Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-10-24

mean crew aboard, Portugees mainly
ana poor ones at 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
of strip of the lee rail jest the same
as you'd rip the edge off the cover OF
pasteboard boX-never made no more
fuss about it either.
i 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
EN- was prayin' to the Virgin and
t'other hat swearin' blue streak-to
the pumps, and set me over 'em with
a revolver to keep 'em workin'. Then
him and the fust mate and one or two
of the best hands rousted out a spare
sail, weighted one edge Of it to keep
it down, and got 1t 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
nall 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 go, clear under, and stay there,
seemed to me, forever. Every dip 1
thought would be the end, and I'd shet
my eyes, eNpectin' to see 'em gone
Mlien she lifted but no; up they'd
come, fetch q breath. shake the salt
water out of their eyes and go to work
again
-Four hours and quarter they was
at it, four hours, mind you, and under
water good ha'f Of the time:. but
they got that sail nailed fast fin'llv
We got 'em on deck when twas done,
and we had to carry the fust mate to
the cabin. But the skipper jest sent tho
cook for pail Of .bilin' hot coffee,
drunk the whole Of it, put on dry
clothes over his wet 1annels 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
n NO t1,a
ton of savin' lIfc-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 vessel for an owner yit,
and he want goin' to lose this one.
And he didn't either, by Judas! No,
sir!
That was splendidr' exclaimed Ell.
sic. 81 should like to have known
that captain. Who was he, Captain
Davis?"
"Well, the fust mate was Obed Sim
mons-he's dead now-but he used to
live over on the road towards East
Harniss. The skipper-well, HE was
Teller you know"
"'Twas Cap'n Fri" said Mrs. Snow
with conviction.
That's right, maam Perez told
you, s'pose."
mo, nobody told me- I just guessed
it. I've seen good many folks in my
time, and 1 carlate I've got SO I can
tell what kind man is after I've
known him little while. 1 jedged
Cap'n Fri was that kind, and when
you said we knew that skipper 1 was
almost sartfn twas him.
"Well!" exclaimed Ralph. II don't
believe l 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 it but once. Cap'n
Err is one Of the finest fellers that ever
stepped, but you can't stomp on his
toes much, and he's clear grit inside.