Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1910-06-03

sea short-handed However blind the shipping
commissioner might be in other ways ne sa"
to it that the shipping laws were opeyea as 10 'he
number of men required for types and tonnage ot
ships. A man might never have seen the sea,
but if he not too drunk to say ne was an
able seaman and to sign his name TO the shlps
articles that settled it. He would probably pe an
able seaman or dead greenhorn before his ship
reached port
This official insistence on the letter of the law
sometimes caused the kings to do strange things
Toward the end of the season they were at times
hard pushed for one or two men to NIL out
crew. Then did all men in sailortown not in the
kings special favor hunt cover and stay hid I'M
til the last ship was out of sight beyond the bar
For Jack and Pete respecters of persons
All men looked alike to them, and they sent to
sea more than who held himself too acute to
be trapped into unwilling voyage. Weledu-
Gated, well-dressed and companionable, the kings
mixed with the best and worst that drifted into
their realms, and once in their clutches no man
escaped from them except by the open sea.
Jimmy Hunter, Yale man and cowpuncher.
went down to the waterfront alone one day,
against the advice of the upper town, to see the
sights. He was wise to the world and had
years thirst and pay with him. He met the kings,
who were glad to see him. Just one more man
needed for the square-rgger Good Hope, then
lying in the stream waiting for crew, with her
captain. Black. swearing at Jack and Pete for
delaying him. The kings attended to Hunters
secret was made OF their trade. They told him
stories of shanghaied sailormen and of crews they
had stolen from ship for another. He was
much interested Jack took him up to the ship
ping commissioners to see the crew of the Good
Hope shipped. He was asked to and did
sign his name once twice "as witness"
friend from the upper town risked a broken head
to warn him. But the Sherman boys were also
frends-at least three hours old-and, anyhow
he could take of himself
At last he caught Pete In attempt to drug
his whisky and left the kings. with laughing
comment on sailortown ways. Well outside the
deadline he stopped in quiet saloon 1t was
late and he and the lonesome bartender had a
nightcap together. When he came alive next
morning he was at sea in the Good Hope and a
beefy English mate kicking him In the ribs.
OF the months that followed Hunter never
told much. He learned sailors work; he had to.
He picked up scar or two from the English
mates brass knuckles. Also he acquired deep
desire to kill the kings of saortown. Captain
Black and the mate.
At last he found himself in the consul's Office
at Dunkrk. France. dressed In the clothes he had
when he met the Sherman boys. For Won
der, they had sent them aboard with him. He
was in United States territory again. and. first
off, he would square yards with Captain Black.
But--the consular agent was a Frenchman who
would neither speak English nor understand
Hunters French unless he wanted to. Captain
Black olled In an office chair and grinned while
Hunter told his troubles. When he had finished,
without word of comment the consular agent
spread out two papers. the ships articles and an
advance note" "Ees thees yotre nom?" he
asked. 1t was. He remembered his signing "as