St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1906-07-14

likely anyone would forget the Morn
Ing Light If they ever sailed in her
Man! I'd know her in the depths o
perdition, the deepest hole in devil
dom, where she'll sail in the hereaf-
ter
mo. l didn't intend to ship In her
Jimmy Turner an got into her after
we left the navy. When we j. went
broke fellow wanted hands f0 the
Morning Light, Cap'n Sam Smith,
master. We hadn't heard of any par
ticular Sam Smith, so on We signed
with shaking hands an dry threats,
willing to go anywhere or do anything
for enough grog to keep alive.
Jimmy had gone in the navy, be-
cause he couldn't live ashore. He'd
married and was sorry for it-made a
mistake. But he'd never said any
thing to me about his wife or family,
and never asked. Nobody asks Ques-
lions Of anybody aboard men-o'-war.
When we dropped down the bay a
tug came alongside and Cap'n Smith
went to the rail to greet little hatch
et-faced fellow who jumped aboard.
He was with a woman.
Sammy Smith an niece" said an
old shellback standing on the forecas-
tie head. Il thought So"
Whats the natter" we asked.
Matter! Don't you know that fell
low? That's Morrell, the worst thing
In mans image that ever trod deck
plank. Come 1t on us as Sammy Smith!
Man, II We can get ashore, swim fer it
afore it's too late. I'm too old" Bat
Morrell didn't ship men to have them
do the pier-head jump. We were in for
western ocean cruise In one of the
packet ships who will leave her mem
ory black and bloody track in the
minds of sailor men.
Before we'd crossed the stream. Nor
1ell had begun on us. But-well. new
er mind. It would make the tales of
old-time horror seem like play to tell
one-half of what took place in a week.
Save ye, Gantline, could sit here and
tell you things till morning-and each
one would make you SILVER. We had
Eve men missing" before the voyage
was half over. Jimmy and / cams in
for some of 1t but even that tiger
shark aft knew when he had reached
the limit-and we were men-o'-war.s
men.
lone night there was row aft an6
there were cries Of a woman. Jimmy
heard them and started out on deck
Will his sheath knife, but we held
him, and four of us got the marks of
the knife to remember how we saved
him.
AFTER that Jimmy was quiet and
ugly. He never spoke to anyone
There were no more men in the crew.
only sQuare-heads and Dutchmen. and
they never 60 aft.
II wouldn't consent to 20 alone
when Jimmy gave me look that tod
his game. Soon noticed he wouldn't
turn in at night and then l knew It
was coming. stole aft to see the end.
Il found him standing close under
the break of the poop, talking in
whisper to some one. Then l caught
the CLINT of a skirt and recognized the
voice Ok the woman.
Its no use, Jim, let me live it
oa..,' she said. 1T won't last long
Her voice was like that of the dying.
"Then Jimmy answered her slowly
md quietly. His words came deep and
low like the smothered roar Of the
surf on the shore. Man. 1t was like
The great sea rolling over an outlying
reef, bursting, gathering again and
then rushing with that mighty power
to the end. When he stopped she was
choking. gasping for breath. Man. it
seemed like her heart would break. l
couldn't help listening, hearing her
pay for what she'd done. But Jimmy
never blamed her, NO. not he.
Jimmy stood there waiting for his
answer.
Go-go! 60 and forget She was
rhokiny, but Il came plain and lis
80 I