The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-12-19
A Tale OF the Sea.

I can remember" said Frontoll.t, bet
ter known as Sawdust jim. as we lay
under the equator, homeward bound,
that / shipped in Charlestown. Bos-
ton. in the bark Bardeluc. neat
critter she was. little too broad In
the bows and bit cranky at beating,
but weatherly, take her all In all, and
a good sea boat. l never see the skip
per till after we left Trinidad, West
Indies. and IL had. may | be hung
If I'd ever "a shipped with him. A
dead face and a living body, mates;
the face of a man that had done some
dreadful deed and was follered by
ghost he couldn't lay, nohow. 1t were
awful to see him mates; an old sea
dog, tall and slim. with the breath
Of the salt sea about him. but that
pale, gbastly face, and that look over
his shoulders when no sound could
be heard. The first officer sent me
down to ask for sextant, below
Martinique, and when I seed that
face I'd have given my chances of
whiskey, slumgullion, beans and hard
tack for life to be out of that Barle-
due. He seed the look in my face
and snatched up a hammer and made
a stroke at me.
"'You are like the rest, you useless
tramp!' he howled What the deuce
do you all see In my face that you
must start when you see me, as IL
you had seen a ghost? A ghost-hal'
HE looked over his shoulder again
IN that quick, startled way, and drop
ped the hammer Something / could
not see scared him and drove the lit
tie color out of his face.
Keep off, he hissed. Stand by me,
Frontolet, and I'll be your friend for
life Strike at it; beat it to the
earth, and tread it under foot! See
how pale and hollow he looks. and
how CHASTITY that mark is-the mark
of Cain, the slayer. Ha, he's gone!
Now, Frontollet, what do you wantT
Il told him, and got the sextant,
but made up my mind | wasn't going
into that cabin again II | could help
1t. | thought he had snakes, but 1t
turned out worse than that-a blamed
sight worse. I didn't see him again
for three days. and the first officer
seemed to sail the ship.
"'Going to have a dirty time soon.
Frontollet,' he said, glancing at the
sky; well have to take in our kites
before three hours
'Mr. North was good officer, and
we respected him as such. give him
my manners-I always do when an
officer uses me as a man, and | said,
1t amt many could make bad wealth
er out of that sky, Mr.. North. but
you're right, all the same. We'll
have blowout. 1t will be likely to
bring the skipper on deck
Il went away from him. Before
the first watch was over | heard the
first mate at the forescuCtle: III.
you, timbertoes- Rouse and shake
yourselves Tumble up, tumble up,
tbere All hands on deck, ahoy!'
Away, gou sea draft! roared the
mate. Lay out there, lively. Strip
her, strip her. my sons! She don't
want as much clothes as a South Sea
woman
I'VE didn't need much ordering, for
we saw the danger, and in a few min
utes the Barleduc was ready for bu3i-
ness. / was standing by the rail,
holding on to a line. when | heard
such cry as / never want to hear
again, and there was the skipper,
holding a lantern in his hand.
"'Hi, there, Mr.. North! what are
you doing, you lubber? Do you dare
strip the Barlequc without asMng me?"
"'Mr Whitmore-captain,' replied
the mate, turning white as ghost, 1
Il did not like to disturb you
"'Cowards,' yelled the skipper,
jumping on the quarterback with his
gray hair floating in the wind. Lay
her course; keep her to it. Do you
hear, there at the wheel?'
"'Aye, aye. sir
keep her sou'-sou east.
"'But, captain, gasped the mate,
for the love OF heaven. don't cast
away the ship
Mul4Hy, ny sCieaueu 'He
skipper. 'Ha, ha, ha, here is more
work for me to do. Wait till lay
her course and then I'll make you
sweat blood. Aloft there, and shake
ont everything that will draw.
Boys, cried the mate, jumping up
Oh the deck, this man is mad, Sc
cure him and take your orders from
me-.
Before we could stop him the
mad skipper drew a pistol and fired at
the mate, who dropped on the quar-
ter-deck We ran in to seize the mad
man. who was making for the wheel,
bur he skipped by us and jumped on
the lea rail,
"'Ha! curse your white face. l
have done it again, he cried. DO