The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-17
A SEA FUED.
nY J.C. pLuMMER.

R1 J. C. FLU MMEH.
 tCopyright. 1905. Daily Story Pub. Co.,
 ''Let him go to hades with his bloomin' knife Let the dago loose, and Tom Bradd struggled to free him. self from the grasp of two orawny sailors who held him. Mir. Buck, the lean, sinewy mate. had his arms in- 1erlaced about Nicolas waist utterly unmindful of the cruel-looking stiletto shaking in the powerful Italians hand. It was the setting of a tragedy, an in ferrupted one. it's true, but like hesh violently chafed the blood was so near the surface that another touch and It would begin to flow.
 Captain Newton advanced to the main hatch, his long. patriarchal beard fall- ing to his waistband. His shaven upper lip twisted as he talked very like unto that of dog when he snarls.
 stop 1t. gall darn ye. stop it," he thundered. I'm short-handed now, and I won't have any man killed on this here hooker. Batten down your feeiin's. you two fellows. till you get to Rio Grande, and then you can chop each other into bits and devil take whats left. but there's to be no chop pin on the Apollo
 His words were unheeded and the two bloodthirsty men still struggled
 
 Now mark you." continued the cap tain, If you're bound to fight. make a fwo-man killing of it. for, by the Lord I'll throw the man that's left alive over with the man that's killed"
 I shall never forget that scene. strife incarnate threatened on that little chip of wood on the mighty ocean and all around utter ~eace. The sea was barely rippled by the soft trade wind which distended the sails if caressing them and above a sky un- yblemished by the tiniest cloud. I was new to the sea and it's ways and mar yelled that Captain Newton did not iron the men and confine them in the peak. but he seemed to feel q conf dence fin his management which was proved of weight by the result, for his cold -biooded declaration had the effect on the two would-be combatants of bucket of cold water on two fighting dogs. The skipper meant what he said and would carry out his meaning to the letter. The law in those days was all in favor of the officers and Jacks anchor. Captain Newton would not hesitate to carry out his threat for fear of legal punishment.
 The two sailors released Bradd, who recommenced the work he had stopped to light Nicola, and the Italian. finding i ninScH free from the mate nOiu, walked dignifiedly forward and went below The crisis had been passed. Temporarily at least.
 What began the feud between the men no one knew. It existed when they shipped in New York, and they had spat hate at each other during the voyage but this was the first time 2n actual collision had been threat xned.
 @Its only put off" remarked old ksed, oracularly: "bloodn fly yet"
 If Tom ever gets past the daso's knife, good-by Italian" said a sailor
 .But he's got to get by it." retorted Ned. and it's ten 70 one he'll have a hole in him before he does"
 Sradd was a stockly built man and . good sailor While he impressed one as a good -natured man, one could see that he would make an ugly foe when aroused O,Nenl very graphical iy expressed the crews sentiment as to Bradd Toms a good fellow to have on the yard arm wid ye in gale and a bad one to have agin ye in a fight"
 It's an uncomfortable thing to have an enemy on shipboard On land one can avoid him. but aboard ship one eats sleeps and works with him day after day and may feel the kni e slipping into his ribs some dark night, But Bradd treated Nicoll with con- tempt and made no effort to keep out of his way night or day, despite the .rew's warnings
 There were several devs of bright sunshine, calm seq and clludlese sky, and on one of these mornings the mate evas watching the washing down of Inc deck from the break of the ToCp The holystoning finished, h, ordered