The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-11-24


main sheet is?"
"Of course l can. Dokou taAApe for
a knockkneed idiot: The main sheet is
the main sheet is the rope that hauis
down the main jib in a gale"
The BOwser cat was born and reared
almost within sound of the surf, and
she knows a thing or two about salt
water. At Mr.. Bowser's reply she fell
over as if dead, and Mrs. Bowser made
such an effort to preserve her serenity
Of c~ountenance that her hair curled.
The main sheet, Mr.. Bowser." she
said when she could control her voice.
lis the rope used to haul in or let out
the main boom on board of any vessel.
no matter what her rig"
what, What, What" he howIed
rs he jumped up and waved the tele-
scope in the air. Woman, this is
something unendurable. You seem to
take me for a first class fool.'
Not at all. You have simply got the
nautical fad, wh;!c you don't know
anything about nfutical matters. For
instance. what head sails does the or
binary ship carryE"
And You ask me that you who
know more about dishpans and fiat
irons than ships" he gasped.
Yes. I AK. and | should like an an
swer."
"They carry 4 jig%cr jib, of course.
Perhaps yen will deny it and say they
carry Il tabICcioth instead"
The head sails Of the average sail
ing ship. MIR. EowScr, are staysail. jib
AID i:r;n- ji,. but on Il full rugged
craft they carry an outer jib as We'll.
Let us turn 20 the dictionary again and
see if | am right"
Turn to nothing, Woman. what 90
YOU mean by such conduct: Dc you
wish To drive me from the house to-
night to get drunk at II saloon:'
"Of course not"
Mr.. BoWser started to glare again.
but the look became 4 soft. oily smile
as ne thought Of something. and Il min
ute later he asked:
Just answer me Il question, please.
How many maStS has Il schooner got"
The ordinary schooner has only two.
the same as Il brig. but they have TAX
en- to building them with three, four.
five and even six maStS. The rig of an
ordinary schooner, if you wish 10
know, consists of fOreSail, mainSail.
fore gaff, main gait, IL staysail and two
jibs.'
rs that all?" q
That's all"
Then that shows all you know
about it. Where does the foreroyal
skysail come in, the principal sail on
the ship!'
There is no such sail known on any
ship of any rig, Mr.. BOwser. There
are foreroyals and skysails, but they
are separate sails. Shall we turn to
the dictionary"
The commodore wanted to spring TO
his feet and shout through his trumpet
for all hands to pull up the foremost
by the roots and cast the cooks gal
ley overheard, but he cast two anchors
to windward and held himself fast for
a moment while he asked:
Mrs. Know 1t All, perhaps you can
tell me what u scuttle butt isl
Il cam readily replied Mrs. Bow
ser. 1T is a barrel dashed on deck
and containing fresh water for the use
of the crew. 1 may tell you at the
same time that d harness caSk is a bar
rel or cask containing meat to be cook
ed as wanted"
"And-and a bulkhead?"
ANY partition on shipboard is call
ed a bulkhead, whether in the cabin or
hold. Now let me ask you what the
ratlines are?'
Mr.. BowSer was about to answer
that anything that ratified around on
board ship was Il %ratline, but he had
come to realize that he was a beaten
man, and his dignity could be saved
only in one way. Lord Nelson never
took n more heroic resolve. He clew-
ed up his main topsail, close reefed
his fore, and after hauling his jibs to
windward and shivering his foresail
he rose up and said:
Woman. you have seen fit TO try
to make a fool of your husband. and
his little performance will now come
TO an end
But do you know how to box the
compass" she asked.
No, ma'am. don't. | don't know
a yacht from a starch box o a full
rugged ship from a henhouse. All |
know isis
And the man of the salty sea and
the dashing spray and the ocean "a
banged his telescope down on the floor
and banged his jaunty yachting cap
down after il. and then he jumped up
and down on them and cried out "Ha.
ha. Aye. aye. in such deep sea tones
that the cat was swept TO leeward and
Mrs. Bowser was drowned in her state
room.
Now. then" he said as the ship got
through rolling and came back TO an
sven keel. you have driven me from
my home. and you have driven me tc
get drunk. and you take the conSe-
Iuences and make the best of them"
Then he rolled down the hall. clap
nod on hi- Sn,1'yva-tar mud mo1o ~