Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-05-17
CHAPTER XVIII.

What KEEP We 80 long, younker?"
asked Sawyer. as Dick entered with
the PORK. His eight watchmates
were seated, on boxes. buckets, and
chests, around the dishpan, picking
at what they had taken out. He
placed the pork on the floor. seated
himself on bucket, and helped him
self to the soup.
Scrap" he answered. Chips
noored the cook with a calking NAL
let
What for?"
Cook came out with his knife.
What kind Of provender is this, any
how? Regular thing"
Government allowance; but the
government don't prescribe that It
must be good
II heave the whole bloody lot ont
der door" said red faced German,
arising with his pan.
Steady as you go. there. Dutch"
said Sawyer. yen only have to lick
It up in yer watch below. SIT down"
Dutch subsidized. and Dick spOoned
off a portion of the fat pork. 1t quiv-
/ cred like Jelly and filed the fore
castle with It's odor. Nor did Its ap-
pearance speak we'll for II; It was
pale, greasy yellow, speckled with
/ green.
O.! don't know" said Dick, sitting
back against the bunk behind him.
81 can eat this when I'm hungry
enough, but not yet"
Plenty O. hardbread in the
large" said Sawyer; well get orr
easy"
Dick munched hardbresd which
happened 20 be fresh.-and the OK
ample being set. one by one the men
dumped their portions OF peas into
the dishpan and followed suit They
We're a cosmopolitan crowd, repre-
sentative of most maritime nations,
and had already learned each other ;
names. Dick had given them his
alias. Besides Sawyer, OF Eoboken,
there were the excitable German,
Wagner, tair-ha!rei, swarthy
Swede named Swanson, q thin-faced,
Nwarthy Spsniard who gave the
name OF Pedro, and an equally thin
faced and swarthy Frenchman nance
Frank. Winskel. a Russian Peter. a
West Indian negro, and Smith, 1T
tie, stoop shouldered cockney with q
villainous accent.
Wen get this" said Sawyer. "un-
til We tell the skipper who done UP
the mate last night"
who 1t was?" asked Wagner.
Don't know, an don't care;
wouldn't tell If did know. But II
was none O this watch. you bet
Billson's the only man I'd suspect
and he was dopy all night" Sawyer
looked around rather contemptu.
ously.
We'll. Hill be jiggered II HI car
stand much o. this sort o chuck,
whined Smith. 'Wot's a man goln
TO DO, hany 'ow? Gimme bellyful, "
sey, an then III can work WI The
neyt man; but wot can any bloomin
b!oke do hif 'alf starved. Him one
for goln' haft an tellin' the hole
man wot he his"
ooh, shut up. Ye'd give a ship
mate away quick enough. but "
wouldn't face anybody aft"
Wouldn't HI? Just make up thu
crowd to back me, HI say, an Hi
do the talkin'." said Smith, arisin,
bravely to his feet; AN hif We can
foller me, HI might ave sOmethin
TO say about who done hit" II,
looked steadily al Sawyer, and th
long Jerseyite also stood erect. III
collared the cockney, shook him
little. smote him with the open han,
on one ear, changed hands and smot
the other, then rat him down har,
, on chest.
~ I'd gone far enough to tackl
the mate" he said sternly, I'D ha
! gone farther, an been In irons for
this. Now, sing small You know
that It takes better lot o. men tina,
. this crowd to go aft with any kind c
> blum. You know what It means, 4
, q Yankee ship, to go aft with kic
: shout grub or anything else. Vel
get nothin' but abuse. and II ye site
, out, yen get buckshot."
, The cockney was rather dazed, an
, remained quiet until he recovered.
, II don't know bout dot" sal
, Wagner. pufing vigorously to CIV
: draught to his pipe. In my last shi
we 90 aft und we kick about der du
:. dot NO blooms by 1t. an der skippe
he COON down. an he look. an b
give hell to der steward, an we q
blooms"