Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-02-21

urunK. nc rl1nced alOft, cnSt n As,1ec.
ulative eye ON the stevedores trooning
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 1t bright with the
dirtiest red bandanna handkerchief l
ever want to see.
Ills actions amused me. The dis
crepancy between his personal habits
and his particularly in the matter Of
his surroundings was exceedingly In
teresting. have often noticed that
such discrepancies seem toindicate ex-
ceptional characters. AS 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. can be-
lieve It might from those huge hands.
The man wrenched himself about with
an oath of inquiry and pain. l could
hear one side of what followed The
captains high pitched tones carried
clearly, but the grumble. and growl Of
the mate were Observation-Disclosures at that
distance
How far is 1t to the side Of the
ship. you hound?" shrieked the cap
tain.
humble surprised-for an answer.
well. I'll tell you, you swab! It's
just two fdthom from where you stand.
Just two fathom! How long would
1t take you to walk there? How long?
Just about six seconds! There and
back! You ! won't bother with nil
the epithets, although by now know
Captain Selover's vocabulary fairly
well. And you couldn't take six sec
onds of to spit over the side! Couldn't
walk two fathom! Fad to spit on my
quarter deck, did your
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.
ut don't matter If we amt under
way. That has nothing to do with it.
The quarter deck is clean, IL the waist
amt, and nobody but a son of 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 we'll, but
there comes time when further talk
is useless even in regard to q most
heinous ofense. And of course, as you
know, the mate could hardly consider
himself very seriously at fault. Why,
the ship was not yet ut sea and in all
the clutter Of charging. He began to
answer back. In moment It was a
quarrel. Abruptly 1t was a light. The
mate marked Seloyer beneath the left
eye. The captain with beautiful SIM
plicity crushed his antagonist in his
gorilla-l1ke 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 IN instant with chest
which he flung after his subordinate.
It was followed moment later by a
stream of small stuff-mingled with
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. through an open
portfolio. This in turn ceased. The
captain reappeared with a pail and
brush, scrubbed feverishly at the Of
Tending spot, mopped 1t dry with that
same old red bandanna handkerchief,
glared about him and abruptly became
as serene and placid as 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
to eat when caught sight of another
drny laden with boxes and Grated af-
fairs which l recognized as scientific
apparatus. 1t was followed in quick
succession by three others. Ignorant
as was of the requirements of sci
enlist, my common sense told me this
could be no exploring outfit. revised
my first intention of going to tho 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 sAsM Of tar
was in my nostrils and the, sea called.
It has always pSsssesssa fpF me an ex-
ttra 9,9IIs! allhafement,
N little after 2 o'clock cab drove to
the after gangplank and stopped,
From 1t alighted young msl of
whom / shall later hnre occasion to
tell you moro, followed by DR., Scher-
nerhofn. The young man carried only
light leather 'sagwiette." such as stu
dents Wsa abroad, while the doctor
Wtflg staggered under the weight Of a
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