Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-05-14

ambitious young sailor men could study medicine,
and escape the drudgery of a life fore the mast
Then I planned free eating houses for tramps, and
was going to some of my wealth to investi
gate the private life of Sunday school superin.
tendent, who, when I kid, predicted that
would come to bad end. You see, we never can
Judge Of our own mental condition at the time. It's
only when you look back that you can take stock
of yourself. The result of this mental disturbance
upon me was insomnia. couldn't get to sleep: but
kept track of the ship and worried the three
Dutchmen and the Jap into trimming sail when
necessary.
WED got up to the latitude of the Bermudas,
think, and beginning to hope that the curse
had left us; for we had passed through three
nights without man dying. But on stormy morn
ing when the gan topsas were blown away. and we
four mentor the Jap was useless on deck-were
trying to get couple Of reefs in the mainsail,
Wagner suddenly howled out lot Of Dutch Ian.
guage and jumped overheard. / flung him line.
but he wouldn't take It, and passed astern. The
ble Did you ever notice it in Germans even the
best? When things go wrong they kill themselves.
They're something like the Chinese in this.
There were only four of now, counting the
Ian who still spoiled good grub, and it took long
time to snug that schooner down to double reefs
and one head sail. The water In the hold had
gained on u.s. and we pumped while we could stand
It, then knocked off, and dropped down on deck
for a snooze. We were dead beat and told the COOK
to call if the wind freshened or II anything hap
pened. He didn't call us, but something happened
. I wakened in time, and stood up sleepy and stupid
and cold; for you can't sleep deck, even In the
tropics, without getting chilled and we were up to
galley, and the schooner, with the wheel becketed,
was lifting up and falling off, practically steering
herself, by-thewind. OF course, thought OF the
water in the hold, and sounded the well. There was
four feet of wet line, and knew that things were
bad. Then I went to the two Dutchmen to call
them to the pumps and found them cold and stih,
each with the little pink marks under the ears
well I naturally went more or less crazy.
took that Jap by the throat and asked him what
had happened. He did not know, he said. He had
left us to sleep, and rest, for U.S. and trying
to cook us a good NEAL when we wakened. He was
in shaking fright, trembling and quavering, and
eased up. What was the use OF anger and su 2lcion
IN the face Of this horrible threat Of death while
you slept? We hove the two bodies overheard, and
made a stagger at the pump; but we could not
lessen the water in the hold and at last gave up
cleared away boat, and stocked 1t with water
and grub for two Meanwhile shaped course Tor
the Bermudas, and steered it after fashion. hoping
that might beach the schooner and get out OF
some court of salvage part of that seven millicns
down in the hold ~, .s,
But had to steer, and keep the deck. for the
jap was useless. kept 1t up until we sighted
land and then Topped done up, tired out utterly
exhausted by work, and yet unable to sleep. sang
out to the cook, as lay down the hatch, to try
and steer toward that blot of blue the horizon.
and then passed into semidazed state of mind that
was not sleep, nor yet wakefulpess; I could hear,
and through my half.opened eyelids could see; vet
I was not awake, for could not guard myself.
saw that Jap creeping toward saw the fur
tive murderous CLINT in his beady eyes heard the
soft pat of his feet on the wet deck. and heard
his suppressed breathing But could not move
speak
HE came and stood over me, then reached down
and softly pressed the tips Of his forengers into
cheek bones Softly at hrst that hardly felt it.
then strongly, and a sense Of weakness OF
body over me- something distinct from the
weakness that had felt while sinking down to try
and sleep. 1t seemed stopping Of breath. could
not move, as yet but could see out Of the corners
of my eye, and more hateful, murderous face
never afflicted me than the face Of that Japanese
cook
"He kept 1t up. steadily increasing the pressure.
and soon l realized that was not breathing. Then,
do not know why, there came to me the thought
of that Sunday school superintendent, and his ad-
vice, to pray when in trouble. forgot my crouch.
said to myself, God help me, God help me- and
the Jap, and he staggered back, chuckng and clut.
tering in his language. I rose to my feet, weak
and shaky, and he ran away from me; but found
myself without power to follow. was more than
weak; was just alive, just able to breathe, but
could not speak. tried to, but the words would
not come. He shut himself into his galley. and.
with regard to the condition Of the schooner, and
my helplessness, painfully climbed into the
boat had stocked and cleared away the davit falls
Then lay down.
ct have dim remembrance Of that sleep in the
boat of waking occasionally to drive that cowardly
Jap off with an appraised oar; Of my utter inability
to speak to him, and the awful difficulty Of taking
long breath. But the final plunge Of the schooner
stands out. was awake, or as nearly awake as
could be- The Jap forward and the decks
were awash knew that she was going down, and
got out my knife to cut the falls when the boat
noated. did this successfully, for though could
not speak, I could move, and as the schooner pung
ed under and the screams of that heather rang in
my ears cut the bow tackle then the stern tackle
and found myself adrift in turmoil OF whirlpools
~ was picked up few days later by fruiter
and taken into New York. I found my hair had
turned white I've been working as waiter most OF
the time since hoping to enlist somebody's interest
toward salving that schooner; but it's no go. I'm
going to Cuba where I've heard Of pot Of money
In the Santiago hills. Want to go along?"
mo" answered. "But, tell me. what killed
those men,"
"The Jap must have been expert In jiu jitsu.
the wrestling game Of that country. I've made a
stagger at studying medicine since then. and
learned a little. The pneumogastrc nerve did the
business It passes from the base Of the brain,
down past the heart and lungs and ends near the
opds