Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-14
that he lured away the rats from a

that he lured away the rats from a
whole town full OF fat old fellows who
at that time were seeing them Lord
Captain, me man, fancy getting q
knife and fork in ones fists, and sit
ting down before plate on table
cloth sJo, Steward, don't give me
beef. I've not got my teeth on me this
evening. Yes. some of that salmon.
You've no idea how I've thirsted and
hungered after some nice timed
salmon, miss. since I've been thresh-
ing about in that numbering life boat.
To my mind. there's nothing so tasty
as timed salmon, unless perhaps it's
finnan haddie If you put enough
vinegar on 1t just to damp the mi.
crobes." .....-... d.
|. The shaggy man sat at the end Of
ing as man only can eat after he has
lived for months on the edge Of starva-
ton and Miss Dubbs and Captain Ket-
tie leaned elbows on the table on
either side Of him, and stared gloomily
at one another and at him. Converse.
ton came disjointedly, and between
mouthfuls.
It appeared that when cargo shifted
in the gale six months ago. and the
Norman Towers lay helpless on her
beam ends with the wind bowling
over her. Captain Farnish decided
that she would sink but made up his
mind to go down with her after the
manner approved by his tribe He was
"old and useless" He would never
get another ship" He would be FAR
better off comfortably drowned"
There we're Institutions which would
help the widow of shipmaster lost
at sea-" while mo institution on earth
except the workhouse would assist the
wife OF a disrated, out-of-work sea
captain" But certain Of the hands i'm
PEELED thereto by the unsteady minded
carpenter lugged him with them into
the boat and once there his old trick
of seamanship saved the lot Of them.
1--WE old shellbacks can handle open
boats in heavy weather in way that
would surprise you brass-bound swells
of the newer school, Owen. me man."
They, too, saw the Norman Towers
instead of turning turtle. shake her
cargo amidships again, and blow off
before the gale and Parrish tried
desperately to follow, but lost her in
the driving sea smoke. But he was
then and later bitten with the theory
that she was either afloat somewhere,
blowing about the seas, or neatly
ashore and offering her cargo for
salvage. @
Thereafter his wanderings were
worthy of Homeric verse. He was old,
he was not too competent, he had no
particular charm that l ever saw to
attract men to him. He had neither
money nor credit with which to buy
provisions, and on the rare occasions
when he went ashore-in Las Palmas,
at Mogador at Bathurst. and In the
Cape Verdes--he was received with
derision and insult. 1t seems they
lived for the most part on fish that
they caught themselves when inshore
and sun.dried as best they could for
the blue water sections of their cruise.
AS regards water, they risked their
lives a score Of times in running the
crazy boat through the surf when mad
with thirst to fill her breakers.
Why the crew stuck by him Is one
Of those things that seem to be In the
teeth of all reason. His one explana-
ton that they stayed for the mere
pleasure of hearing the carpenter
foot on the penny whistle is ridiculous
but frankly. have nothing much be-
ter to offer. There was neither gain.
Measure. nor advancement to bangle
in front of the crew by way of lure.
and on the other hand. there was
very certain starvation. hardship and
In Ono
can only conclude that for some OBJ
scure reason they must have loved the
old man. and for that and no other
possible cause they stuck to him.
It must have been the most hopeless
hind of chase. He was ignorant about
the more modern nicities of currents,
unsound on his trade-winds, hope
]essly out of date on the theory OF
storms His dull rule of thumb science
could not even form theory as to
where they had drifted to. But from
some obscure pricking Of the thumbs
he had faith that she was either afloat,
or neatly cast ashore, but, at any rate,
waiting for him. ..-
~ knew should hit upon the old
girl at last II only I could induce the
hands to keep on long enough said
Captain Saturday Farnish. Did you
hapnen to find my old pipe In the chart
house by any chance. or had the mig
gers scoffed it? Chips lugged me away
in such hurry hadn't time to slip it
into my pocket. I should hate to lose
that pipe. It's the one mother gave
me the year earned all my bonus
81 have it in my own chart-room, on
top. There was mothers photo, too.
took that also"
CAPTAIN Kettle swallowed hard.
Mention Of that unclean meerschaum
always upset him.
you're a good lad. Owen. me man,
and I'm glad it's you that's met with
luck. You're young. and you've all the
world before you. and now you needn't
work. I'm old. and I'm out Of date, and
nobody wants me. Eth. well. wonder
when | shall eat onions and timed
salmon again? Never. probably ...
Tomorrow. if you like said Cap
tain Kettle.
"That's very good of you, Owen. me
IL.