Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1903-11-27
'fcontinued.)

(ContinuodJ
what Ii this?" asked Capt Baker
mildly. yet with = savage eye. "Mr
Simpson. what do you mean BY allow
Ing your authority (and mine dele
gated 70 y0u) to be disregarded?"
Sir = said Mr.. Simpson. and
then the admiral turned ON him.
Hold your Internal tongue, Sir, he
roared. And, sir, II you are the
master Of, this vessel as suppose.
require you to put spout for San Fran.
cisco. am ! British admiral, sir;
my name Is Sir Richard Dunn"
.'Oh, you're an admiral and you re
quire'?" said Baker. "Wa'al, I do ad-
mire! You look like an admiral: the
waterfront is full of such. rake that,
SIR"
v And the resurgent old Adam In
Baker struck the admiral with such
unexpected force that Dunn went
heels over head OF the poop and land.
ed on Simpson. The mate improved
the opportunity by kicking him VIC
lently In the ribs. When he was
tired, he spoke to the admiral again.
"Now. you lunatic. take this here
I ball Of twine and go and overhaul the
geaf on the main. And IL you open
your mouth to say another word I'll
murder you"
And though he could not believe he
was doing it, Sir Richard Dunn
crawled aioft and did Whist he was
told. He was stunned by his fall and
the hamfneTing he had received. but
that was nothing to the utter and
complete change Of air that he ex-
perienced. Az he overhauled the gear
he wondered il he was an admiral at
all. II he was. how came he on the
maintopgallant-yard Of merchant
ship! II he wasn't, Why was he sur
prised 1t being there? He tried to
recall the last day Of his life a. an
admiral. and was dimly conscious Of =
late evening somewhere in San Fran
cisco At which he had certainly taken
his share OF liquor. A vague sense Of
having been in row oppressed him,
but he could recall nothing till he had
been yanked out Of his bunk by that
truculent devil Of q mate then patrol
ing the poop.
I'll must be mad" said the ad-
miral.
Now, then, look alive there. you
dead crawling cat, : said Mr.. Simpson.
|, "or I'll come up and boot you OF the
yard. Do you hear me?"
Yes, sir" said the admiral quickly,
and as he put new housing on the
cliphooks Of the miZzen-topmast-stay-
sailtripping-l line block, he murmured,
II suppose never was an admiral
after all. / don't seem to know what
am" And the hardest nut among the
admirals of the Active List wiped
away a tear with the sleeve of his coat
as he listened to the sacred Commina.
ton Service with all its blessings, In
toned In down-east twang by the EN-.
I inent Mr.. Simpson.
ss He's crazy said Simpson to the
second greaser. Sage he's an ad.
miral. I've had the Apostle Peter on
board, and a cook who said he was
ST. Paul, but this is the first time I've
run against an admiral before the
mast.
Does he look like it, sir?" asked
Virgins, laughing.
He looks the toughest case you
ever set eyes on, :" said Simpson. "But
you'd have smiled to see the way the
old man slugged him OF the poop.
And yet there's something about him
l don't tumble to. Il guess that's
where his madness lies. Guess I'll
cure him or kill him by the time we
get OF Sandy Hook. Now, then. you
admiral, come down here and start
up the fore rigging, and do it quick.
or I'll know the reason why"
And the knight Commander of the
Bath came down as he was bid, and
having cast perplexed eye over
Simpson and Virgins, who sniggered
at him with amused and savage con-
tempt, he went forward in q hurry
.This is q nightmare" he said;
I'm dreaming. Damme, perhaps I'm
dead"
When he had overhauled the gear
at the fore and being real seaman,
he did 1t well Virgins called him
down to work on deck, and he found
himself among his new mates. But
now they were all aware that he be-
lieved he was an admiral, and that he
had spoken to Simpson in way that
nf, man had ever done That was 10