The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-11-18

For seven mortal years We fool
She's loaded steers for Liverpool
An Manchester began.
Which fact accounts for it, says he,
mo stronger vessel sails the sea,
Than the Bostoniyan."
-Bull-Pusher's Ballad.
Take a strong physique, strong
stomach and strong desire to go
abroad, shake them up with strong
language and steers in a strong ship,
and you have the transatlantic bull
pusher." His calling is not esthetic,
but it enables him to work his way
over, entities him to a free ride back,
and teaches him lot of things CON
cerhing men and cattle.
Peters and didn't know much about
it beforehand. We had simply deter.
mined to top off our college careers by
travelling in search of adventure. /
had suggested a cattle boat as be-
ginner, having happened to see one
leave port when Peters and I We're in
swimming at L street AS Peters
agreed we went TO the docks, saw y
prOfane, tobacco-chewing, yellow-tusk-
ed old reprobate called Pop and were
booked as bull-pushers on the Bos-
tonia
Cow-punchers were herding the last
of the eight hundred wild-eyed steers
aboard the ship, amid much dust and
hallooing, when Peters and ! arrived
in a taxi and looked round for a stew
ard to carry our baggage aboard. But
there wasn't one to be seen, so very
reluctantly-for it was a sweltering
day in July-we took up hatboX and
suitcase apiece and made for the gang.
way, Peters leading.
Reaching the deck, we came upon
the first mate and the purser in trim
British uniforms. The purser was
small, but the mate was a big, bearded
man as tall and well-built as Peters
himself, which is saying very great
deal, for Peters stands six feet three
and half in his socks and is planned
in proportion.
'Where can we stow our baggage?'
he demanded with the confident man
ner of one who addresses the doormar
at a large hotel.
The purser gave a surprised clucll il
reply, but the mate let out roar.
Get below where you belong" h,
shouted and take your bags witt
you'll"
Peters looked at him with a blan,
emile
For which," he remarked in a per
fectly conversational tone, you viii
in due course get yours
The bull-pushers' room was at The
bow of the ship under the forecastlt
head-a small, ill-ventilated place con
tanning forty greasy hunks, most n
them already occupied by sweating
smoking cattlemen and their dunnagC
bags Outside the door lowered sail
ors who, though they made it clean
that they scorned bull-pushers, were
not, as | afterward learned, above pur
)ining bull-pusher's property.
Peters and | hastily stripped to oul
undershirts, put our clothes in our
suitcases, donned overalls and return
ed to the deck. 1t burned our bare
feet as they touched it, The heavy
/. baking air was laden with the mixed
smells of ship, cattle, cooking, dirty
men and bad tobacco.
We dropped upon a bale of hay
81 don't seem to care much for this, -
Peters remarked.
"You have to be game when you
go in for adventure, | replied. l was
not sure that l liked the cattle ship
myself, but having suggested it felt
bound to defend it.
Adventures don't have to smell, dc
they?" he demanded.
81 don't believe it will be so bad
when we get under way" ] encouraged
81 should rather hope not said he
rolling over on the hay and CLOSING
his eyes. Peters could always fal
asleep like a baby. He did so now
doing until with a horse whstle-blas
the ship announced her departure.
''Was that the mate speahng?" h
asked, sitting up and hopping hi
brow Then, regarding the green
glittering harbor hungrily, he drew GU
a oi0oratta and liohtad il
Eli, you'll" came a fog-horn voic
from the bridge behind us. 'Dous,
that cigarette! Avent you no NOR
sense than to smoke on a bale of 'ay
you bloody West Indian Australian
bum of bull-puncher?"
1t was the first mate again / saw
little twitch of muscles near Peters
cheekbones. He inhaled a cloud o
smoke and blew it out defantly.
"Chuck it, Pete!" l advised under m
breath. He's sore on you for wha