The Detroit times., 1912-11-07
CHAPTER !.
No Coal.

MI. hctle, Nht haNCs ~" "'Nf
any more of that green paint on my
decks, I'll make you so down on your
knock-knees and lick them clean. 4
don't believe you've ever seen winch
before, much less painted one. And
yet you have the nerve TO sign on
here as A. b."
Il always accustomed, sar, 10 put
on paint wild a brush. | don't con-
slider a wad OF waste a proper gentle
mans tool"
Answer me back, would you you
plum-colored son OF a palm-nut? I'd
like TO point out just here-that
AeH,t-a allow deck-hands whether
they be white, yellow, snuff and but
ter-colored--or just plain black-to
give me any back talk-so long as
am Mr.. Mate Of this packet. And
don't you-forget 1t.
The sentence was punctuated with
hard kicks bestowed by neatly pipe
clayed shoe on any part OF the huge,
vicious-looking Negroes anatomy that
the little officer could reach. The
man had drawn the knife from the
sheath at the back of his belt. and
was openly prepared for murder. But
the mate gave him no chance to use
AlO tnootd MN dbOuN NAAC htNo9
with such vigor and venom that the
fellow could not turn round TO strike.
and when at last the man tripped
over a steam-pipe and the knife went
flying, Mr.. Kettle instead Of pitching
IL overheard, kicked il contemptuous-
" back TO its owner.
There's your knife. Put 1t back
In its sheath, or I'll smash you some
more. And now get back TO your
work"
Yes, sar''
understand how to lay on paint
with q wad of waste?"
Yes, sar."
f''Get ahead then"
The Negro painted with diligence
and skill, leaving the surface he
touched fine rasping green, with no
superfuous paint that would subse-
quently run and grow ropy. and cut
ting clean straight lines at his edges.
1t is a high art TO paint accurately
with wad OF cotton-waste. and many
men, including the house.painter. have
ii not But steamer tradition SAYS
that the African Negro when he
paints shall not use brush and the
sea sumptuary laws are severe. SO
tAe Negro is forced To learn the skill
OF his hands with the homelier instru-
ment.
Mr., Kettle?"
Sir
The mate looked aft TO the upper
bridge. and beheld there the blowsy
head and still blowsier tobacco-pipe OF
Captain Saturday Farnish.
~Will you come 10 the chart mouse
a minute?'
Ay, aye. sir
The inside or the s. S. Norman Tow
ers' chart house smelt OF clothes and
yarnish. It's walls We're decorated
with a shelf of professional works;
an oilpainting of the Norman Towers
liz impossible colors on an impossl-
BILE sea, from the brush OF an eastern
artist; and the cabinet portrait OF a
large pleasant-faced lady in bursting
sat!ns, this last being Mrs. Saturday
Farnish
scaptaiu Farnish lowered himself
into a large red velvet armchair
Nnieh lGrched dangerously as Ii met
his weight
THAT starboard casters of again"
he grumbled. Chips must have
ntended ii five times this trip alone.
1.-THE carpenters inefficient, sir,
ooAd hAo NhACl OlllNCA nc
keeping up to his Job. II You'll let
me take him in hand, I'll undekake
he does the thing thoroughly this
time. I'll make him a good carpenter,
sir, IL you'll let me have the handling
81 him. ] could make the Towers
look different boat, sir, by the time
We reach Liverpool, If you'd let me
have full use OF the carpenter"
"And never have him come near
the old packet again? No, you don't
Mr.. Kettle, me man. I've had Chips
sailing with me six years now, and
u like him. He's idle, but he under
stands the boat, and he's got a neat
trick with that penny whistle"
He can blow tunes out of that
whistle" the chief officer admitted
grudgingly, and that's a fact. But
as a carpenter he's holy fraud. Look
here, sir, II you want smart ship"
81 don't. l want a comfortable one.
What's the clock? Five-and-twenty
to twelve. Dash my whiskersl But
that's Ave minutes after the time for
my morning"
He got up, took whisky bottle and
tnmbler from inside the folding wash
stand, and poured himself out an ac-
cilrate three fingers, holding the glass
u the light so as TO be sure OF the
Measure. He added water TO within
q fingers breadth OF the top. drank
4 third OF the mixture, and resumed
lbs seat with sigh, glass In hand
That just gets to the spot where
my old fever felt hole. hope you
vii always enjoy good health, Mr..
Kettle, me man, and not want a
morning till you're master OF your
own ship and have a mate to do the
work for you. n you stick Co for
uer's Perfect Cure, that Mrs. Parrish
brought you up on, you'll have little
70 complain Of in the way OF internal
trouble."
THANK you, sir, I'm pretty regular.
4 put in my two doses OF Homer 5
dvery week, and reap the benefit AS
Or a morning a chief officers pay
D. a tramp simply won't run to IT.
il be takes a bottle OF beer with his
dinner"
Especially II he wants to save up
Or his evenings ashore when he feels
t's up TO him TO give the girls a
oeat." Captain Parrish winked a
damp eye. Pretty little piece that
kou were trotting round Cathedral
Square in Vera Cruz. Owen, me man.
The mate laughed "She was Civ
tg me Spanish lessons, sir But
didn't know we met you"