The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-03-12

49, -H@--A4 A--+-A-A ---+A
drawing. We were just commenting
on Ike Adams yarn about the finding
of the dead sailor in his own sea
chest. when Pat Cannon broke In.
sYe cant count anything extraor-
dinary at sea-" he said. I had
Quare experience. once. on the brig
Manitou
Give it to US. Pat we cried in
chorus.
~Ye see began Pat. examining
down the tobacco in a vile smelling
pipe with his stubby forehnger, 7
was on the brig Manitou and we had
loaded a ca go Of bones at Rosario on
the La Plata, bound for Baltimore. In
Argentina there's lots OF horses and
cattle killed for their hides and tallow
10 say nothing of making a pile OF
bafe ixtract which they do at Frey
Bentoe. The bones they pile up on
the pampas until there's q chance Of
shipping them to America where tasy
grind EN- up for fertilizer.
1--WE loaded some 400 ton all shapes
and sizes and there was nothing out
Of the way with the bones save their
nasty musty smell. but by the time
we had pulled up half way to the
equator we found we had shipped
more than bones. The brig was alive
with cintipedes. I don't know If they
were sitting IN the middle Of the bones
Matching their eggs or only taking a
slape, but out they came and millions
of 'em. Whin at first only few came
up we laughed at the quick moving
things. but when the decks were
smothered with 'em laughing was
stopped and swearing taken up.
We'll, it was name enough to have
the blooming things crawling over
ones bunk, ones food and ones hair,
but whin they got to biting thin it be-
came serious. Although it was blister
ing hot we were all a wearing sea
boots as ii we was a coming to the
north pole instead Of to the equator.
Thin deppytation goes aft.
I'VE can't stand It, sorr." we sez to
the skipper. these bugs are biting US
and we'd ask you to put into some
handy port so we can get rid Of 'em, =
we sez.
THE nearest port we can make. F"
sez the skipper, is Rio Grande and
I don't want to put in there for its a
very Expensive place. I'll smoke the
craytures out sez he.
Eve took some birthstone and set It
afre. thin We lowers it down the
hatch and shuts up all the holes and
crivices we could find but Glory be,
there's where we made mistake. We
druv 'em out Of the hold into the
cabin, the forecastle and ON deck.
The birthstone couldn't kill 'em only
druv 'em out. Everywhere clntipedes,
nothing but cintipedes.
Thin we stopped up the hawse
holes and riggcd the pump SO as to
food the deck and drown the insects,
but bless your soul whin the water
came they climbed the rigging like
able-bodled seamen and stayed up
there till we had to let the water on.
ssWell, then we didn't know what to
do; the skipper was worried too for
the cintipedes we're all over the cabin
and whin about noon we sights saii
be ordered the distress signal to be
bent to the halliards and sint aloft
The vessel, bark It was, hove to and
sint boat to us. Whin It reached us
we cast a painter to it but the officer
didn't make any move to board US
He gives a squint up at the spars and
asks:
What's wrong wild ye? Ye looh
all right aloft.'
E" I'm a suff'rin," sez the skipper. in
reply. wild a pistilenee Of bugs and
want your advice and hip
Bugs, screams the man in the
boat, what are We talking aboutg
my brig is list alive wild cinti
pedes. answers the skipper. and they
worriting me and my crew to death
@The man got red in the face.
reckon he thought the skipper wal
making fun Of him.
"Tll tell you how to get rid o.
your bugs. he cries. mad like. We take
more water in your whisky and wiC
that he casts of the line and orders
the boat pulled back to the bark.
Now, I'd been standing by to lowe
a ladder to the man If he wanted Il
board us and | had seen a stream D
cintIpedes running along the line t.
the boat. Afore the boat had reached
the bark saw the man stand up ant
shake his hst at our brig. thin. b,
| slapped himself nightly about tn,
legs.
"We'gs few less cintipedes aboard
sorr," B-z I to the skipper. for a 10
wint along the line to yon boat"
Il saw EN-" he winked his ey,
whin he said it, its put an idae int,
my head. Pat"
He calls the mate and the two ha,
a long paIaver on the poop an.
thin the mate orders all the top hamp
er sint down. The top and top gal
| liant masts we're lowered and stowe,
on the deck We were ordered t,
leave the rigging IN ragged way jus
as II the spars had been carried ava,
BY gale. We was wondering wha