Black Jack diving to his death
| with a draw bucket over his head seemed
ridicuolslv funny.
Well fellers, said Steve. after he had
| wiped the tears from his own eyes. "the
ship was goin' bare three knots, an the
| moon was out could see the white foam
spot where he went down. an aft I runs
to the log line an watches.
(, will ye believe me-but it's true-all
Of suddin | secs that white canvas draw
! bucket pop up with his two arms a-wavin'
on each side O. it. An there was them
bow legs o his a-waggin behind, like
crabs nippers. on say, felers-x er,. g ,,,o.u,
ment, Finally he was able to resume.
, well boys, ] Jest leaned over the rail
| an larfed fit TO bust myself The way
he was tryn' to holler through that draw
bucket an couldn't would "a given We fits
if ye'd "a heard the way he was a-rppin'
! up inside
II kinder reckon the cuss words he was
| lettin' out weighed the bucket down, an
them, with the iron band, sent him nose
| down. Larst l see was his two bow legs
a-kickin' up in the air, an then I went back
| to the wheel
when the chap came back to relieve
me didn't say nothin' but pretty soon the
couldn't find him he goes an calls the
skipper. -,
| "The OIL man comes on deck, and we
squares In our yards an sails back over
our course, burnin blue lights an shoutin
| like ell: an was shoutin' louder an any
| of EN-, but you bet they didn't see no signs
| of Black Jack with his head in a draw
| bucket.
"Say, feers, wot ye suppose old Nick
said when he saw Black Jack comm up to
| the gates of hell with that draw bucket