Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-12-26
CAP'N ERR
By JOSEPH e. LINCOLN
A.
New York.


III Copyright. 1904. by A. 5. Barnes
IN New York. Al
| [coNT1NUED.l
The life saver took the cigar that
Hazeltine had given him from bis
mouth and blew the smoke into the ali
over his head.
"Well," he said slowly, II don't know
exactly. I've seen some pretty gritty
things done 'longshore here in the serv'
ce. When there's somebody drowndin'
and you know there's chance to save
'em, you'll take chances, and think
nothin' of 'em. that you wouldn't take
you had time to set down and carlate
a little. see somethin' done once that
may not strike you as bein' anything
out Of the usual run, but that has al.
ways seemed to me clear grit and
nothin' else. 'Twa'n't savin' life mel.
ther; twas jest matter Of business.
1T happened up off the coast Of
| Maine long in the seventies. was act.
In as sort of second mate on lumber
schooner. Twas a pitch black night,
or mornin', rather, bout 6 o'clock,
blowin' like all possessed and colder'n
| Greenland. We struck rock that
want even down on an Eldredge chart
and punched hole in the schoOner's
side Jest above what ought to have
been the water line, only she was heel
ed over SO that twas considerable be-
low it most of the time. We had q
mean crew aboard, Portugees mainly,
and poor ones ut that. The skipper
was below asleep, and when he come
on deck things was in bad way.
We'd got the canvas Off her, but she
| was takin' In water every time she roll
ed, and there was sea goin' that was
tearin' things loose In great shape. We
shipped one old grayback that ripped
off strip of the lee rail jest the same
as you'd rip the edge of the cover of
pasteboard box-never made no more
fuss about it either.
II didn't see nothin' to do but git out
the boats, but the skipper he want that
kind. He sized things up in hurry,
tell you. He drove the crew-ha'f Of
'em was prayin' to the Virgin and
t'other ha'f swearin' blue streak-to
the pumps, and set me over 'em with
q revolver to keep 'em wOrkin'. Then
him and the fust mate and one or two
Of the best hands rousted out spare
sail, weighted one edge Of 1t to keep
1t down, and got it over the side, made
fast, of course.
Then him and the mate stripped
to their underclothes, rugged sort Of
bos'n's chair over where the hole in the
side was, took hammers and pocket
full Of nails apiece and started In to
nail that canvas over the hole.
"'Twas freezin' cold, and the old
schooner was rollin' like washtub.
One minute I'd see the skipper and the
mate h'isted up In the air, hammerin'
for dear life, and then, swash! Under
they'd 60. clear under, and stay there,
seemed to me, forever. Every dip l
thought would be the end, and I'd shet
my eyes, expectin' to see 'em gone
when she lifted; but no; up they'd
come, fetch breath, shake the salt
water out Of their eyes and 90 to work
again.
-Four hours and quarter they was
at it, four hours, mind you. and under
water a good haf of the time; but
they got that sail nailed fast fin'lly.
We got 'em on deck when twas done,
and we had to carry the fust mate to
the cabin. But the skipper jest seut the
cook for pail Of bilin' hot coffee,
drunk the whole of it, put on dry
clothes over his wet f1annels and
stayed on deck and worked that
schooner into Portland harbOr, the
men pumpin' clear green water out Of
the hold every minute Of the way.
"Now, that always seemed to me
to be the reel thing. 'Twa'nt a ques-
ton Of savin' life-we could have took
| to the boats and, nine chances out Of
ten, got ashore all right, for 'twa'nt
very fur. But no. the skipper said he'd
never lost a vessel for an owner yit.
and he want goin' to lose this one.
And he didn't either, by Judas! No,
sir!'
THAT was splendid" exclaimed e.
sic. ~ should like to have known
that captain. Who was he. Captain
Davls!"
well, the fust mate was Obed Sim
mons-he's dead now-but lie used to
live over OH the road towards East
IIarniss. The skipper-well. he was
feller YOU know"
Twas Cap'n Eri," said Mrs. Snow
with conviction.
That's right, ma'am. Perez told
you. | s'pose."
NO, nobody told me. just guessed
it. I've seen good many folks in my
time. and | cal'late I've got so / can
| tell what kind man Is after I've
known him q little while. jedged
Cap'n Fri was that kind. and when
you said we knew that skipper ! was
almost sartin twas him."
Well" exclaimed Ralph. II don't
believe should have guessed it. I've
always liked the captain, but he has
seemed so full of fun and so easy
going that never thought Of his doing
anything quite so strenuous"
Captain Davis laughed. 1--WE seen
| fo'mast hands try to take advantage of
that easy goin' way fore now" he said,
"but they never did 1t but once. Cap'n
| Fri is one Of the finest fellers that ever
stepped. but you can't stomp on bis
toes much, and he's clear grit inside.
And say" he added. don't you tell
anybody l told that story, for he'd
skin ME alive II he knew It"
As they walked back toward the sta
ton Ralph and Elsie fingered little
behind the others and then stopped to
watch a big four master that, under
full sail, was spinning along a mile OF
two from the beach. They watched II
for moment or two without speaking
Elsie's cheeks were brown from the
sun, stray wisps Of her hair nuttered
In the wind. and her trim, healthy Nc
ure stood out against the white sand
hill behind them as II cut from card
board. The electrician looked at her,
and again the thought Of that disgrace.
full 'Gusty Black episode was forced
into his mind. They had had many Z
good laugh over It since, and Elsie had