Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-07-04
.vhat-you-you're g poet?" raped

"What-you-you're & poet?" raped
out Cambel.
II knock off a bit of verse OCCASION
ally" said the skipper complacentiy.
when I'm In the mood. that is. 1t
generally comes like this, when I've
been tail twisting The hands and nave
IA spell OF Il rest and Il think after
ward"
II see. The outcome Of vivid con-
trast." said Cambel. He imagined to
himself that these boosted poems would
be of the 'heroric' order to the verge
OF melodrama. AS it happened, he
could not conveniently have made Il
worse guess. Kettle tugged from his
pocket a doubled up exercise book red
dened slightly under the tan and hand
ed 1T across. His companion tiattened
out the crease, n from the light that
came from Il chartroom port dipped
INTO the manuscript verses for himself.
TO his establishment they We're one and
all sonncts and ballads which might
we'll have been written by Il sentimental
School girl. They breathed of love and
devotion n premature fading away.
and at least three gushing adjectives
qualified each tender noun.
There WAS no word about the sea on
which their author had spent his life
or OF the things of the sea with which
he had had all his dealings. He knew
about these us few men did, but they
seemed COMMON to him and unc!ean.
Consequently he had delivered himself
to an ode of that spring which he had
never witnessed ashore and love songs
to ladies' he had never met outside the
covers OF cheap fiction. 1t was all
imagination, and untutored, uninspired
imagination at that.
AS u result, Cambel found the poems
too kfll!ngly funny for words and was
consumed with a wild desire for laugh
ter. but that red bearded little savage.
their maker. glaring a~nXiously at him
from the opposite shadow. he does not
let so much as the tail OF IL smile dance
up from the corner OF his mouth He
had to enjoy and endure in silence, and
with the exercise book thrust out to
the yellow light. then he read on
through the stan2as diligently.
the writer spoke Of himself rs Il 'timid,
frail gazelle." In another he addressed
his remarks from the m%outhpiece of a
coy and cooling t~urtledove" to 'sylpil-
like maiden Of naughty mien'' who at
the time of narration was the ''bewitch-
ING. enhancing. unparalleled queen of
another gentleman's hearth. An Ode
to Excellence" which commenced
Hairy Alfred. brother bard" was evil
IDENTIFY directed at a contemporary, but
the past was cared for in Cleopatra, a
Lament which a footnote stated could
be sung to the u n OF "Greenland's
IVY AlOulIldIIlS. TTODtlDIy as Il cOllec-
ton Captain Kettles vas unique in it's
clumsy. maudlin sentiment and it's gem
eral unexpectedness.
Meanwhile the auditor was fldgeting
%nervously. He had not got over that
initial nervousness which publication
gives. He hungered for a criticism
favorable il possible. AT last he made
bold to ask for 1t.
You're a wonderful man. Kettle" re-
turned his companion. quite meaning
what he said. and unless 1 had seen
those verses for myself I'd never lave
believed you capable OF producing
them, no matter what mad been old
me about your powers"
The poet gave a sign Of relief, and
was Ding to pursue the subject further
when something fell upon his ear which
turned his thoughts into a very differ
ent key.
by James. there's the engine
stopped. h up now. l wonder?"
He jumped to his feet and stood with
neck craned out. listening. The ring
of heavy boots made itself heard on the
engine room ladders. Then there was
a murmUr of voices and a pattering of
footsteps from the forecastle. and pres
entity n steady stream of men began to
ascend the bridge deck ladders. Among
the growing babel Of voices came ref
erences to the gold, Half a million yell
low sovereigns. boys!" and threats
there was no mistaking. Teach the old
man or put him over the side.''
BY an evident previous arrangement
the men were massing themselves on
the port side of the bridge deck.
"Mutiny. by James. that's what this
means!" commented Captain Kettle in
an undertone. He was cool as ice and
on the moment had decided how to act.
Now. Mr.. Cambel. slip into the chart
room for your pistol. 1 have mine in
my pocket. It's US two against the lot
Of EN-. and Wen finish out top side.
Oh. don't you make any error. It'll be
a red nights work for those dogs. But
We'll rub the fear Of death Into them
before CIV done this time-into those
that are left. that is. Get your pistol,
quick. sir. and skin your eye for handy
shooting"