Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1907-02-18

MI Emmett Ieil III. Although III
ured to hardship in the ele-
mental strife, being of the stocky mar
iner race which holds the gruff Atlantic
in no dread, he had never before been
called on to eat sodden bread, to drink
condensed steam favored with varnish
and to chew suStenance from the rinG
of raw bacon. These drawbacks, add
ed to the lack Of exercise and the con-
slant wearing of clothes not yet Cry,
| placed him on the sick list.
Again there were ominous whispers
| Of unfair division in the matter of
| food. 1t was not within the realm of
accomplishment that the purser, Con-
| stance, Enid and others who helped to
| appOrtion the eatables could treat all
| alike Some Jared better than others
| in quality if not in quantity. The IN
| fortunate ones growled and talked of
favoritism.
A crisis was reached when the Sec
ond officer mustered the night watch.
| When one sheep leads the 9th RS will
| follow. A stout German from Chicago
asked bluntly:
"Vere's de goot of blayin' at mound
in CART? Dere is bud Won ting to CART,
und dat is der kidchen."
! Community of interest caused many
to huddle closer to him. Here was one
who dared to say what they all
| thought. Their feet shuffied in sup
| port. The officer, faithful to his trust.
was tempted to fell the man. but he
thought the circumstances warranted
| more gentle methods.
'Why are you dissatisfed?'' he stern
~ demanded what do you suspect?
Are you fool enough to imagine that
you are being cheated by people who
are dividing their last crust with you?"
How do We know dat? Dose girls
dey are chokin' nit Mr.. Pyne all der
| day. Dey can'd do dat und be hungry
like u.s.
You unmitigated ASST said the dis
| gusted officer There is food here for
three people. They have fed eighty
one of us for two days and will keep
us going several more days Can't you
figure it out? Isn't it a miracle?
Here! Who's for guard and who not?
Let US quit fooling.''
And the doubters were silenced for
the hour.
The hymn singer endeavored to raise
a chorus. He was not greeted with en-
thusiasm, but a few valiant spirits
came to his assistance. A couple of
hymns were feebly rendered = and
again silence.
Say when," observed Pyne calmly
when he entered the service room to
find Brand trimming the spare lamp.
Not tonight" said Brand
''Why not? He'll may break loose at
any moment downstairs
What has occurred? I heard some
thing of a dispute when the watch mus
tered at o'clock"
Things are worse now. One of the
men found gallon of methylated spirit
in the workshop
Good heavens! Did he drink any of
it,"
He and his mates have emptied the
tin. Eight are helplessly drunk, the
others Quarrelsome. The next thing
will be a combined rush for the store
ROOM
But why did not the second officer
tell me?"
HE thought you had troubles enough
If he could depend on the remainder of
the crowd he would rope the sinners
Says he knows slave knot that will
make 'em tired"
Brands eyes glistened.
''The fools,' he said, land just as the
weather is mending too"
You don't mean that?"
Listen"
: He glanced up at the glass dome
i Heavy drops were pattering on it
They looked like spray, but Pyne shout
\ ed gleefully:
!, rs it rain?"
e Eyes. l was just going to summon
the watch to help in filing every YES
: sci. By spreading canvas sheets we
[ can gather a large supply if it rains
hard. Moreover, it will beat the sef
down. Man alive. this may mean sal
, vationl Tie those weaklings and sum
$ mon every sober man to help"
With a whoop. Pyne vanished. III
L met Constance on the stairs. coming t.
: see her father before she stretched he
weary limbs on the hard floor of til,
T kitchen.
c She never knew exactly what tool
K place 1t might have been politeness
e but it felt uncommonly like squeeze
I and Pyne's face was extraordinaril,
Il close to hers as he cried:
y Its raining. No more canvas wills
Ky. Get a hustle on with every empt,
0 vessel"
q He need not have been in such
e vhirl. however.
When the shower came it did no
5 last very long. and there were man
difficulties in the way of garnering tn