Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-11-28

tried to knife him.
I could never extract from Kettle
the reason for his selection, and so
can only surmise. Two theories oc-
cur to me. Perhaps he took away those
particular rapscallions with him in
the boat so that there should he no
chance OF their annoying poor, weak,
old Farnish on the Norman Towers.
Perhaps he took them to enjoy the
risk and luxury of tanning them at
close quarters. Indeed, both considera.
tons must have weighed with him.
But l believe it was the last that
swayed him most. He was always
man with singular taste for what
he called trouble"
When the life boat was ready, Mr..
Kettle looked up at the row Of wor-
|ried faces that stared down at him
from the steamers rail, gave curt
wave, and ordered his men to shove
loft.
And now" said he, "do any of you
farmers know how to sail boat?"
1t appeared that none Of them did
They We're steamer sailors all Of them.
able to drive winch. paint and clean
paint, take a wheel or rig derrick,
WELL" said the mate with an UNI
kind grin, "I'll teach you, and when
you next step ashore, If ever you get
there, you'll be smart enough fore-aud.
alters to sail as deck-hands In an
American cup race. But dead or alive,
you've just one use at present and
that's as ballast. Pile yourselves up to
windward."
They did 1t sullenly.
"You with the bald head there.
smile. Dye hear me, you son of can
opener? Smile, or by James, I'll knock
your yellow teeth down your throat.
Don't you dare to throw black looks
at me. Now we'll just call watches.
I'm captain, and I'll take the port.
Jenkins, as you've the only clean face
at your end OF the boat. I'll appoint
YOU chief officer, and you take the
starboard watch. Let me see! I'll give
you the Dutchman, and Badly here,
Nth the winning smile. And that
leaves me Olsen and the Senegambian,
who still thinks he's going to get that
pig knife of his into my ribs before
we're through with this boat trip.
Well, Mr. Jenkins, as we're shipping a
good deal of water you can set your
starbowlines to bail, and the port
watch can shake out reef She'll car
ry bit more canvas, II she's9hnmored
and times the essence Of the contract
just now IL we're to save thesTowers."
Rapidly behind them the disabled
steamer dipped out of sight below the
sierra Of the horizon. and presently
they had the heaving circus of ocean
to themselves Great orange,yellow
islets of the Sargasso weed sprawled
here and there over the rich blue OF
the water, and these, when pos
sible, they avoided irridescent
|flying-fish scattered along beside
them and before their bows; and
astern brace of sea-fowl that had
detached themselves from the steam
er's convoy, kept accurate station.
The blackguardly crew found some
thing vaguely disquieting in the
presence Of these birds, and at first
observed their coming with gloomy
silence, and then with articulatd
grumblings.
Not here for nothing, them birds,
said Baldhead "They know thing or
two. It isn't for galley scraps they're
following this boat"
"Dey say dose gulls is de ghosts Of
ole. sailors trowned at sea" said
olsen" II wonders What 1t feels like to
fly"
"They picks yo' eyes out befo' yo'
daid." said the Carolina black. Il
sho' don like the neb of that bird
dero to stabboard. He's mos as big's
a Tampico turkey buzzard."
A puff of squall poured down
against them. Kettle luffed not an inch
but kept the boat rigidly on her
course. The wave-tops Gas he intend
|ed) poured in over the lee gunwale.
Bail, you sinful malingerers," he
bawled at them. Bail and keep your
legs dry and the ship afloat. I'll attend
to your souls when the time comes.
Mr.. Jenkins, you come aft and take
the lee tiller beside me. You've got to
learn to handle the boat sometime
and a nice light breeze like this is
Just the time to begin. There you are!
Now you've got her all by your shiv-
ering self. and mind you keep her
ramping full Don't you dare to luff
for foot of wave-top."
The men were scared and sullen,
and the method of their schooling was
brutal, but they improved hour by
hour. There was spare tiller in the
boat, a lusty cudgel Of oak, and this
the mate used vigorously over their
heads and shoulders whenever they.
were slow, or dense, or in any way
short Of the perfect seaman. Discipline
was carried on big-ship fashion. They
fed at appointed hours on a sparing
ration; they drank lime-1uice in their
musty water, as ordained by the
British board of trade: and bells were
struck every half-hour on tin bucket
with ding-dong regularity.
Twice they passed derelfcts, stuck
in the sargasso eddy. The first was a
steamboat with only her fore-part
showing, green with sea-grasses. The
other was a four masted schooner
spruce with new paint, obviously
new arrival. Here was a sea mystery
that would have tempted the most
injurious. Here also would be some
very good pickings. But the crew were
by this time under good discipline
and did no more than look longingly