Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1908-04-23

hustle, roo, IN the broad. brown riyer
with its never-cnding panorama of yes
sells of every size and shape which ebt
and. flow in the great artery of nationa
life.
All day Tom stood at the hatchway OF
the Black Eagle, checking the cargo as il
was hoisted out of her, while Mcpherson
and his motley assistants, dock laborers
seamen and Black Kroomen from the
Coast, worked and toiled in the depths be-
low. The engine ratified and snorted, and
the great chain clanked as it was lowered
into the hold. At one o'clock there was
a break of an hour for dinner, and then
the work went on until six, when all
hands struck and went off to their homes
or to the public house, according to in
clination. Tom and the mate, both fairly
tired by their days work, prepared to
accept the captains invitation, and to
beat him up in his quarters. The mate
dived down into his cabin, and soon re-
appeared with his face shining and his
long hair combed into some sort of order.
I've been performing my ablutions,
he said, rolling out the last word with
|
many Scotchmen, he had the greatest pos
sihle reverence for a sonorous polysyllable.
THE captain" he continued, has been
far from salubrious this voyage. He's
aye complanin O his bodily ntirmities. y
The two had threaded their way
through the intricate lanes which lead up
from the. water side to the outskirts of
Stepney. 1t was quite dark by the time
that they reached a long thoroughfare,
lined by numerous shops, with great gas
flares outside them. Many of these be-
| longed to dealers in marine stores, and the
numerous suits of oilskin, hung up for
exhibition, swung to and fro in the uncer-
tain light, like rows of attenuated pirates
A. every corner was a great public house
with glittering windows, and a crowd of
slatternly women and jersey-clad men ell
bowling each other at the door. At the
largest and most imposing of these the
mate and Dimsdale now pulled up.
Captain Miggs NJ asked Mcpherson
of rubcund, white-a aproned parsonage
Yes, sir. He's in his room, sir, and
expectin' you. There's a gent with him,
sir, but he told me to send you up. This
way. sir" and they were soon ushered
into the captains room.
That worthy was leaning back in
rocking chair with his feet perched upon
the mantelpiece. Opposite him. in sim
liar chair, was no less an individual than
our old acquaintance, Won Baumser. As
q mercantile clerk in the London Office of
a Hamburg firm the German was thrown
into contact with the shippers of the Al
rican feet, and had contracted a special
alliance with Miggs.
Come in, my hearties, come in !" he
cried, huskily Take a. seat, Mr.. Dims-
dale. And you, Sandy, can't you bring
yourself to your berth without being ask
ed? You should know your moorings by
this time. This is my friend, Mr.. Won
Raumser from Eckermann's Office"
And this, think, is Mr.. Dimsdale,'
said the German, shaking hands with
Tom. II have heard my very goot vriend,
Major Clutterbuck, speak of your name,
sir"
''Ah, the old major" Tom answered
"Of course, remember him well.'
He is not so very old, either" said
Won Baumser, in a somewhat surly voice.
"He has been took by a very charming
and entirely pleasant woman, and they
are about to be married before three
months, the one to the other. Let me tell
you, sir, /, who have lived with him so
long, that | have met no man for whom
| have greater respect than for the ma.
jor"
"A couple of days ago we hardly hoped
ever to be EARNING here said Miggs. "A
nasty sea on, Mr. Dimsdale, sir, and the
old ship so full O wather that she could
not rise to it, They were maxim a clean
breach over us, and we lost nigh every.
thing we could lose"
Il suppose you'll have her thoroughly
repaired nowT' Tom remarked.
Both the skipper and the mate laughed
heartily at the observation. That
wouldn't do, Sandy, would it?' said
MIggs. shaking his head. I'VE couldn't
afford to have our salary cut down like
that"
ITO be cOntinued.)