Evening star., 1909-06-06
| L L | E
By Morgan Robertson
Drawing by George Varian
w 7ILLIE was his last name, not his first, which,
w in his checkered career before the mast, he
w had FORGOTTEN Among those that knew

N7lLLlE was his last name, not his 1rst, which,
w in his checkered career before the mast he
had forgotten. Among those that knew
him, he was called Whisky Willie, because of his
liking for this form Of nourishment and stimulant;
but he subscribed to the compliment and
gave the prefix when asked his name He
signed his name Willie the articles and on his re-
ceipts for pay and once when sarcastic skipper
suggested that he, in the absence of front name,
adopt the title of Mister complimentary desgna.
ton, he felled the skipper with mighty stroke of
his fist, and closed the discussion.
He not oversensitive, beIf4g thoroughly used
to his name, which he could not shake off. but he
did not wish the incubus increased Willie was bad
enough, Mister too much. Mister was the name
he was compelled to apply to the mates who bued
him when drunk, roned him when sober. he resented
their manner and Mister the first name of the
boarding and shipping masters who robbed him and
shanghaied him OF the rest of humanity he knew
little, and in technic, beyond the splicing of rope
the handling of SAIL and the general craft of an able
seaman, he knew nothing.
His appearance beled his name He was SIX feet
six over ALL with displacement of two hundred
pounds all lean meat, bone, and by-products He
had the face of prize fighter, pair of shoulders like
two sofa pillows arm the size OF an ordinary leg
and fist as big small woman head He was
man of iron-iron of heart head and body,-wlt
only one weakness beyond the weakness of ignorance
his ngrained love of children; for IN childhood had
come the only happy moments OF his life
WILLIE wakened one morning with the old ia
w miliar headache that had attended many
other first mornings at sea, and with polygot sym
postum hammering his eardrums. He in
forecastle bunk and rolling over he peered down
at the takers There were five, and they were
tering round pot of coffee and large pan of cracker
hash placed in the middle of the floor space between
the hunks. Cracker hash on the first morning out
bespoke the crafts nationality.
Yankee ship dom the luckf'' he growled
Whats her name and where bound?'
The answer was unintellgible and Willie never
asked the question again; it was immaterial But
the speaker added. Turn oudtl 1t was your next
wheel und all night you Sleep
Dry up you Dutch washerwoman," said Willie,
hosting his six feet SIX of aching anatomy the
bunk board, or you'll sleep all night and all day,
tool
"Oh, dots all right answered the German pleas
antly You was yoost on bad terms nit yourself.
Get your pan und your pannkn und have your
Willie found his clothes bag in his bunk, where it
had served for his pillow, and extracted from it
brand tin pan, cup and spoon; but he found
nothing else that w.
"Shanghaied, of course, he snarled, and get
these against my advance! He's good, kind man,
that boardin master; he really sent my bag o old
rags along wi me.
He he ped himself to his share of the hash and
coffee, then squated on the deck for there were no
chests seats in the compartment.
is this all hands" he growled after a few mouth
fuls, = or watch!'
ALA hands, answered Dis small brig.
All hands eat-a one time"
You're Dago take it, responded Willie ill
naturedly. Who's here anyhow"
Willie glared round on the crowd. An Irshman
bad terms with himself always commands attention,
sometimes respect.
MY name is LaTour," said another "Once l
have money-in Paris. Again, am boatswain in re
French navy.
Another Dago!" grunted Willie Who are you
and WHAT" he demanded of the fourth man, barely
distingushable in the dim ligh' from the flare lamp
overhead.
Use an American. is" answered this man Il
was born in Philadelphia; and mo, dan dat, Use
gem'mun. l 'spect myself. | don't take dcta-
ton from any man don't know. and you stranger
to me, sab, and don't care"
Willie smote the American with such force that
he toppled over Well! who your" he de-
manded of the fifth, who had quietly drawn
away from the storm center And while the Amer