The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-26

why he should myself. and so / didn't
reply 10 the question. But | asked him
Ever get lonesome for the States down
here?'
"He scratched cheekbone thoughtfully
|N-no: not exactly that But there
are two things that miss lot down here
sure do
Il figured thar Jack was about to become
n tetnchv bit sentimental. but, some
how or another, dash of sentiment doesn I
seem 40 unbecOming, even in sailorman
down there near, the line, with the smell
OF the pineapples and the plantains in the
air, as IL does up this way.
E And what are those two thingsE l
asked him.
Ham and eggs for breakfast, like we
used to net on liberty in New York, and an
occasional skinful OF sMcGurk's whiskey,
replied Jack the Tahiti man, blanketing me
with his grin.
He handed me bagrul OF alligator pears
10 take aboard with me when babe him
good-by. slapped the bag into my
locker and took the alligator pears out Of it
for salad-maliing purposes as l wanted
them. II WASH T. until I'd got down to the
last pear in the bag that I found the 500
in French gold pieces that the old Jacky
had put in the heel of the bag for me-and
a proper shipmate, call that kind, deserter
or no deserter,
"A few wears after that 1 was returning
to the States as an idler, on Dutch steamer
that made number of ports on the Island
of Ceylon. In one of them | met an old
shipmate who had gone over the side AZ
Apa. Samoa, years before.
"He had served alongside me on the
Tennessee as pay yeoman. He had
gone on a shutdown liberty drunk iii Apa,
and his ship had pulled away without him
m la ~ III lnfa ia
an Involuntary deserter.
After that he'd drifted all over the
South Seas. the Straits Settlements and
the Indian Ocean. and when met up with
him al Ceylon he was making good at a
large salary and q share Of the profits as
overseer OF Il bunch Of Cingalese pearl
divers He had married a CiDgalese girl
who was plenty Of a locker, barring that
she baCkened her teeth by chewing betel
nut. and had nice looking assortment
Of young ones.
II chllmmed with him that night on
board his schooner. He broke out big
concert either, an instrument on which
he was an artist, and playe away for a
long time without saying much. Finally.
he drifted into tune that recognized
but couldn't place.
Recognize thaty he asked me-
Heard it. told him, but the name
Of it's got away from me-.
He played il again, very slow and
very mournful affair, and then he said:
You and I.marched TO that tune along
side each other, with the outfit from our
ship. cat Grants funeral in New York
and that's the last time | ever set foot in
New York Pat Gilmore's band played
it. It's song called Somebody's Com
ing When he Dewdrops FALL and Pat
set II TO dead march measure and played
it for the first time that way at Grant :
funeral II was tremendously solemn and
impressive as Pats band played il.
Member
Yes said I. Pats been dead and
buried himself long time now
"'Say, is that rightf he asked me. Why
can't imagine Gilmore dead-1 thought
he'd live forever and he put away his
either and was silent and dumpish for
the remainder Of the evening.
Il mention the incident because il
seemed sort of strange to find man down
i'll Ceylon waters sorrowing for the genial
and great Pat Gilmore, bandsmsn, who
had then been dead for some years,