Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1908-02-07

! His blue trousers were spotted and
splashed with dusty stains. He was
chewing tobacco. A figure more in
contrast to the exquisitely neat vessel
1t would be hard to imagine.
The captain mounted the gangplank
| with a steadiness that disproved my
! first suspicion Of his having been on
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 a tour of casual inspection. Once
he stopped to breathe on the brass
pinnacle and to rub it bright with the
dirtiest red bandanna handkerchief l
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 l 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 a standstill every stevedore
on the job and sprang forward to seize
his mate by the shoulder.
! Evidently the grasp hurt. l can be-
lieve it might from those huge hands.
The man wrenched himself about with
an oath of inquiry and pain. could
! hear one side of what followed. The
captains high pitched tones carried
! clearly. but the grumble and growl of
the mate were indistinguishab BILE at that
distance.
How far is it to the side of the
ship, you hound?" shrieked the cap
tain.
! Mumble-surprised- an answer
well. II tell you, you swab. It's
just two fathom from where you stand.
Just two fathom. How long would
IT take you to walk ther.? How long?
Just about six seconds. There and
back. You ] won't bother with all
the epithets. although by now I know
Captain Selover's vocabulary fairly
we'll And you couldn't take six Sec
onds off to spit over the side! Couldn't
walk two fathom! Had to spit on my
rp
Rumble from the mate.
mo, by God. you won't call up any
Of the crew. You'll get swab and do
1t yourself! You'll get a hand swab
and get down on your knees! I'll teach
you to be lazy"
The mate said something again
1T don't matter II 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 a sea
lawyer would spit on deck anyhow
From this Captain Selover went on
into good old fashioned deep sea
''cussing out" to the great joy of the
stevedores.
The mate stood 1t 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 n
seafarer too.
Then the captain rushed below.
emerging after an instant with n chest
which lie flung after his subordinate.
1t was followed n moment later by a
stream of small stuff-mingled with
language-projected through an open
portfolio. This in turn ceased The
captain rpappeared with a 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 as n noon calm.
lie 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 twire. thought better Of il and be-
gan 10 pick up his effects. muttering
savaEely. In a moment or so he threw
his chest aboard an outgoing truck and /.
departed.
II was now nearly noon and I was
just in the way Of going for something .
10 eat when caught sight Of another
drnv laden with boxes and Grated af-
fairs which | recognized rs scientific
apparatus. II was followed in quick
succession by three others. Ignorant
as was Of the requirements Of n SCI .
enlist. my common sense told me this
could he no exploring outfit. revised .
my first intention Of going 10 the club .
and bought a sandwich or two at the .
tvfNeE fVAtt NNHSf- upu hu'" /"
why. but even then the affair seemed F.
big with mystery. with the portcut Of .
tragedy. Perhaps the smell Of tar .
was In my sostrils and the sea called +
II has always possessed for me an ex- .
tra0rdinary alluremen;. {
A little after O'Clock a cab drove IN
the after gangplank and stopped. I
From il aIighted a young man Of .
whom ! shall later have occasion TO .
tell yOu more. followed by DIR. Scher- {