The National tribune., 1906-08-23
MAN AND TWO SHEEP IN A BOAT.
Billy Quigley Handles Mutiny md
Takes an Oath-Adds Anti-Mutton
Pledge to Water-wnKon Vow-This
Happened After He Had Given n Free
Show for a Battery Crowd and Salts
Ned the Lascars' Scruples.
(New York SUM-

Billy Quigley. the Battery Soatman.
who Is almost as picturesque as his
language, has sworn off on mutton. He
Is just as serious about 4. as he was
when he took the pledge 20 years ago
never again to touch a drop of anything
alcoholic. even though 1t might be rec
commended by physician.
1t was only the sacredness of this lat
ter resolution that prevented Billy from
dropping off the water wagon when he
took the anti-mutton oath last week.
Billy had entered into contract with a
downtown butcher to convey two live
sheep to the British steamship Barotse,
which was anchored below Liberty
| Island and ready to sail for Leith. She
came here from Calcutta and ports of
the Far East, and she has a crew made
up chiefly of Lascars, who will eat no
| other meat than that of animals they
themselves kill according to a religious
rite.
Billy shipped the sheep at the Bat
terry boat basin north of the Barge Of
flee. After addressing few choice
sentiments to them and lamenting the
ways of heather meat eaters, he forced
them to lie down in the bottom of the
boat and bent his sternest gaze on
them, incidentally bending to his oars.
The sheep apparently had never been
In boat before. and when they found
themselves moving they got up and
started to mutiny. Having no Delaying
pins which nautical etiquet requires
men of the sea to use on mutineers,
Billy poked an oar into the faces of the
sheep and ordered them to Lay down,
you dirty landlubbers."
One of them jumped overheard and
began to swim toward the Battery wall,
while a multitude of BiIly's friends
looked on and laid bets, first on the
sheep and then on Billy. In tones that
were intended to rattle the boatman.
Billy expressed his opinion of the bet
tors in language that might, If printed,
cause subscribers to stop their papers.
He overlook the sheep and hauled it
aboard by the tail, which fortunately
was firmly anchored. as Billy's grasp is
somewhat feryent. Just then the other
sheep tumbled out into the bay over
the stern. This was q fine opening for
the ironical gathering on the Battery
| wall. and they shouted in chorus:
Say, Billy the other ones over
board! Want volunteer life savers?"
Billy was too busy to give more than
| savage glance at the Battery wall
| audience. He punched the sheep that
he had rescued into a state of coma,
| and. picking up his oars. headed for
| the swimming sheep, which had start
of half dozen boat lengths and was
| going seaward.
The enthusiasm of the bettors grew
vociferous. The odds were on the
sheep.
The boatman, as he confessed later
was regretting that he knew only one
laDeGage, and that a sheep couldn't
understand even that. The swimming
sheep got exhausted before 1t was over
hauled. It had shipped a bellyful OF
salt water, and was dragged into the
boat In state of collapse.
Billy, knowing that sick or a dead
sheep would not be taken by the Las
| cars, began practicing first aid to the
| drowning on the sheep. The othel
sheep, which was silent, and the Bat
terry wall aggregation, which was not 81
| lent, looked on.
After Billy had forced about gallon
Of water out of the disabled sheep 1t
was able to stand. One of Billy's friends
on the wall suggested that he should