Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-30
GUIDERS OF THE SHIPS
Story Of an Ordinary Day
With the Pilots.
GOING ABOARD A TRAMP
GENTLE STUNT OF CLIMBING
ROPE LADDER IN sEAWAY.
Getting on the Kaiser Wilhelm der
Grosse-Big Dave Took Yes
sci on the Fly.
BY JULIUS W. MILLER.


THAT fellow" said the pilot wrestling
into his yellow oilskins. sis so mean that
he just e-tern-al-ly hates to slow down
for US, let alone stop. Now he knows he's
got to take us, but the thought of the
money breaks his heart, and it makes him
so sore that he'd just love 10 see the yawl
bust up against his sides
That fellow was coming along in a
smother Of bow 1t smoked clear
over his forecastle head every time he
hoisted himself over a roller and Owed
down into the trough.
watch Dave get him" said one Of the
pilots remaining on the pilot schooner. as
they watched Dave critically. That stout,
sedate and diguified person presented the
unCanny spectacle of sitting bodily IN the
green winter Atlantic, for the little yaWi
was mostly lost to sight, and when the
waves overran along her ridiculous sides
ali that could be seen was the broad yellow
expause Of Dawes back
Hes mean from his cardboard strake to
the top of his bald head continued the
pilot 'Tramps down West Indy way with
second quality salt Goldfish that is that high
that they can smell him a-coming down in
San Domingo before he more than clears
Sandy Hook Now he's coming back full
of bananas hides and ceHtpedes, and what
with bum engines and dirty coal, he's lost
so much time that most of his bananas
have probably gone bad, and so he's mad
as q blue crap. lie II JtS 10 give law d
whirl now. Just watch him get left
The yawI had vanished bodily. Only a
momentary CLEAN Of yellow, dipping in and
out among the ridged seas. gave evidence
that Dave was still on top OF the tons of
water and not underneath them.
A Blind Captain.
The tramp foundered along. her captain
looking with impressive fxity of gaze 10
every particular point Of the horizon where
there was no pilot boat. She hit each sea
with thunder. The waves flashed over her
bow and sides like shots from great guns.
Her stubby masts and her reeking funnel
waVered back and forth like the restless
hands of a speed Indicator. Her two thou
sand tons burden lathered the sea to star
board and then to port and back to star
board again.
Now there was a tiny yellow dot In the
heave dead ahead But the captain never
looked. His ship swallowed on stolidly.
Suddenly the yellow CLEAN rose on a great
wave 50 that for Il breathleSs instant it
hung higher than the ugly round bow of
the tramp Then It disappeared. As 1t went
down, the tramps nose went up, up UP.
For a moment 1t hung there, half the red
forefoot showing clear of the Atlantic and
water pouring from her as It runs down a
mountain side in a spring flood Then 1t
went smashing deep into the sea, buryfng
her nose as If she were minded to dive.
From the jIgging pilot schooner. not half
her length could be seen In the laundering
that rose a1lef tnaI IeFTLlc stroke
And the yawl? Why, she was crushed I'M
der, of course. Had she not been right
there as the iron PROV hammered down?
But what was that, driving away from
swinging up that rusty side, now twisting
like teetotum. now clingtng like fly, now
dangling wide over the hollow sea?
Dave may weigh two hundred pound all
right said one OF the pilots contentedly, as
he snatched at the cabin top TO balance
himself. "but there alnt any fifty dollar a
month captain of Norwegian tramp that
can fool him, guess"
Like a Golden Spider.
The yellow speck on the washed side of
the fruiter went slowly UP, up. like golden
spider climbing out of the sea, and pres
entity dipped over the rail-.
The pilot boat stopped her jigging and lay
down. The water raced astern along her
submerged rail She headed across the
track OF the ship and made her course SO
well that her rearing bowsIorit pointed
straight at the tramp as he pounded past.
Nobody said word. The tramp's captain
looked at something far away beyond any
possible schooner. Dave stood on the bridge
looking straight ahead. The pilots and the
crew of the schooner never cracked smile
or showed by sign that they had ever seen
Dave before.
While they were still enjoying their SOL
enn little sea joke, my turn now" said
another pilot, diving into the cabin and
6.nGIsiIlS dSdlil IN u iflUiltill neatly GSllel
and clad in reproachlessly correct shore
toys from polished shoes TO speckless linen
and fashionable derby hat.
Far away there was another spouting in
the dizzying sea, but this was not spout
ing of a struggling tramp. 1t was some
thing that did not walt for sea to hit,
but hit the sea first-smash! bangi smash.
s~ift and hard as a prizefghter going in to
finish beaten foe before the gong sounds.
1t &c. out OF the white trouble of ocean