Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-05-24

| natCn, Out was receiving no attention
from any one. II was Breen who
was being rebuked. He had climbed
the poop steps and had begun to rub
the brass plate on the monkey-raii,
and over him stood Captain Bilker,
wiping his hands and coat with a
handkerchief As Breen seemed In
no present danger Of assault, and as
there was not much time left for
breakfast, Dick entered the fore
castle, concluding that Breen, in his
hurry to relieve Sawyer's predica-
ment, had left the brass smeared
with oil and bath brick. and that
Captain Bilker had rubbed against
It. This proved to be the case. When
Dick came out at eight bells. Breen
was slowing his box of oils and rags
in its place under the topgallant fore
castle, and Mr.. Thorpe, who had
come forward to set the men at work
for the watch, was further berating
him.
You get your breakfast, and at
one bell you turn to--d'ye hear 7
And the next time you leave any oil
around loose, you'll lick It up"
Then he detailed the port watch
to various tasks about the rigging,
Dicks being the squaring Of ratlines
on the weather mizzen shrouds.
And take a piece O. Irvine with
you" said the officer, and go up
FIRST thing and overhaul and stop the
royal and to'gallant buntlinee.
Aye, aye. SIR" answered Dick.
and headed for the "bosun s-locker. j"
There being no boys or ordinary
seaman in the crew. this lofty work
was given to Dick and other young
and active men, while securing
brass, swabbing, scrubbing, sweep
! Ing, and all unseamanly work usu-
ally done by boys was given ia Breen
/ and others as useless as he pre-
tended to be. Musing on the injus-
tice OF keeping Breen mp in the fore
noon watch for an act which indi-
| rectly saved the life Of an officer,
Dick secured the Irvine, with the
MARINE spike and MARINE for the
ratlines. and went aft. On the way.
he met Pig stumbling slowly forward
to his galley HIS eyes were closed
and blackened; his face was marked
and bruised. He was a ludicrous
and pathetic picture of misery, and
! Dick was sorry for him. Mr.. Thorpe
was out OF sight. and the captain had
gone below. He stopped before him.
Pig" he said. II didn't mean to
do so much. I'd made up my mind
to drop all grudge and call the
whole thing square. but you forced
me to It. Will you shake hands and
start fresh?" Dick extended his
hand but Pig. lifting his chin to see
easier through his swollen eyelids.
tersely consigned him to the lower
regions, and passed on.
"All right" said Dick, and added
to himself as he went aft, We'll, I
feel better for having offered"
On the mizzen royal yard he saw
a sail on the southwestern horizon
sauarely on the starboard beam; for
the southeast trade having failed.
the ship was now headed away for
the Cape with a mild quartering
wind. Looking down, he beheld the
captain pacing the poop and hailed:
Sail. oh. Broad on the starboard
beam. Seems to be steering parallel
with us, sir"
"All right-all right" answered
lars; then he looked aloft and called
out: why in thunder don't We put 1t
to music and sing II? Don't have
so much to say mp there"
Dick was long past being hurt by
such criticism He finished stopping
the buntlines and came down, MOTTO
Ing, as he passed the topmasthead,
that the Selling Of the monkey. or
signal gait. lift was chafed through
and that only a couple Of turns held
the weight of the gaff. Obviously
this was matter to be reported at
once; but not caring to hail the deck
again, he descended to the eyes OF
the lower rigging. where his work
on the ratlines would begin, and
called easily to Mr.. Thorpe. who was
ascending the poop steps,
SEEKING Of the monkey gaff lift is
all gone. sir" he said. Shall go up
up and AK IT,"
But Captain Bilker. not seeing
the mate, and supposing that Dick
was again addressing him, turned
hercely around and yelled angrily:
Don't you be 80 ID busy up
there WI your comments and your
suggestions to me. know my bust
ness without your help. You tend
to your'n."
Go on wi those ratlines," COM
manded the mate, consistently de-
ferring to the captains mood, and
shut up.
Aye, aye. SIR" answered Dick,
respectfully; then he went TO work.
No man can with surety trace to q
prompting emotion the moods and
whims of an autocrat; but Dick.
watching the surly faced skipper
stamping back and forth between
the pinnacle and the rail, occasion
ally snarling at the man at the
wheel, occasionally peering through
the binocular, shrewdly guessed that
the disturbance OF bile came of his
being compelled to wash his hands
twice that morning and to give his
coat to the steward for cleaning. In
this guess he was confirmed when,
at one bell. Breen appeared on deck.
Mr., Thorpe" yelled the captain
as he spied him, set this Internal
insect to work on this brass work