Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-01-09

IN. ~ sssSyss:.Iss - ~ e = y
ITO any man Of you tcho pdtues eve !
offer a solemn tCdr'ntng."
her that wanted to be a sailor, like his
daddy. tell you she was that took on
the idea she'd hear no refusal, and l had
to write letter to owners and GET them
to wire back No sho could read for
herself. It'd look well set to music, that
tale, wouldn't 1t, Sort of jnmpy music,
you know, with 20 heave humbug chorus
to it, same as all sailors songs that you
hear in the halls"
Cambel shrugged his shoulders. What
can you expect at the priceF' he asked.
"This isn't a g12 a month berth, and
you've thrashed across Atlantic In worse
ship for less"
"Don't you mistake me, !" retorted ket-
tie. I'm working for full value received,
and there's many an old sailor'd like to
be in my shoes If he only knew Pm not
Qrumbling at the berth, only when
mans on a racket Of this kind It's bit
hard on him to have wife and kids he's
fool enough to be fond Of. It's an ugly
amusement lying to them like play &C
Tor when you know it's ten chances to
one you'll ever see English mud again.
That's the way it cuts, though l suppose
you'll think it all a sailors grumble. Per
haps you aren't a married manf'
mo, I'm not"
but you've got people who care for
you?''
Cambel gave the ghost Of a smile and
then laughed. NO." he said, II can't
even boast Of that. Acquaintance are
mine In thousands, but friends-well, all
friendship has its breaking strain. I'm
bit like that comfortable contemplate per
son, the miller of the Dee. / believe did
eare for somebody once, and she made me
think she cared for me. Probably she
lied. because under persuasion she went
of with another man. Bah, though, what
does it matteri Kettle, we're talking rank
sentiment, and that's an Improbable en-
ployment for men engaged on piece OF
delicate business. And-here's a gentle.
man come to tell me that the consignment
of specie Is just commencing to arrive.
Now, captain, the stuff II be in iron bound
boxes, and you and l have got to weigh
each one separately and check the invoice.
Then we've to act as our own stevedores
and stow half of it in the cabin next my
room and half of it across the alleyway
next the mates"
why divide it?"
Because the weight Is big, and 1t would
give your steamer heavy list to star
board"
''Oh, as to that, never mind. We can
easily bring her up again with trimming
tank. And l shouldn't feel comfortable If
any of the stuff was in that room next the
mates You see, Mr. Cambel, any one on
board can go down that alleyway. In
fact it's the only road from end to end of
the ship unless you go up over the bridge
deck. And I'd not guarantee but what
the bait would make some of them beau
ties try and tamper with the door. It's
big enough to smudge the honesty OF an
archbishop If he was only earning "a a
month Now the room next yours has iron
walls and opens only into the inner cabin.
There's a good lock ON it already, and if l
make the carpenter bend on four more
you'll have a strong room the Bank OF
England mil mt boast about"
THAT SOU DIS sensible, u commented the
envoy from the bank.
Very we'll, " said Cambel, Il believe it
Is the best plan. Now, if you please, we'll
have the weighing machine in the main
cabin, and if you, sir, will instruct your
men to bring in the boxes one by one I'll
satisfy myself that they agree with the
tally, and Captain Kettle shall build them
I'D in the stateroom before us both. It's a
very responsible job we have upon us, and
the more counter checkings and precau-
tions we can put into it the better for our
several regulations"
It was Q responsible job. Not every day
Is specie to the tune of 500, 600 British
sovereigns shipped from Liverpool dock,
and because gold boxes are made in a con-
ventional pattern the shipment was spot
ted, and crowds gathered to stare at the
cased in wealth.
AS staring dumbly is dry work, self ap-
pointed orators among the crowd natural
ly distribute gratis their own private
opinions upon the situation, and, accord
ing to their luck or eloquence, these at
tracted larger or smaller audiences No
one took them very seriously, and they,
for the most part, treated the subject in a
jocular vein. 1t was not till Captain Ket-
tie and the Mersey pilot had gone into the
upper bridge and the mate on the fore
deck had cast off the first bow fast that a
self appointed prophet arose who spoke of
the gold shipment in another key.
| He was wild, unkempt, knockkneed
man, who first attracted attention by tying
crimson handkerchief to an umbrella and
brandisbing it above his head. Being on
the face of him a creature who never if he
could avoid it put his hand to honest Ia
Dor, he naturally addressed the crowd at
large as fellow workers" These things
awoke a slight humorous interest, and be-
cause the man had the gift of glib and
striking speech the crowd continued to
listen after the first pricking up Of their
ears.
The mans discourse need not be report
Cd in detail. He was an anarchist, red,
rampant and ruthless, and by means of
Arguments, some warped, some fair
enough. be pointed out to his hearers that
the mission Of the Port Edes was another
/ knife thrust of capital into the ribs Of la
Dor. The statement met with e very