The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-26


haggard and restless sea, I'll.
big American cruiser defiantl
ploughcd her way between th'
~ rocky Chinese coast, stccpto
rs the sailor men say, and
long and harassing chain of islands
visible in part at low water. At TIN:
point shippers, both naval and mer
chant marine, are wont to take their
meals in the chart room, to curse and
swear at the charts and TO be short
with the navigator. These conditions
prevailed on the big cruiser.
Captain Fortescuc, her commander, a
small. inquisitive man, and the navi-
gator, Aylwin, sat in the chart room
with n book of sailing directions open
before them. At this point the look
outs or the ship ought TO see tall
flagstaff, with a white bungalow 1T the
foot, close TO the shore on the main
land, and Il pilot boat-pcrhaps. There
had lately been earthquakes around
there and a general upheaval on land
were needed at every iurn, aud there
were not enough to go around,
81 think we arc lucky getting
Stubbs. - said Aylwin, who was on CON
fidential terms with the skipper " He
was up here last month IN n mission
ary boat after the earthquake time
"This is q missionary boa5, too, -
=
the gospel Of navigation TO the heai)ien.
who ought 10 have had the place buoyed
and lighted themselves. Call the chief
Quartermaster,
Stubbs. who never could trust himself
very far from the wheel, promptly ap-
peared.
What do YOU know about this part,
quartermasJer2 asked the skipper.
Nothin good, sir.'' replied Stubbs.
81 came up in the mission boat-I had
my leave. strand everything at the
bottom or the sea was turned topsy
turvy by the quake. The pilots had
to learn it all, and they had TO have
special pilot for this part up 20 Ma
puttan, which is Chinese Cor Hcl!
Bc-Damned point, where we takes the
reg lar pilot aboard. Last month there
warn u but two, aud @ae of EN-, War.
ing, an American. who was run out of
the United States, was threatened with
having his license revoked. lusT because
be got drunk. But If YOU II kindly al
low me, / III say d rusher nave Jim
Waring DRUNK tjan any pilot [ ever see
sober. -
"Then I hope ven get Jim Wa-.
ing" remarked Captain Fortescue, who
had q liberal mind.
"He lives in the bungalow, con-
tinucd Stubbs, '.and he said TO me be-
tween his hiccoughs-he was as drunk |
and as clear. headed man as ever | see-l
he says: Quartermaster. says he, the
big reef is split in six deep assures, so
You II think you re in good water and
You III be on your way to heaven, He's |
a pTofane man, is Waring. | prayed |
with him earnest, but the damned fool
excuse me. sir-don Z know the way of
salvation. He says then TO me, Quar-
termastcr. says he, the other reef
eight cables off has zone up into the
sea seventeen feet. It s the worst reef
! ever see since God made me. The
done more harm to naviga-
,;on than you d think
Sailors Boast.
'' But it don t matter to me- said
the old sinner j can take an eleven
million dollar battIeship over the same
ground when there ain I but two feet
of water, and I've done it. too, and
told the skipper'-I beg your pardon,
sir; I IN reportin Waring exact-.as
it were twelve foot at low water and
Waring was telling the truth for when
he IS drunk he'l tell the truth, but
when he s sober the grace OF God aban-
dons him and he is the biggest liar
that ever stepped-and | amt forget
tin the Chinese, sir.''
"All that | hear of WaTiug prepos.
sesses me IN his favor. With only lwo
pilots. though. we may have IT, hang
around here for couple Of Gavs''
Alywin and the quartermIstcr went
out and conferred on the steps of the
bridge.
II never had leave [ enjoyed Sc
much, sir, said Stubbs., 81 was at
sionary meetings and Bible readings, |
and ] had reg lar lamboree with the
Salvation army. ] was asked TO lead |
10 prayer several times and did il. sea
InanlIke: ! will say, sir, if il IS me that
t. -
~ m sure YOU re a truly pious man, -
answered Aylwin, land |. too, had n |
glorious time on my leave-iust three
DAYS at Shanghai, -
CATION. had a minutes day dream of
three blissful days with Mary Harbord |
at Shanghai.
~ reckon, sir Z" said Stubbs. "IYl
take trick at the wheel. / dor t like |
to go too long. without feehn the spokes
in my hand -
Stubs. took the wheel, and Just then,
across the troubled and turbulent water.
was seen white speck-it was the bun.
galow. Then a faint vertical line came
into view, which was the flagstaff, and at |
last black speck, that proved to be |
pilot boat, with smoke pouring from her
one funnel, and the horizontal striped
dag of red and white whipping against
the peak. The big cruiser in her Joy
broke out square blue flag
The cutter dashed toward the cruiser
as fast as she could get over the long
swell, like a shortlegged dog running
through stubble. Presently she rounded
the cruisers stern, got as close as she
could TO tho side without being bumped |
to death, lay to in the trough of the |
sea and gave the hail:
'fShlp ahoy,H
To this the response came:
HHcllo'
'tWhcre are You bound7''
Cup and northeast
The pilots yawl was then lowered |
away, the crew tumbled in. and was
followed by the pilot in his oilskins, !
with red silk handkerchief, tying nis
cap under his chin.
''It amt Waring,'' said Stubbs in
a tone of disappointment and NORTH
cation, ''I don't know that felIer.';
Days Of Pilot.
The sea was nasty for small boats
and the people forward made bets of