The news & observer., 1904-09-11

to bend our winter suit of sails. Every
mothers son of them were aloft eX-
,cept me, and | was busy about the
mainmast. standing by to attend to
tne running gear, rs /, was ordered
from above. As they had ho1sted all
the sails UP before thcy had started
aloft. they were there long Tune, as
busy as bees trying to get the Job
finished. At last all Was ready and
down thev came. One of them went
forward for something and lm1nedi-
atelv raised an outcry that brought all
hands rushing to the SPOT, thinking
that the ship was on fire or some
Thing. The sight they saw WAS
paralvZing one to Il sailor. On ootl
sides of the bulwarks and the lower
panels of the house We're great smearS
and splashes of Stockholm tar, Wille
all along the nice blue covering pos'rd
the mess was indescribable. with one
accord everybody shouted:
THAT --- monkeys!
Yes, as they spoke there was dull
thud, and down from a!ott 1eIl d
huge oakum wad saturated Wlth tar.
They looked up and there sat an IN
fernal object, hardly diStingulShahle
for Il monkey being Smothered from
head to tai!-end with the thick Slu-
tinous stuff. But his white teeth
cleaned and his wicked eye tWinkied
mcrrily, as he thought OF the heaVen-
ly time he'd been having, n recon-
pense for what must have seemed
years of waiting. Too late the men
now remembered that the tar barrel
it's head completely out. had been left
up ended by the WindlaSs where IL
had been placed for convenience dur
ing tarring down. It was there still,
but leading from il in all directions
were streams of tar where Jocko had
dragged away the dipping vads he
had fshed out of its black depths.
/ was never revengeful, but il | h2d
been | should have felt sorry for the
secont, mate, my old tyrant, now. lie
dropped and withered like q scarlet
runner under the first sharp frost. Not
q word did he say but he looked as
il all the curses in every tongue tnat
ever were spoken were pouring over
his brain in a flood. Pursuit OF the
monkey was out of the question.
CIambering over the newly tarred rig
ring was bad enough when done with
all care, but in a chase, especially over
places where it had been freshly
anointed by the fugitive, we should
have had all hands captured like flies
on a gummed string.
They all stood and glared at the
mess like men not knowing how to
adjust their minds to this new con-
dit.on of things, nor, wnen the skip
per and mate came forward TO see
what was the matter, did they contri-
butte any words good, bad or inditfer-
ent. Apparently they would have re-
mained there till they dropped, fas-
cinated by the horrible sight, but sud
denly piercing screams aft startled
everybody.
Jocko had crept down the mizzen
rigging and pounced upon poor little
Tin. who was delicately combin9
himself Che was as daintily clean as q
cato on the after hatch. And now
Jocko was perched on the Gro jack
yard vigorously wiping his tar-drench-
ed fur with Tip as if he had been q
dry wad.
The second mate started from his
lethargy and spEang aloft to the rescue
of his screaming pet with an agility
scarcely inferior to that of Jocko.
Rage seemed to give him energy, for
presently he pressed Jocko 50 hard
Che let poor little Tip go as soon as he
saw his pursuer) that he ran out along
the mizzen topsail brace, and, balanc-
ing himself for a moment covered his
eyes with his hands and sprang into
the sea. Bobbing up like q cork, he
struck out away from the ship which
was only just moving. but in less than
five minutes he repented his rashness
and swan back. A line was flung to
him, he promptly seized it and was at
once a captive again. The men were
so impressed by his prowess that they
refused to allow the second mate to
touch him, nor did any of them even
beat him lest they should have bad
luck. But they replaced the chafed
ring he had broken by a mas
l.
rach's man came aboard in London
Jocko was sold to him, for five shill-
ings.
Tip went to the Crystal Palace and
met a worse fate.
Some men make opportunities for
others to take advantage Of.