The Appeal., 1906-08-04
Captain Billings -SleepuaLker
By MORGAN ROBERTSON.
Author Of "SnfuI Peck, !" Doun To the Sea. etc

ASOtO1 20 the Sea, etc.
Jock, stupid, short Of memory, very
cheerful, but with lesser girth, freer
joints and several pounds of fat
turned into solid muscle.
His dumb, patient suffering under
the mates persecution on that long
drift down the lakes need not be en-.
larged upon.
Through it all he was the target
Tor a running fire Of comment and
abuse, the burden Of which was Mr.
Macpherson's disapproval Of his mis-
taken estimate of Scotchmen. He was
past caring for consequences now
only intent upon furnishing the man
who had "slugged" him for being
Scotch
But there was dark Nemesis
camped on his trail. Unknown to him,
the cook, who slept in the forecastle,
had questioned the ox-like animal that
tumbled down the ladder for few
| hours rest in the night, and the re-
suit was that he ceased all his sur
prised comment from the galley door,
and waited.
| Whatever truth there may have
been in the mates surmise that remi.
nascence was what threw Capt. BILL
lngs into his past, certain it is that he
| was wrong in his selection of the an
| tfdote. Hard work did not waken him,
though it did him "a world of physical
good, While stiIl Jock Billings the
little schooner came into port during
the night, and as Jock Billings he
went to sleep, as usual. in the fore
castle, and as Capt. Billings he wax.
ened in the morning before either the
cook or the mate, and came up to
lind his schooner moored to the old
familiar dock, her deck bleached
winter than before, her rigging taut
and tarred, and things generally more
shipshape than he had ever seen them.
housing the cook, he went aft, with
many an admiring look around and
aloft, and wakened his treasure of a
mate. And when Mr. Macpherson ap-
peared, he greeted him with enthusi-
asm and brotherly love.
You've done we'll, Mr.. Macpher-
son." he said, beamingly I'm proud
OF you-that ! am. You and TIL get
along. But, by George, I'm in bad
way myself-in fact, I need just such
a man as you. Walked up in the tore
castle. Been asleep all the way,
haven't I?'' r
Aye" answered the mate, cautious.
ly. An it's ito the forecastle ye 20
when we want to lie doom an rest
Funny. must see the doctor and
have it tended to. I'm getting
worse" He looked aloft. "scraped
and tarred down, and everything set
UP. And You did dt all alone. Well,
We'll have some paint aboard next
trip" 81 -
AYE, paint her If ye like, sir, bit
I'll take my money here, sir, an go.
There's too much work maxim yacht
cot o this hooker. I have to do it
all.'
Oats a lie, cappen," said a dis
gusted voice behind them. He neber
done single ting but boss de joo.
He made you scrape de masts, an
grease dem down, an den you work
like "a roustabout wild tackles an
ropes. an den you go up an tar down
am you didn't know anything bout
1T, sah.'' =.
Hold your evil tongue" roared the
mate. Its liar ye are. Let's have
my money, capt'n. I'm through
Look at yo' hands, cappen," per-
sisted the cook, Indignantly. "Jes'
look at de tar on yo' hands,
The captain looked, and his face
darkened.
"Is this SO, Mr.. Macpherson" he
said, that while in my other self
sailor again-you have worked me
as such aboard my own schooner"
"Pay me off an I'll answer ye,"
said the mate, doggedly.
Red in the face, Capt. Billings dart.
ed toward him; but Mr.. Macpherson
eluded his grasp, and being the bet.
ter runner, gained the dock.
Give me my money he said;
that's all ask
You're not ON the articles,' said
the angry, captain. you'll get moth
ing for this trick. You have no legal
claim"
T. am OF the articles" insisted Mr..
Macpherson, ~at dollar a day. Four.
teen"dollars ye owe me, Capt. Billings.
Ye can toss it to me, an we can direct
your Senegambian friend to toss my
bag % clothes on the dock. I'm
through wi you"
Capt. Billings went below and in
spected the articles. Then he re-
moved his coat, rolled up his sleeves,
and told the cook to throw the mates
bag on the dock.
"Mr. Macpherson" he said, calmly,
when he reached the deck, II find you
are right, and within the law. You
shipped a man named Jock Billings.
and made him work. You're a smart
man, besides being whole seaman.
I'll pay you off at three dollars a day.
and sign you on for the season, but
you must come aboard and get it."
Mr.. Macpherson looked at the huge
muscles he had developed on the cap
tain's arms, and picked up his bag
and slowly moved away.
Copyright, 1906, by Joseph B. Bowlesl
Eye Strain Seat Of Ills.
When the specialist to whom thew
had taken their 16-year-old daughter on,
account of what seemed to be a case
OF incipient melancholia diagnosed the
case as one OF eye strain and ordered