Evening journal., 1904-04-22

OF his waistcoot. underneath his oil
skin coat. He opened the big blade
harpooned q cube Of pork and depos-
tied 1t on his tin plate. He ate 1t slow
ly and with savage determination. But
the black jack was more than he could
benr.
I'm not hungry enough for that just
now," he told himself "Say, JIM" he
said, turning TO the Chinaman next
him on the bunk ledge-"say, what
kind Of boat is this? What you do
where you go?"
The other moved away impatiently.
NO sabe. no sabe," he answered,
shaking his head and frowning.
Throughout the whole Of that strange
meal these were the only words spo-
ken.
When Wilbur came on deck again
he noted that the Bertha Millner had
already left the whistling buoy astern.
on to the east, her sails just showing
above the waves. was a pilot boat with
the number Z on her mainsail. The
evening was closing in, the Farallones
were IN plain sight dead ahead. Far
behind, In a mass OF shadow just bluer
than the sky, he could make out few
twinkling llghts-San Francisco.
Half an hour later Kitchell came on
deck from his supper in cabin aft. He
glanced in the direction Of the main
land, now almost out Of sight. then
took the wheel from one Of the China
men and commanded, Ease or y'r
fore an main sheets" The hands
eased away, and the schooner played
OF before the wind.
The staysail was set. The Bertha
Milner headed to southwest, bowling
easily ahead Of a good eight knot
breeze.
Next came the order, "All hands
aft" and Wilbur and his mates betook
themselves to the quarter deck. Char
lie took the wheel, and he and Kitch-
ell began TO choose the men for their
watches, Just as Wilbur remembered
TO have chosen sides for baseball dur
ing his school days.
Sonny. I'll choose you. You're on
my watch" said the captain TO VIII
bur, "and / will assoom the ree-spon
sibility Of your nautical eddoocation.'
Il may as well tell you at once" be
gan Wilbur, that I'm no sailor"
'But you will be soon," answered the
captain, at once soothing and threaten
ing. you will be. Mister Lilee of tbs
Valiee. You kin lay to 1t as how Vol
will be one OF the best sailor men alonl
the front. as our dear friend Jim says
Before / git thoo with you you'll be
sailor man or shark bait, l can prom
ise you. You're on my watch. SteI
over here, SON."
The watches were divided, Charlie
and three other Cinnamon on the port
ISitchell, Wilbur and two Cinnamon ol
the starboard. The men trooped for
ward again.
The tiny world Of the schooner ha'
lapsed to quiet The Bertha Milne
was now clear Of the land, that lay lik
a blur Of faintest purple smoke, eve
growing fainter, low in the east. Tn
Farallones showed but their shoulder
above the hcrizon. The schooner wa
standing we'll out from shore, even be
yond the track OF the coasters and pas
senger steamers. 20 catch the trade
from the northwest The sun was SCI
ting royalty, and the floor Of the ocea
shimmered like mosaic. The sea ha
gone down and the fury Of the ba
was a thing forgotten. IT was pc
ceptibly warmer.
D.. Fal rt.fr oI a
forward, smoking opium and playing
game that looked like checkers. Thre
OF them were washing down the deck
with kaiar brooms. For the iirst tim
3 since he had come on board Wilbu
heard the sound OF their voices.
The evening was magnificent. Neve
70 Wilbur's eyes had the Pacific az
peared so vast, so radiant, so divlnel
beautiful A star or two burned slowl
through that part Of the sky where tn
pink began to fade into the blu'
Charlie went forward and set the sid
lights-red on the port rigging, gree
on the starboard AS he passed WI
> bur- who was leaning over the rail an
watching the phosphorus flashing jul
p under the surface, he said:
"Hey, you so talkee-talk one piece
boss, savvy boss-chin chin"
Wilbur went aft and came up on II
: poop, where Kitchell stood at th
wheel. smoking an inverted clay pipe
Now, son." began Kitchell, Il match
ly love you so that I'm goin' to Z
you a reel favor, do you twigl II
goin' to allow you 10 berth aft in Il
cabin. long o. me an Charlie, an, b
sides, you can make free Of my quartz
deck. Mebbee you amt used TO Il
ways Of sailor men just yet, but yo
can lay it to that those two are re
concessions, savvy? ! amt a mus
head, like NEE dear friend jim. Yc
amt no water front swine; can que
that with one hand tied behind N
You're swell, that's what you ar
an your lines has been laid for swell
/ amt aslzin' you no questions, but yC
got brains, an fgger on gettin' mo
outa you by lettin' you have y'r hes
bit. But mind. now, you get 81
once, sonny, or try TO fimfam me,
forget that I'm the boss Of the bat
tub. an. strike me blind. III cut yC
open, an you can lay to that, 80
Now, then. here's the game: You wo'
this boat long with the coolies an tai
my orders an walk chalk, an I'll tea
you navigation an make this cruise
easy as how-do-you-do. You don't, a
I'll man-handle you till y'r bones con
throo y'r hide"
"I've no choice in the matter" sa