The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-03-12
lco1grIglI, l317. by Dallg story Pub. Co


Brig ahoy.' sings out a man on
the steamers bridge. whin she was In
hailing distance, what do you needF
We've been dismasted In a gale
sez the skipper. with a straight face
and we've sprung a leak. We want
you to tow us into Rio Grande.'
Where did you find a gale In this
latitoodg shouts the man on the
steamer I've not seen wind enough
to fill a ryal for a ws.k
Twas a sort Of whirlwind.' SEE
the skipper; now, what'll you charge
to tow me in?'
Well shouts the captain OF the
steamer, Rio Grande will take US out
Of our course heap but I'll tow you
for thousand pun.
It's an awful price, SEE our skip
per, an awful price, but what else
can I do? I'll sind you hawser.'
I'VE lowered a boat and carried a
brand new MAMMA hawser to the
steamer which they fastened to the
bits aboard and thin we pulled back
10 the brig.
1.-THE steamer towed US all the even
ing, but whin It became dark the skip
per orders birthstone to be put in
buckets, set afre and lowered into the
hold. Glory be, how thin cintipedes
came a swarming on deck. Ye could
hear EN- a-rustlin' there was SO many
Of 'em.
"The mate sint a man forrard and
had shick circle OF pitch made
around the bowsprit just beyond the
heel and thin all hands were called
aft. Forrard Of the wheel we lay
some sheets OF tin reaching clear
across the deck from rail to rail. On
this tin we sprinkled birthstone and
set it afre, There was very little
wind and the stinking smoke lay close
to the deck and druy the cintipedes
forraFd Slowly we moved the tin
plates along driving the insects to-
wands the bow. They were mighty
excited thin cintipedes for they
couldn't go back into the hold as
the birthstone was a burning down
there and they couldn't as they al
ways did when we tried to drowa
thin, go out on the bowsprlt and
climb the stays. Whin they come to
the circle Of pitch they stopped.
Eat last they found the hawser and
they started along 1t towards the
steamer We had showed the brim-
stone pretty nigh the bow and
was standing on the forecastle whin
the moon come out minute from be-
hind some clouds. Boys. did ye iyer
90 into great factory and see the
belts flying In time with the turning
Of the wheels? Well. that's the way
that hawser looked with the cintipedes
flying along 1t to the steamer. Glory
be, it made my head swim to look at
em.
Captain sez the mate. the cinti.
pedes are about all on the hawser:
shall cut it and let 'em Drown
No. SEE the old man, II 'ud be a
sin to drown thin innocent insects
and besides that there fellow wanted
to charge me thousand puns to pull
me to Rio Grande. Let him have the
cintipedes'
Just afore morning the mate cut
the hawser.
''Whin morning broke the steamer
was well of TO leeward but she wore
and some down on us.
Alloy, there. shouts the captain
OF the steamer. your hawser's parted.
"'Yis. bad luck to It. honers back
our old man.
9TH sind some men aboard wid an.
; other hawser.' seq the steamer cap.
tain
No. I'm obleedged, calls back our
/ Old man. the leaks stopped and I've
found some spars that I2 make do
"Thin the steamer captain spakea
out his mind.
aye dirty Yankee swab, you. he
yelIs, that floating pig sty Of yours Is
full Of bugs and they've come along
the hawser onto my ship. It's fairly
swarming wild EN-
Bugs. screams the skipper. it's
, entirely crazy ye are. What dye name
BY insulting q mariner in distriss by
telling him his vessel Is full Of bugs
, II your filthy old tay kettle IS fuil Of
vermin it's no hawser want from We
and have the insects coming on NV
swate clean brig
! i've a bloody good mind to run ye
down. ye pistillent Yankee hows the
steamer captain. making an angry
slap at his legs.
I'd have We notice, sez the skip
/ per. politely, that the Amiricaa flag Is
waving over my brig and it's NE that
'ud like 70 see you run her down.
"Thin the steamer captain jerks the
bell to the engine room and away shg
wint to the suth'ard. but the captain
was shaking his fist at the brig a.
long as the two crafts were In sight
OF each other.
sAnd. dye know. boys" continued
Cannon. mysteriously, that steamer
was called the Kathleen and though
I've read the shipping news and asked
! livery seamen I've met I've niver heard
Of her since"
What do you suppose happened Il
herr" was asked
Its my belafe," replied Cannon