Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-02
REAL SAILOR TALK

i
knew all about yachting and such like. al
right. He was riding down the river will
another young man the other evening OF
one Of the river excursion boats. and whel
| a saiIboat passed to starboard he began t.
converse about yachting. He didn't lool
heavy-weatherish or deep-waterish. at that
| He was In fact. quite hat-chested ant
| string looking.
| But it was plain from the way he talked
| that he had the boat sailing thing all chart
| ed out and at the ends Of his fingers. H'
virtually said SO himself, and he ought te
| have known whether he knew or not.
| Moreover, didn't he wear white ducf
| trousers, and blue double-breasted coat
| and a white yachting cap with gilt anchor
device above the peak? Thus rigged how
could he help knowing all about boat-saiiine
| and such like? Just as soon as ever ne
caught sight Of that sailboat he began tc
expatfate learnedly.
What he wasn't wise to with reference &c
reaching and luff1ng and footing and wind
ward work. and the rest Of the te'neek OF
the game, was obviously not worth getting
next to. He was telling EN- all about 1t
all Of those in his immediate neighborhood.
He pretended that he was only explaining
things to his tired-looking companion, but
he kept his voice at a high pitch so that
everybody could avail himself Of the words
of wisdom. And when he finished each
wisdom dripping sentence he glanced around
furtively out of the tail of his eye to see
what kind Of hit he was making.
He was, as a simple matter OF truth. max
ing many wholly inoffensive and deserving
persons real weary. But he couldn't know
this of course, and so he went right on
exuding his abstruse knowledge as to the
real inside workings of this here yachting
game.
A couple of mischievous-eyed young fell
lows who couldn't help but listen to him
for heinQ wedQed
as they were, at length tipped each other
the wink. and then they began
"Avast, there We lubber" bawled one OF
them at tho other. getting up from his
cal hitch to his pantaloons, at the same
time pretending to expectorate out OF the
left-hand corner Of his countenance. 'CleW
down them halyard tops'ls. Stand byl
Aloft. there. me hearties. and we'll take
double reef In the cathead!'
The crowd didn't quite know what to
make of this at first, the young chap wore
such a serious expression OF countenanee.
grin fiickeringly.
The dead-wiSe young man with the ancnor
device on his cap. who had the yachting
game down so pat. screwed his head around
to glance at the pair Of mischievous-eyed
youths, but he was too obtuse to see into
the thing for a while.
"Shiver me mizzen gaff!" howled the other
young man when his companion had stopped
| IL.
paw O. breeze right out O mormon by SOU :
east! Up with them royal skysls! Lend a
hand, ye blitherin' beachcombers, or It's tn
ropes end FIR evry manjack o vel! -.
Lower away tn after marlinspike!'
shreked the youth who had first begun the
deep-water orders. Cut away tn after
hatch with belayin- pin. or It's Davy
Jones locker for all hands o We! Up with
tn afterdeck stu'ns'l. all hands! Cut away
that ridge rope before she's carried away
Second mate there, Is tn glass still a-fall-
in?"
Man tn lee scuppers!" bawled the other
young man, and by this time the foiks
around were chuckling and gazing inquir-
iusly at the young man who had been OK
plotting his complete knowledge OF the
Yachting game. Set that to- gallant foe sic
there sos she'll draw two point better.
Hard a-port! Out with tn long-boat
davis, Avast We lubber standn' inboard
there, and rouse out tn galley cook! We're
sinking''
"All hands to tn pumps" howled the
youth who had set the game IN motioh;
foremast balloon jib! Out with tn BABY
splnnaker and tn capstan bar! Arm and
away! Well grapple and board her! P1kes
all hands! Cutlasses atWeen teeth! Lover
away TIL port stays'ls! Gibe tn after
cabin. Clear away them hammock net.
tlngs Overheard with tn runnin gear
Breach them rum-casks! Clip them gas,
kets an stow tn DO suns mate In tn
after bilgel All-l-l ha-a-ands abandon
shipl" and he wound UP with husky
deep-water growl that could be heard all
over the boat.
yachting and things turned about and
sazed at the two youths as If he felt real
angry and would enjoy spanking them on
the pulse or doing something else equally
desperate.
Then he skunk aft and to the lower deck
followed by the guying comments OF the
crowd.