Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-01-09
MIN 1v1Nnu AM CONTY REFORNER FRIDAY, JANUARY I90o


both the jeers and the applause with be.
secching wave of his hand and followed
along the curb of the wharf the steamer
which was commencing to float toward
tho dock gates. He spoke to those on
hoard her now rather than to his more i'm
mediate following and unclean faces
stared at him from over the line Of bull
warks.
"To any man Of you who values life, :"
he cried, Il offer solemn warning. Inat
shin is doomed. She will sink In MD
ocean, blown apart by our petards, ana
her III gotten cargo will BIO hurled out OF
capitals reach forever. Those who are
misguided enough to be her guardians
will be blasted into space. Listen, you
men of her crew. Jump on the pier head
yonder as she passes into the basin anu
take the consequences The brutal laws
of this country will hurl you into prison,
but better season dragging out mar
tyrs sentence than death as an enemy to
the workers cause"
At this point the strong right hand OF
the law descended on to the speakers ell
bow. and then, because he attempted to
resist, the willing right knee OF the law
jerked up suddenly into the small OF that
anarchists back, after which he was
hauled ignominiously to police station,
and the place Of his speaking knew him
no more.
But the fellows threats had not been
without their result. Every hand on the
Port Edes' deck had heard them distinct
", and disquet arose under the belts OF
nine out of ten. The mates grew nervous
and the men inattentive, and from the
bridge Captain Kettles voice and whistle
kept ringing out with biting clearness.
AS it was, only one man attempted to put
the warning into practical effect. He was
miserable half clad wretch, coal trim
mer by rating, already repentant OF the
spell of physical toll which ha had signed
ON for.
Passing through the lock gates into the
basin, the steamers port quarter swung
gently toward the wall. A sailor in readi-
ness dropped from above and ran aft with
the lanyard of a cork fender. The trim
mer jumped on the bulwarks, and one
might have thought that he was going 70
bear hand-an unnecessary hand Inc
sailor did so and cursed him for his OIL
ciousness The donkeyman, however,
who was oiling the afterwinch, had othef
ideas ON the subject, and stood by Tor
rush; hence, when that trimmer was GET
ting himself ready for spring back on
the quayhead, the donkeyman's long legs
took him rapidly across the red iron DECKS
and when the trimmer was already IN
midair the donkeyman's huge paw de-
scended upon the slack OF his black
breeches and drew him back as though he
possessed the weight of feather pillow,
whereat the crowd at the pierhead yelled
with delightful laughter, and the dingy
steamer made her way stolidly on to the
muddy waters Of the Mersey ebb, which
dubbed against the lip OF the walls be-
yond.
Curse you," snarled the trimmer,
whats that forf"
because we're short manned In the
stokehold already, me son, and II there 8
q hand goes it's meself that'H have to
stand watch and watch in his place. Hsv-
In got you, / shall be jintleman now ana
slape In me bed at night all the way TO
New Orleans. See thati"
"This mucky old tramp'll be blowed NJ
sure's death, and shall be killed"
well, bless me!'' retorted the donkey
man, who'd miss you II you were killed!
Always supposin you weren't wanted fol
our furnaces. Here get up, you half baked
scum Of the workhouse, and tumble be
low. Thank your stars the old man
hasn' seen you from the bridge, but don I
give me any more of your lip, or III report
you to him and the chief to boot. Now.
moseyr'
The coal trimmer blew bis nose on his
gray neck handkerchief and shambled of
below, muttering. The donkeyman re-
turned to his winch, unbent the chain
and sent it down into the adjacent hold.
Then he returned to the poop deckhouse,
where he lived with the carpenter and
boatswain, and offered to bet those wor'
thies, who had just come in for dinner,
that Captain Kettle shot some one on
board before the Port Edes tied up against
New Orleans levee.
Hes just holy terror, our old man,
observed the donkeyman cheerfully. u
sailed with him once before, and he un.
bent n quartermaster's front teeth with
the bridge telescope before we'd been three
days ont. With the smudgy crowd we've
got here now it's pound to brick they
start him moving even sooner than that.
Not mind myself. Seas dull enough
as a general thing, and / like to see Bit
of life throwing about, and at that game
little Red Kettles good as Yankee skip
per any day."