The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1906-08-11
THE GIRL WITH THE
BONNY BROWN HAIR

"No, don't" protested his little sister.
"I'll tell you about a storm in which
we were all saved"
'SThat'll be nice" said the girl.
I'VE left Naples on the 4th Of No
vember with twenty passengers.
Among them was a girl who seemed to
be alone There was character enough
in her face for a dozen heroines. She
had brown hair, and when first saw
her 1t was tied up with bonny blue
ribbon like the girl in the song. | was
second mate, and whenever she came
ON deck the cap'n was sure to growI al
me for some neglect OF duty. But ]
didn't mind 1t so long as l could see
the girl with brown hair.
1--WE had pleasant weather in the
Mediterranean, but we'd no sooner left
Gibraltar than a nor'easter began to
blow which developed into the worst
storm ever saw at sea. The waves
struck us with such force that every
time one fell on us thought we'd new
ger than the rest struck us and stove
in a portion OF the deck. We had all
we could do to keep the ships head In
the right direction, and the pumps
must be manned at once, so that we
couldn't spare men to repair the deck,
and they couldn't repair 1t in such a
storm anyway. The best we could do
was To cover the gap with a sail, but
the next big wave that came showed
the canvas down like tissue paper
'"There was suchan uproar among the
passengers that the cap'n told me to 60
down Into the cabin and try to quiet
'em. As soon as / left the companion
way saw the most terrible sight inn
aglnable. Some of 'em were praying,
some holding on to stanchlOns, white
as ghosts, while the water, knee deep,
swashed with the rolling Of the ship.
Some Of 'em had got up on to the table
that ran the length Of the cabin to
escape the water.
"The first single person l saw was
the girl with the bonny brown hair.
She was helping an old woman to keep
from being dashed against things when
the ship lurched. AS soon as she saw
me she beckoned me to come to her
and said:
"These people are in the condition
Of children, and, having taught chill
dren, / know how important 1t is to
keep their minds occupied. Can't we
hnd something to turn their attentionY
Propose something
"'What do Sou say to a game Of
pussy wants cOrnerT'
II was so encouraged by her GOODNESS
that l would have Joined her in any
scheme, however ludlcrous. Turning, !
said to the passengers:
"'We're coming out OF this, but you
people are spelling your chances by
demoralizing the crew with your bowls.
We must have something to do, and
we will be as cool as the men. Come,
let's have a game Of pussy wants a
corner
1.-THE girl and each backed up
against a stanchlon, and another man
and another woman presently did the
same. A young boy Of fifteen was in.
duced to come into the game, and the
girl and made rush to change cor
ners. ! lot the boy in purposely and
kept out OF a corner for some time.
every now and then dragging some one
into the game. In ave minutes we had
ell the ablebodied people In II, and the
game was In full swing. I made q
lunga for a corner. fell purposeIy
against cabin wave and got up
drenched. Several persons laughed.
The next time anything ludIcrous hap
pened more laughed, and finally every.
body In and some out Of the game were
laughing. never missed an opportu-
nifty for doing something comical, nor
did the girl. Her hair came down, and
once when the water by the rolling of
the ship was thrown all together she
swan and shouted that she was mer-
maid. Then dlved with a swash I'm.
der the table and. coming up, slid into
vacant corner.
"All this was very well, but we
couldn't keep II up forever We did
80 as long as we could; then the girl
whispered In my ear as passed her.
Blind mans bun whipped out my
handkerchief, and she tied 1t over my
eyes, taking care that a place was
left for me to see through. This gave
me a nno opportunity to put myself
Into ludlcrous positions. and In a few
minutes l was playing my part amid
shouts Of laughter. Suddenly I heard
the cap'n's gruf voice roar down the
companlonway with the strength OF a
fog horn:
"'Steamer ahead!
II tore the handkerchief OF my head
and dashed ON deck. knowing that crit.
lcal work was to be done getting IN
touch with the coming ship. As the
storm was the biggest. the sight before !
me was the gladdest ever saw In my
life, a great big steamer on our port |
quarter coming right for US.
I'VE were all safely transferred. and
eur own ship drifted away. She kept
etnking lower and lower TIL at last,
half an hour after leaving her. we saw 1
her so down. Close call, wasn't ltF'
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