Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-02-04

ceptiondl characters. AS I 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 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 I 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 We're indistinguishable at that
distance
How far is it to the side of the
ship, you hound? shrieked the cap
tain.
Mumble-surprised- an answer.
| well. I'm tell you, you swab! It's
| just two fathom from where you stand.
! Just two fathom, How long would
1t take you to walk there? How long?
! lust about six seconds! There and
back! YOU I won't bother with all
the epithets, although by now l know
! Captain Selovers 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
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 a sea
lawyer would spit on deck anyhow
From this Captain Selover went %
into n 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 most
heinous offense. And of course. as you
himself very seriously at fault. Why,
the ship was not yet mt sea and in all
the clutter of charging. He began to
. answer back. In Il 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 Il chest
, which he flung after his subordinate.
, 1t was followed moment later 10y a
stream Of small stuff-mingled with
t languag projected through an open
, portfolio. This in turn ceased. The
, captain rpappeared with a pail and
t brush. scrubbed feveriShly 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
t He took up the direction of the steve.
dores. 1t was all most astounding.
e Nobody paid any attention to the
f mate. He looked toward the ship once
r or twice. thought better of it and be
5 gan to pick up his effects, mutterine
I savagelyl In moment or so he threw
, his chest aboard an outgoing truck and
departed.
/ 1t was now nearly noon and I was
3 just in the way of going for something
: TO eat when ! caught sight of another
l dray laden with boxes and Grated at