The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1906-10-19


hat-one l always carry, cause you
never know when you're away from
home when you may be required to
put on full dress, so to speak. So l
claps the hat on my head and gifts out
onto the deck of that submarine and
jest fastens the flag of this free and
glorious country to a boat hook and
sticks it up on the deck.
When they got near enough l see
that there was a chap in the stern
who seemed to be of different cut
from most of them Dagoes. / knew he
was a Rooshian the minute / set eyes
on him. He had the same beard that
every one of 'em has. including the
car and all the rest. OF course,
stood ready with the old musket in my
hands and the flag of freedom flutter-
ing just above my Sunday hat. was
prepared to repel boarders, but the
boat stopped when she was in good
hailing distance and the chap in the
stern stood up and shouted to me in
English.
lis re gentleman he says, that l
has re honor to address, re captain of
re schooner
II turns to the Rocshian and in an
swer to his question 1 says briefly:
I be- You see at that stage of the
game I didn't propose to waste no
words and say something I might be
sorry for afterward. Thereupon the
man in the boat begins again.
81 have re honor to inform re cap
TAIN he says, I have re honor to in
form re captain (meaning me, you I'M
derstanO Eat re submarine boat to
which re captain has made fast during
re night is in my charge. I present
my compliments to re captain, and re-
quest that he will delivaire re sub
marine boat to me, it's rightful pos
sessor.'
"'Well, now,' I said, have the hon
or to inform you'-by Jehookibus, we
can be just as polite down in Friend
ship, Maine, as any foreigner that ever
sailed the Seven Seas-so seq to him,
I have the honor to inform you that
having found the aforesaid submarine
derelick on the high seas, 1, Solomon
B. Peabbles, of the town Of Friendship,
in the grand old state of Maine, have
legally taken possession of the said
derelick, and anybody desiring to
prove claims can do so by appearing
before the proper authorities in the
courts of this great and glorious coun.
try
"And then by way of wind-Up Just
shouted at him, so that he would know
that knew what was talking about,
And God save the United States Of
America
Then the man in the boat spoke
once more.
would re Captain Pibbles nego
tiate as between friends without TAX.
ing re matter into re courts?'
"Thet's where them foreign chaps
has the advantage of us. They're
mighty smooth spoken. Of course, he
see the game from the start. I met
him halfway, but I warn't taking no
chances. So I SEE to Bill: You get
aboard this craft and keep the flag
a-fying while I receive this gent on
the Polly p
when we'd changed places, I SEE
to the Rooshian: Step aboard sez,
and he warn't slow about stepping. I
showed him into the cabin and we set
down. He begun his little chanty the
moment he got aboard, but I stopped
him. There warn't going to be
northern irregular about them nego-
tiations.
"'Before we proceed sez, 4 must
respectfully remind you tibet We didn't
let one of your visiting cards float
down on the tide
ct would pretty near killed you to
hev' seen him then. He bowed and
scraped like a dancing master. Thou
sand pardons,' he seq, but is it neces-
sary tibet reveal re incognitto?' =
"'Well,' sez, you can keep that if
you want to, but 1 guess ye'd better
say who We be-
HE looked at me minute, right in
the eyes, and then he see I meant
business and he give in. He kinder
grinned and said he was Lieut.. Razor
backski, or something similar, and
tibet he had come here to get them
submarines which was to be taken to
Rooshy in tibet Dago steamer
well, amt telling jest what hap
pened during them negotiations, but
there amt no mortgage on my place
down to Friendship an my girl Polly
has got new pianner. When that
lieutenant had gone over to the steam
err and come back with bag which
chinked when you shook it, l felt so
good that l got out leetle something
l had on board for fear me or Bill
might be took sick. And then mem
the lieutenant crooked our elbows,
once for the president and once for
the car. And after the Rooshian he'd
gone and the submarine had been
towed back to the steamer, mem Bill
Just took another to the mikado, SOS
there shouldn't be any Ill feeling any
where.
"Thet's why I changed the name Of
the Polly to Submarine, SOS there'd
be a sort of record of the affair. To
be sure, it's a secret. Mem Bill, n
you n the folks 30 home, n the
Rooshian s all that knows 1t. The
Rooshian don't count. Them Rooshian
sailors are good ones to keep secrets