The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-12-12

sray.xrsen water belo". The sky was an
hot and humid Above. ca a feeble star tried to
shine through ag.o murky haze and failed . bs ses
line against the purple of a sky that said nothing
was the only sound in the ship-the steady chug
chus-cank chug chug-clank of the two engines. The
knew this only by inference. Nor did he care great
ly. 1t was the captain who was caring. and who
is true. but still dropping-and who with more
than the usual anxiety which falling glass mas
of the surface of the murcury, which bodies i'll for
ships not strong of heart and stout OF timber and
brace.
The chief stood in the bow and spat into the
Eray-green water below It is a peculiar combina
dredton tramp into the hands Of her chief and one
for had but two en-
in spite of snS &c for her
Of three saved not only salary. but hash" for one
Nor had there ever been any occasion when the two
schedule, she gets where she is going the best way
law Of necessity Which loads the bunKers With only
enough to get there plus ten tons margin and which
two the the , nd Of tns
the second-where was there ever a tramp. OR
se
and thought it little hardship.
But now here was Andrews tied in hard knot in
captain deadly afraid it ptomaine poison.
as the Far Ns
ger had been called from the stokehole and took his
eight hours with four hours below.
The Niger was lazy. H, product of the
with the poetry of the beasts Of the jungle in his
hthe strong body his swelling muscles and the
careless child Of his race living only for today for
the next meal the next sleep loving the sunlight like
fns o s cold ns
somehow, he had picked up knowledge of engines
made the big slow screws spin like pinwheels, could
watch her water and her steam, and give orders to
OK a PACK
he could not read write; and when it
ting eccentric valve he was as much at sea as
any one who has never learned anything of engineer
sim, he was the only man in the stokehole who
knew even so much and when the captain had
the he Sseer as ths
only alternative to putting into the nearest port
Reddy was anxious to get his room!
There were reasons why putting into port and
trying to get another second was not to be thought
Of There was a cargo waiting the first tramp
which would take it at Oyapok, and the "Woollys'
oct @ it coal
took chance and the Niger went to the engine
And Beck stood in the bows and spat at the
graygreen water below. and looked at the reddening
s art, smohe,ing up in the clouds and smet
tns :ass and decided tt VA none Of his
mates with rotten Sinking wh snd
know a stunning box from box of sardines.' and
finally made his way to his bunk where he turned
Meanwhile. Old Ocean was slowly making up its
glow faded into a ruddy smoke then into a purple
matching the east the cleancut horizon faded cut:
under the bows mingled with the slow. stately.
mighty swell that up to now had been as regular
At 4
vas, was as dark as pitch The glass still sank into
Minnie Woolworth had wireless station she would
have heard long before of storm warnings set, and
heard Of a set of saving owners installing wireless
to let tramp captain have the news? And what
indeed. could storm warning tell him that his
ve senses and the glass had not already shown him
from the hot feel of the air, and the deadly murki.
ness Of every thing. and the twitching. uneasy.
breathing of the and the oily. greasy slippery
way it slapped at the bows ran hungrily along the
Down in the engine room the Niger was fast
against feed pipe and his feet struggling along the
grating Unlike his race, he slept lightly, and a
single peal at the jingle would have walked him.
Beck was asleep, and he trusted to luck not to be
caught shs univ MT got ~, .,san,. 10 r.nes Wit,
himself. hit foolishnuss, dis ayere stayin' wake
when nonn for UNI ter do. Day ole engines runnin'
erlong smoof creased pole Hellum wild
UNI regulashuns Didn't ship for engineer
howl"
But he was caught. And it bears heavily what
happened, and shows that black man. of
education. but removed from savagery, may
have that germ of manhood in him which puts others
before SELF and stands to help the greatest number
to their greatest good in spite of personal
quences. whether personal liking be at stake
For Beck caught him mapping. and kicked him sound
~. anu cursed him until the Nigger's ears
burned and the whites of his eyes showed and he
covered away from the dominant white and
the '.;azing white mans eyes.
you black hound!" said Beck not mncing his
words. You spawn of He'll. sleeping duty, are
you! I'll show you how to sleep when sleep Here
am taking eight hours to your four. because can't
trust for five minutes-and with eight hours
to sleep in. and better grub than you ever had in
your lazy good ornothing life have got to curl up
like cat and let my engines go to the devil while
you rest your precious chalky. niger eyes. Get
out Of my engine ROOM you loafng misbegotten son