Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1913-11-01


smack right on the lips.
Cant guess?" says mother.
I'm the old man." he giggles, she's
the old woman" Then he reached out
his paw. Put her there. son!" says
he; what's yer name. boy?"
He'd hand like a bear trap
SMITH" squealed. Smith"
Fast" says he. Fiji yourself
goblet of that ere sherry wine, with
some sugar. Drink, you cub. to Cap
tain and Mrs. Smith Now off with
ye. and pass the bottle forrard-"
Next day. or next week, or maybe
the Monday following, the ships got
headache. with the sky sitting down
on the mastheads, the sea like oil, the
sheets Shaping the shadows on the
deck, where the tar boils, and our feet
is like overdone toast
The sky's like copper edged with
sheet lightning. then there's scud in
a hurry overhead, the horizon folding
In, and funnel-shaped cloud to the
southland wrapping up the sky. There's
no air, and / noticed the pinnacle
alight, SO it must have been nigh dark
under that funnel cloud. Just as it
struck, some one called out "All
aboard" and 1 heard the mate yell.
You mean. all overheard"
Couldn't see much at first, as / was
busy getting mother out of the
drowned cabin. When I'd passed a
halyard round her and the stump of
the mizzen, I'd just breathing time.
The sea was fattened, white under
black sky, and what was left of us
was mostly blowing about
Dad was just taking command again
of what remained. No use shouting
either, so he hung on and beckoned.
The masts oversize were battering
holes in us, until we cut adrift Then
to the pumps, but that was sort of
ex oficio just to keep US warm Work
ms warmer than waiting.
Being Undertaken we couldn't sink
which was convenient. But, as mother
said. there wasn't any grub on the
roof, and we couldn't go downstairs.
For instance, we wanted a drink OF
water
Well, now, we been three days re-
freshing our parched mouths with beer
| stories, when a fishing vessel comes
along smelling salvage. Happens he's
one of them felucca-rigged dago swine
out of 1nvicta, Texas. His charges
was quite moderate, too, for a breaker
of water and some fancy grub-until
we. seen the bill.
1 never knew till then that our old
man was owner. OF course that's all
right, only he'd run astern with his
| insurance. That's why he'd stay with
| the ship, so it's no good talking AS
| to mother, she come aboard the fe-
| luccy, ships cat in her arms, and
sort of cold, dumb, going to- good
| and-its-kfllin-me sort of smile. She
bore up brave until she struck the
number-one smell in the dago's cabin.
Its too much.'' she says, handing me
the cat, too much. I'm going back
I to drown clean"
But 1 was to stay with our sailors
aboard the dago, to fetch Invicta quick.
and bring tug. Dad trusted me.
even to play the coward and quit him
l dread to think back on the passage
of four days to the port of Invicta
Now in them days 1 was fifteen, and
considered homely. The mouth | got
| would be large for a dog, smile-six
and three-quarters. Thar ashore at
InEicta, I'd still look sort of cheerful,
so all them tug shippers took me for
a joke 1t was four days and three
nights since I'd slept, so l suppose I'd
look funny wanting to hire tug
l showed power of attorney, wrote
in indelible pencil on dads old dicky
| craVat, out the tugs expected cash,
and the agents went back on me-
Nothin' doing Saturday nights at
the Office, tug crews all ashore, but
the port will get a move on Monday.
Trust grown men to know more'n a
mere boy. The glass is down the guIls
is flying inland. thar's weather brew
ing. 1 seen in my mind the sprays
lash over the wreck
| It was dark when 1 went to the
wharves with Captain McGaw to see
the Pluribus Unum- He'd show me a
tug cheap at ten thousand cash
stores all complete, steam up. engineer
on the premises, though he'd stepped
ashore for a drink Cute cabin he'd
got on the bridge, cunning little glory
hole forrard- Why, everything was
real handy, so that l only had to BAT
him behind the ear with a Delaying
pin. and he dropped right down the
: fore hatch All 1 wanted now was q
, navigating officer / could trust
4 Which brings me to Mr. Mcmillan
/ our own second mate, buying dozer
fried oysters in a card box with a wire
5 handle. all for twenty-five cents
e though the girl seemed expecting G
: kiss.
Hello. Frankie" says 1, slappins
3 him on the back A foremost HAND
r can make his officer act real dignsfiet
j with less. Say. Maci Dye know
I what Greed done? l. grabbed his
Z oysters. Greed, he choke puppy