The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-03-25

well, I'll tell you, you swab, 1t,
Just two fathom from where you stand
Just two fathom How long would
II take you to walk there? How long
Just about six seconds! There ant
back! You ] won't bother with al
the epithets. although by now | 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 youT
Rumble from the mate.
mo, by God. you won't call up any
of the crew. You'll get swab and do
| II yourself! You'll get hand swal
and get down on your knees, I'll teach
you to be lazy"
The mate snid something again.
1T don't matter Il we amt under
way. That has nothing TO do with It.
IThe quarter deck is clean. If the waist
amt and nobody but a son of a sen
lawyer weuId, spit on deck anyhow
From this Captain Selover went on
into good old fashioned deep sea
"cussing out" TO the great joy of the
stevedops.
The mate stood II 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 begaIi to
answer back. In moment ii was "A
quarrel. Abruptly II was a 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 10 the pier. And the
mate was u good stout specimen OF q
seafarer too.
Then the captain rushed below.
emerging after an instant with chest
which he flung after his subordinate
II was followed moment later by a
Nstream Of small stuff mingled with
languag e-projected through an open
portfolio. This In turn ceased. The
captain reappeared with pail and
brush, scrubbed feverishly at the Of
Tending spot. mopped II dry with that
same old red bandanna handkerchief,
glared about him and abruptly became
as serene and placid rs 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 1t and be-
gan TO pick up his effects. muttering
savagely. 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
10 eat when ! caught sight of another
dray laden with boxes and Grated af-
fairs which I recognized as scientific
apparatus. 1t was followed in quick
succession by three others. Ignorant
as was of the requirements of a sci
enlist, my common sense told me this
could be no exploring outfit. | revised
my first intention of going TO the club
and bought sandwich or two at the
corner coffee house. don't know
why. but even then the affair seemed
big with mystery. with the portent Of
tragedy. Perhaps the smell of tar
was in my nostris and tie sea called.
1t has always possessed for me an ex-
traordinmy allurement.
Iftt1a oftar . ,s.Ianir 4. ,o ., Iro..., g..
the inter gangplhnk and stopped.
From II alighted young man of
whom | shall later have occasion to
tell you more. followed by DR. Scher-
merhorn. The young man carried only
light leather "serviette," such as stu
dents use abroad, while the doctor
fairly staggered under the weight Of