The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-10-19
OUT OF
THE FOG
BIZ THEODORE RoanRra.
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MISREPRESENTATION
The skipper, who had seen leaning
back with his shoulders against the
after bulkhead, bent forward and
squared his arms on the table. eve
often enough called myself hard
names for treat!n' that boy as 1 did, +"
he said. Put hard names don't
split cut ropes, Mr.. Burke"
nodded. Il was not my place to
comment freely, for at that stage of
my varied career 1 was Bling the
humble position of mate of the stout
bark Arctic Hare However, l had
nothing to complain Of Captain Hal
yard treated me, unoficially, as an
-equal-and where is the duke or king
who can lay claim to more than that
from q master mariner aboard his
own ship?
'The boy was all for the seq, and
wouldn't hear of any extra scSoolin',
so / gave him a chance" continued
the skipper "He signed on with nae
for voyage to Brazil and back as
an ordinary seaman. He bunked and
ate for'ard. That was his place.
That's where I was when first went
to sea. He was in the mates watch
and I told the mate to see that he
did his work.
"On Sundays / called him aft and
let him read in here; but other days
treated him just like the other men
which was fair and square, but
pretty undemonstrative. l thought II
was all fine and noble of me, and
used to brag about it to the mate. He
wasn't enthusiastic though. He said
that no boy could consider his father
as nothing bat the skipper. l told
him that was the right way of it, and
that the lad would thank me for it
some day, when sailing with a strang-
err
"sOn work days said l, I am the
skipper. On Sundays l am his faith
er. He understands that it's for his
own good
''You see I was mighty sure of my
self in those days."
Here Captain Halyard paused, and
stared vacantly at the gay cage of
the skylight above him.
Evidently something went wrong.
How was that, sir?" I ventured.
"How was that?" he exclaimed, sit
ting up, savagely. "Ah, if l could
only forget how it was, Mr.. Burke!"
His voice dwindled. He eyed me
appealingly, and glanced away. at
was about his playing the accordion, -
he added.
had nothing to say to that.
listened to the footsteps of the boat
swain on the poop overhead. l could
see that Halyard was anxious to tell
me the story, and yet was ashamed
Of it. He fingered an almanac that
lay before him, and fused about in
most exasperating manner.
''Well," he said, ito make it short,
the boy had a weakness for playing
the accordion. He played it well,
too. He kept the fo'castle gay with
his music.
But it Jared on me, somehow or
other; and one night l called him
aft and told him to quit-told him
that a boy who was content to pump
tunes for a lot of common seamen
would never get aft of the galley
himself, He took the word quietly
standing here on this very strip OF
carpet, with his cap i'll his hand.
IF he'd argued, maybe it would
have been better for both of us
About a week after that, late one
night, awoke and went ON deck by
way of the after companion. l heard
the accordion playing very softly and
cautiously. The man at the whesI
had the tail of his eye on me.
81 went for'ard, quiet as thief
in my canvas slippers. 1t was a fine
night, with the neon clear and full
and the trade blowing steady The
old girl was walking along as if a
giant had her on a tow-line.
''For'ard of the mems deck-house
found Jack and the accordion. Both
watches were squatting round. The
lookout had his back to his business
and his eyes and ears on the player
81 gave the boy piece of what
thought was my mind. 1t was as mas
ty a tongue-lashing as you'd want tc
forget. At the end of it | told him
couldn't thrash him because he was
a British seaman. Then l sent the
men hopping, and went back to bed
Next Sunday Jack didn't come aft
Like a fool. didn't send for him
So we made the round trip withou