Jefferson jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 1907-1926, 1908-03-06

lines and canvas down into the hold.
1t was a rush job, and that mate was
having his hands full. didn't wonder
at his language nor at his looks, both
of which were somewhat mussed up.
Then almost at my elbow heard that
shrill falsetto squeal and turned just
in time to see the captain ascend the
after gangplank.
He was probably the most disheveled
and untidy man 1 ever laid my eyes
on. His hair and beard were not only
long, but tangled and unkempt and
grew so far toward each other as bare
ly to expose strip of dirty brown
skin. His shoulders were bowed and
enormous. His arms hung like goril-
las, palms turned slightly outward.
On his head was jammed linen boat
ing hat that had once been white.
Gaping away from his hairy chest was
faded dingy checked cotton shirt
that had once been brown and white.
His blue trousers were spotted and
splashed with dusty stains. He was
chewing tobacco. A figure more in
it would be hard to imagine.
The captain mounted the gangplank
with steadiness that disproved my
first suspicion Of his having been on a
drunk. He glanced aloft, cast spec
ulative eye on the stevedores trooping
across the waist of the ship and as
cended to the quarter deck, where the
mate stood leaning over the rail and
uttering directed curses from between
sweat beaded lips. There the big man
roamed aimlessly on what seemed to
be tour of casual inspection. Once
he stopped to breathe on the brass
pinnacle and to rub it bright with the
dirtiest red bandanna handkerchief I
ever want to see.
His actions amused me. The dis
crepancy between his personal habits
and his particularly in the matter of
his surroundings was exceedingly in
teresting. I have often noticed that
such discrepancies seem to indicate ex-
ceptional characters. AS l watched
him his whole frame stiffened. The
long gorilla arms contracted, the hairy
head sunk forward in the tenseness
of serpent ready to strike. He ut
tered a shrill falsetto shrek that
brought to standstill every stevedore
on the job and sprang forward to seize
his mate by the shoulder.
Evidently the grasp hurt. 1 can be-
lieve it might from those huge hands.
The man wrenched himself about with
an oath of inquiry and pain. I could
hear one side of what followed. The
captains high pitched tones carried
clearly, but the grumble and growl of
the mate were indistinguishable at that
distance.
GLOW far is it to the side Of the
ship, you hound?" shrieked the cap
tain.
ble-surprised-for an answer.
"Well, I'll tell you, you swab! It's
just two fathom from where you stand.
just two fathom! How long would
it take you to walk there? How long?
Just about six seconds! There and
back! YOU I won't bother with all
the epithets, although by now I know
Captain Selover's vocabulary fairly
well. "And you couldn't take six Sec
onds off to spit over the side! Couldn't
walk two fathom! Had to spit on my
quarter deck, did you?"
Rumble from the mate.
"No, by God, you won't call up any
Of the crew. You'll get a swab and do
it yourself! You'll get hand swab
and get down on your knees! I'll teach
you to be lazy!'
The mate said something again.
at don't matter if we amt under
way. That has nothing to do with it.
The quarter deck is clean, if the waist
amt, and nobody but son of sea
lawyer would spit on deck anyhow
From this Captain Selover went on
into a good old fashioned deep sea
"cussing out" to the great joy of the
stevedores.
The mate stood it pretty well, but
there comes time when further talk
Is useless even in regard to a most
heinous offense. And of course, as you
know, the mate could hardly consider
himself very seriously at fault. Why,
the ship was not yet at sea and in all
the clutter of charging. He began to
answer back. In moment it was a
quarrel. Abruptly it was fight. The
mate marked Selover beneath the left
eye. The captain with beautiful SIM
plicity crushed his antagonist in his
gorilla-like squeeze, carried him to the
side of the vessel and dropped him
limp and beaten to the pier. And the
mate was good stout specimen Of a
seafarer too.
Then the captain rushed below,
emerging after an instant with chest
which he flung after his subordinate.
1t was followed moment later by a
stream of small stuff-mingled with
anguage-projected through an open
portfolio. This in turn ceased. The
captain reappeared with a pail and
brush, scrubbed feyerishly at the Of
Tending spot. mopped it dry with that
same old red bandanna handkerchief,
glared about him and abruptly became
as serene and placid as a noon calm.
He took up the direction of the steve
dores. 1t was all most astounding.
Nobody paid any attention to the
! mate. He looked toward the ship once
or twice, thought better of it and be-
gan to pick up his effects, muttering
| sayagely. In moment or so he threw
his chest aboard an outgoing truck and
| departed.
1t was now nearly noon and was
just in the way of going for something
/ to eat when caught sight of another
dray laden with boxes and Grated af-