The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1904-02-12


that idea cot. Thinka I w IlySa,t
here's RAN wot makes the world u!
the worse for bein' in It; Why not give
him a boost into better world
'An' thinks O. the easy times wot
would come to the poor chaps ford
wot he had lambasted o. every one
An thinks o when he smashed me-,
TOO. But, most of all, I wanted to see
a bow-legged MAJ swim.
Say, you fellers don't know what q
good larf is till ye see q bow-legged
man swim. I've seen it once.''
Here Steve broke of his narrative
to chuckle over funny memories.
"Well," he resumed, at larst
couldn't stand it no longer. There was
Black Jack a-leanin' over the rail an
there was me dyin' to see him swim.
So steadies the helm pretty good. an
then kicks of my slippers, easy like,
SOS he couldn't hear. I'd
can then l leaves the wheel. softly,
an creeps up to the weather rail, an
so help me, there was Black Jack
a-snoozln'! Yessir, sleepin' on his
watch. Him as would lam poor fel-
Ter from ford dead for doin' that same
thing. Wot yer think O. that?
"He was leanin' over pretty far, hold
in on to awning stanchion. EWot yer
think did? Ye'd never guess.
1.-THE canvas draw bucket was layir'
on the skylight. an it looked so much
like cork helmet l couldn't help Won
derin how it would fit Black Jacks
'pear=shaped head. So I sneaked over
to the skylight an cut off the rope.
Then I tried it on my head, an it
was jest trifle too big. But, thinks
I, it'll jest fit Black Jack, tight fit,
too, SOS he couldn't get it of.
''Rack to the weather rail tip toes,
until I stands. jest. in back O. Black
Jack. His head was jest in. 4 daisy
position. so I carefully raises the draw
bucket above it, an down pumps it
jest damned it down tight to his
shoulders. 90
"Well, fellers, ye'd larfed to see
the jump he made, like a chicken with
its head cut off, floppin' his arms like
they was wings. Yes, sir, jest like a
bloomin' chicken" ..x ~
The smile struck Steve's sense of
humor SO strongly that it was some
moments before he could continue.
Even some of his audience laughed
with him. 1890 ,
But that was only for a minute"
he continued. "'Fore he could do any
thing l ups with his HEELS as the
chap on the Nancy Bell would 'a,said,
an over he went, with the draw buckle
stuck fast an a-smotherin,h his
squeals.'
The humoc of the situation-ghastl
humor. perhaps-so struck all hands,
owing more to Steve's manner than to
his words, that all burst out into a
long guffaw. The idea of Black Jack
diving to his death with draw bucket
over his head seemed ridiculously
funny. ssyt,
well, fellers" said Steve, after; he
had wiped the tears from his own eyes,
"the ship was goin' bare three knots,
an the moon was out. could see the
white foam spot where he went down,
an aft runs to the log line an
watches.
will We believe me-but It's true
all of sudden sees that white can
vas draw bucket pop up with his two
arms a-wavin' on each side O. it. An
there was them bow legs O his a-wag-
gin behind. like crabs nippers. Oh,
say, fellers-"
Again Steve went off into peals of
merriment. Finally he was able to re-
sumo.
''Well, boys, l jest leaned over the
rail an larfed fit to bust myself. The
way he was tryin' to boiler through
that draw bucket an couldn't would
"a given ye fits if>ye'd "a heard the.
way he was a-rippin' up inside. III
II kinder reckon the cuss words he
was lettin'' out weighed the bucket
down an them, with the iron band,
sent him nose down. Larst l see was
his two bow legs a-kickin' up in the
air, an then l went back to the wheel.
when the chap came back to re-
lieve me didn't say nothin', but pretty
soon the third mate misses Black Jack,
an as he couldn't md him he goes an
calls the skipper. 2
1.-THE OIL man comes on deck, and we
squares in our yards an sails back over
our course, burnin' blue lights an
shoutin', an I was shoutin' louder AN
any of 'em, but you bet they didn't ser
no signs of Black Jack with his heaa
in a draw bucket. ~
Say, fellers, 7Wot We suppose old Nick
said when he saw Black Jack comm
with that draw bucket over his head?
Blessed If wouldn't a been willin' to
stand the high temperatoor for a few
minutes jest to see what happened. -
The idea seemed so humorous to
Happy Steve that the story ended In
a long, loud laugh, interpolated with
humorous comments on an imaginary
conversation between his Satanic mai
esty and Black Jack, with the draw
bucket presenting difficulties in the:
way of mutual recognition.