The Saint Paul globe., 1903-12-13

lamp. The glass chimney was smash
ed, but the wick burned a. dim smoky
flame.
The two. mates were holding to the
table as though still uncertain of their
footing. The door to the after cabin
opened and the skipper appeared,
bleeding slightly from a cut over one
eye. For a few seconds no one spoke.
We'll I'll be damned" gasped the
second mate at last, smearing blood
over his face from a cut on his hand
II hope you will be-" exploded the
mate. What tell We mean, you two
lubbers, by busting in my door and
walking all over me? Why in thun-
der didn't We stay in your hunks till
it was over ?''
Till it was over q" cried the. second
mate. why, blast it, you was too
scared to turn out. Me and the boy
are the only ones who had. the sense
to turn out. We didn't lie trembling
in our bunks-not much. We turned
out to see what could be done. r We
can tumble out when there's trouble
Then cause we happened to aslip in
the dark and fall against your bloody
door ye raise kick. Why didn't ye
leave it open SOS we didn't have to.
dive through 1t. Blast your bloody
door, anyway! We came in to call ye,r
SOS you should get out, too, an that's
your gratitude" @
''The ell We did!" snorted the mate.
'sWell, next time you call me don't
jump on my stomach, an don't bust
my wash basin over my head. I amt
so heavy a sleeper. A gentle tap with
a top maui will do,
Further recriminations were cut
short by the captain ordering US on
deck. We crawled uncertainty up the
companionway as though still distrust-
ing our foothold. 14gaA-aot1
Overhead the sky was almost clear:F
there was only a murky masssUf vapeks
trailing over to seaWard. About us
the water was agitated in short, chop
py waves, licking and smacking like a
herd Of hungry pigs
Aboard lay heaps Of debris of smash
ed boats, bulWarks, spars, water casks
and ropes. Half the mizzen rigging
lay on the skylight. The watchman
and sailors came crawling aft with a
lantern.
what was telling We about the
weather In these regions?" said the
second mate, vindictively. i'FWhov was
right2' 1 aef ea $50
The mate ventured only a low, IN
articulate growl.
IT 'spose,' continued the second mate,
addressing nobody in particular, aaa
how none OF these lubbers ever saw
a white squall before, but they'll learn
as they grow older. Cap'nll kn0WSbet-
ter next time than leaving his hold
empty in these waters. After this I'll
sleep on deck till we get some stiffenfng
in" - = 80
Jack shouted the skipper, where
were you when this happened?o =.
"On deck, SIR" replied the WatcA-
man. "The cables got foul of the keel.
1t was dead calm, an the blarsted
puff struck her amidships, before she
could pay out"
"All hands clear away this mess,
ordered the captain. After an hours
work we had cleared the poop Of all
movable wreckage, lashed fast what we
could and then Stacked out twenty
fathoms more OF cable. 1t had been
too short.
BY this time it was only two in the
morning. Again all hands turned in
and half an hour later were peacefully
slumbering, forgetful Of the nights in
cident and Of the morrow's work. The
second mate forgot his vow to sleep
on deck, for before 1 dropped off T
heard through the partition that sep
arated our rooms the deep gurgle of
his nightly sleeping song.