The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-06-20

might be--and TIE index Of them tailed
out--they did not snow LromIneni.iy at
the head OF such a ships company.
Like all men In the merchant marine,
/ he had been bred in the toughest
school, but unlike his successful
brethren he had not graduated later on
to the smooth things of a well manned
passenger liner. For his sins he had
per. q man with knife edged words all
ways ready on the lip of his teeth. q
leaden whistle in one jacket pocket and
iethal weapon In the other.
He was an excellent seaman and
navigator, man capable of going an
entire voyage without taking off his
clothes or enjoying one watch OF regu-
lar sleep. Taking into account these
qualifications, 1t may be understood
that while in command at sea he
credited himself with the powers of a
czar and was entirely INSCRIPTIONS In
gaining ends which expediency or his
owners laid down for him, and though
not physically powerful he had the
pluck of q dog and an unholy reputa-
ton for craftsmanship For the hand
ling of such q menagerie of all nation
scroundreldom and incapacity as bunk
ed in the steamship Port Eces no bet
ter man than owen Kettle breathed In
either hemisphere. ......, /. ..
The crew signed their marks on the
articles at the shipping office in the
Sailors home and went grumbling to
get rid Of their advances. Later most
of them turned up on the steamer, some
with their worldly goods done up IN
dunnage sacks, which look to the un-
initiated like pillowslips, some appar-
emily possessing nothing but the
squalid raiment they stood up in.
There was not one of them dressed like
q sailor, according to the conventional
idea Yet most of them had made their
bread upon the seas since early boy
hood, which shows what conventional
ideas are sometimes worth. They were
most of them oldish men and looked
even older than their years.
The engineers came on board early,
for the most part in scrubby blue serge
and sour black temper. They grumbled
at the messroom in broad Glasweglan,
prophesied evil Tin advance) about the
capacities OF the messroom steward
and ships cook, dumped their belong
ings into their various rooms and
changed to apparel more suitable for
tail twisting In the unclean regions be-
low. Then they went on duty, quar-
relied with the donkeyman who was
making steam for the winches and pro-
ceeded to split up their crew OF fire.
men and trlmmers into watches and
apportion them to furnace doors and
bunlSers.
The three mates, the boatswain and
the carpenter were also on board be-
times, most of them large headed with
recent Hbations and feeling cantank-
erous accordingly. There was small
general cargo being shipped for New
Orleans, and 1t gave these worthy off,
ficers ease to find occasional acid fault
with the stevedor's crew or the crane
men on the wharf, but for the most part
they shuffled about the decks in easy
slippers, attending to the various ship
duties In massive sneertng silence.
Patrick Cambel came into the chart
room on the bridge deck, closing the
door behind him. "A CHEEKY, amiable
crowd you've collected" he said.
Aren't they?" replied Captain Ket->
tie from a sofa locker. They're just
terror of crew. You wait till we get
to sea, and they start on mischief. My
mates a cur. He wouldn't stand up to
a Chinaman. And the rest of the after
guard Is much Of pattern, picked that
way on purpose oh. tell you, Mr..
Cambel, that stand alone, and I shall
have my hands full. But let 'em start,
the brutes! I'll haze them. 1t isn't
a new sort of tea party this with me-"
You're going into At with your eyes
open anyway"
"Oh, don't you make any error" said
Kettle. II know my Job. And IL I warn
you it's because you'll see things for
yourself and perhaps Join In at them.
don't go and tell everybody. Not
much. They think ashore i've got a
real soft thing on this time. Why, do
you know, Mr.. Cambel." he added, with
a thin, sour grin. my old woman want
ed to come with mo for the trip?" She
said 1t was so long since she's had a
whiff Of outside air that now I'd such
a tidy steamboat under me she couldn't
miss the chance. Yes, and she said
she'd bring one OF the kids with her
that wanted to be sailor, like his
daddy. tell you she was that took
on the idea she'd hear no refusal, and I
had to write letter to owners and get
them to wire back NO she could read
for herself. It'd look well set to music,
that tale, wouldn't it? Sort OF jumpy
music, you know, with a yo-heave
sailors songs that you hear in the
halls"
Cambel shrugged his shoulders.
What can you expect at the price?" he
asked. This isn't a E12 month
berth. and you've thrashed across
Atlantic In a worse ship for less
Don't you mistake me-" retorted
Kettle. I'm working for full value re-
ceived, and there's many an old sailor'd
like to be in my shoes if he only knew.
I'm not grumbling at the berth. only
when a mans on a racket of this kind
it's a bit hard on him to have wife
and kids he's fool enough to be fond OF,
It's an ugly amusement lying to them
like a play actor when you know It's
ten chances to one you'll ever see
English mud again. That's the way IL
cuts, though ! suppose youth think IL
all sailors grumble. Perhaps you
aren't married man"
Mo I'm nnf - ? ---------- -