Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-01

hawser the wrong way!" In the confusion
so they were. Rectifying the mistake. they
looked to see where the voice came from.
and found that 1t belonged to Powers, upon
the bone Of whose right leg the surgeons
saw was at that moment busy.
After the battle Powers was compii-
name his reward for the not unimportant
part he had contributed. under such extra
ordinary circumstances. In achieving the
victory of the Pilot. Promptly Powers
been the ambition Of his Hfe-a cooks
BERTH
A Modest Reward. =.
He made me think of Ruben, James
Decatur's famous quarter gunner. who was
always doing some heroic thing" said the
paymaster.
Once, when he had particularly distin-
guished himself he was complimented be-
fore the whole ships company. and asked
what he desired by way of reward. Ruben
promptly replied that somebody else be de-
tailed to hand out the hammocks to the
men when they were piped down. a
Some Of you. probably, have heard the
story Of Rubens reply to the doctor who
was about to cut of one of the old she'll
backs legs and asked him what he would
have by way of stimulant-brown stout or
brandy. This question, Ruben afterward
declared, placed him in the most perplexing
rose to the emergency, and, after mo-
ment's consideration, said: Doctor, sup
pose you give me BOTH"
THAT story is all right" remarked the
first lieutenant, only you should have
stated that Ruben refused to take stimu-
lants before he had his leg cut off. 1t was
after the operation that he made his sug-
Sestion to the doctor.
You all know the story of how the sail
ors Of the Constitution. when grog was
served out to them just before going into
tub into the seas, saying, Dutch courage
here 1t has been used to point many a
moral and adorn many tale. Butt sir do
you know that 1t is matter of record
did after the Guerrero had surrendered
was to send aft a demand that the grog
which they had split be replaced by an
other tubfull?
and burned in Narragansett bay, just be-
fore the outbreak Of the revolutionary war,
the leader of the gallant bShd who did the
trick is commonly set down in history as
having replied, in answer to hail from
the Gaspe: 1 am the sheriff of the county
of Kent. 1 have warrant for the arrest
Of the captain of this vessel, and 1 will
take him dead OF alive But 1t is left on
what Whipple really replied in answer to
the British captains hail was. am the
sheriff Of the county of Kent.
you; I've got warrant to arrest you, -
you; SO surrender. your
Now, how would that look in history
book? Nay, nay. Old Abe Whipple was
too excited just then to think of posterity's
feelings, but If he had thought of them, L
am the sheriff Of the county of Kent;
have a warrant for the arrest of the cap
tain of this vessel and I will take him dead
or alive would doubtless have been just
what he would have said. AS he did not
say it. posterity has said 1t for him, and
all is WELL"
Strange Oath in the Old Days.
1.-THE Army in Flanders may have sworn
terribly, as Uncle Toby says, remarked
liutenant, but profanity on board a man
of-war-well we don't have it nowadays.
But 1 much fear me that seafaring men
were given to strange oaths in less en-
lightened days.
THE story is told of old Captain B.
who had an officer on his ship who swore
terribly.
"'You must not swear so at the men, Mr..
x said the captain. 1t is shameful. 1
won't have it.
but the men won't move if I don't