The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1913-06-20
ENDING OF SEA FEUD
BY J. c. PIUMMER.

OlOOInln knlIe- Let the dAgO loose,
and Tom Bradd struggled to free him
self from the grasp of two brawny
sailors who held him. Mr.. Buck. the
lean, sihewy mate. had his arms in
terlaced about Nicolas waist, utterly
unmindful OF the cruel looking stiletto
shaking in the powerful Italians hand
Captain Newton advanced to the
main hatch. his long. patriarchal beard
falling to his waistband.
Stop 1t. gall darn ye, stop H." he
Numbered. I'm short handed now,
and | won't have any man killing ON
this here hooker. Batten down your
feelin's, you two fellers, till you get to
Rio Grande, and then you can chop
each other into bits and devil take
what's left, but there's to be no chop
PIN on the Apollo"
The two sailors released Bra0d, who
recommended the work he had stopped
to fight Nicola, and the Italian, find-
ing himself free from the mates hold,
walked digninedly forward and went
below. The crisis had been passed.
temporarily at least
What begun the feud between the
men no one knew. It existed when
they shipped in New York and they
had spat hate at each other during the
voyage, but this was the FIRST time
an actual collision had been threat
ened.
ITS only put or" remarked old
Ned, oracularly; "blood1l fly yet"
There we're several days OF bright
sunshine. calm sea and cloudless sky.
and on one of these mornings the
mate ordered Nicola to some duty on
the fore-topgallant yard. The Italian
looped line about his neck and grip
ping a marline spike in his teeth
climbed the weather rigging. Just
as he swung himself over the top he
lost his hold and fell like plummet
into the sea.
Man overheard" yelled O'Neill.
who was at the wheel, and he flung q
life buoy over the rail.
The skipper was on deck in one
Jump.
"Heave her to-" he shouted.
Braces" came sharp and curt from
the mate, and the men hurried to
obey, casting glances aft.
Hes goner," exclaimed Mr.. Buck.
mo, there he Is" said sharp-eyed
.O'Neill, pointing over the lee quar-
ter, and there, sure enough, was a
black speck. the head of Nicola. He
was swimming. but slowly and labori.
ously.
The brig had been brought to and
the boat ready, when cry came from
the poop.
Hi, hill Shark, see him!"
Abeam was the triangular fin Of a
shark cutting the water as it made a
straight course for Nicola.
IT'S all up" muttered the mate;
nothing can save him now"
There was a splash, and to our as
constituent Bradd had leaped over
board and was swimming fiercely. He
lay course which must bring him
between the shark and Nicola.
Having laid a right angled course
Bradd gained on the shark, which was
swimming in straight line for the
Italian and was cables length
ahead of the fish when he reached a
line with the slowly swimming Nicola,
and then he seemed seized with con-
vulsions. He splashed the water with
his hands and legs. reminding one of
the actions of :. duck which has
reached a pond after long, dry land
journey. His motions we're so violent
that the sea frothed about him, and
the shark was evidently as surprised
at these evolutions as was the crew OF
the Apollo. Obviously they were not
to his taste, for he darted off in an
opposite direction. By this time the
boat had been lowered and in half
hour both men were aboard the brig.
II didn't think you were that big a
fool to risk your life for dago who's
hungry to put a knife in you" re-
marked Ned, reproachfully.
"Risk!" exclaimed Bradd; there
wasn't any. II you'd been in the In
the biggest coward that swims and |
any man can scare 'em OF who makes |
a big splutter in the water, and then |
hate the bloody things and I'll balk |
'em of meal any day."
Not a word had Nicola spoken to (
anyone since he had been brought on /
board, but now he came out of the /
and approached Bradd. He
held out to him the stiletto with the
hilt toward his enemy.
Keep your bloomin' knife" said
Bradd, and the broad, freckled face
broke into a smile.
In that most monotonous and very
dirty Brazilian town, Rio Grande. do
Sui, two very drunken men walked
arm and arm down towards the quay
One sang a coster song in a deep bass
and the other in a screechy tenor a
They we're Bradd and
Nicola, and the sea feud was at an