The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1914-03-26
A SAILORS
YARN
By RYLAND BELL

the fifties of the last century a COM
pany Of tars were lolling on the fore
castle when one of them. Jim Burns.
told the following yarn:
Mates, I've seen marvels on salt
water, but the biggest marvel l ever
see was ON land. I'd been left in a
hospital at Marseilles, and when got
well shipped in the brigantine North
ern Light. bound for New Orleans
But l wasn't fated to git to that port,
for we was driven ashore by SOU
easter and every soul lost except my
self Bein' washed overheard. I hung
on to chicken coop that doated by
me, was carried into the breakers and
throwed on sandy beach. Between
seas | managed to crawl up beyond
'em, and somehow as soon as l saw
they couldn't git me ag'in my strength
went out o. me all of a student. and
didn't know nothin'. The last l re-
membered was a lot O. corpses Of my
mates rOllin' around in the breakers,
and they seemed to be lookin' at me
envious
There was a big change from this to
what l saw when got back to myself
ag'in. A gal with a pair o. blue eyes
was a-lookin' down into mine. She
had just poured some grog down my
throat from bottle and was watchin'
to see IL 1t would bring me out"
Bully" said Tom Nye, II wouldn't
give a piece O. bareback for a yarn
| without a gal in it."
There bein nothin' the matter with
me-" continued the speaker. except
exhaustion, | rose on my legs and.
havin got my bearin's. axed the gal
| where l was. She said l was on the
coast o. South Carolina, not far from
Savannah. She p'inted to a house back
on the shore and said she lived there.
l could come up there If l liked and
git some rest and somepin to eat
1T was a queer lookin' house and
seemed to have been built long time
neighborhood. cos there was loopholes
in it. 1t had been kind O. elegant
oncet. but was turrabe run down. |
concluded to go up there with the gal
If only to git rid Of the rollin' corpses
! found what they call poor white
family occupyin' the premises-the
gals mother, one or two white chill
dren and few niggers. They give
me some grub. and by this time it was
CROWN dark. and, havin' been two
days and nights at the pumps, told
EN- I'd like to turn in. The mother
and daughter did a lot O. whisperin
together. and then the daughter went
off. come back with a key and told me
she'd show me to my room. As soon
as she opened the door shut-up smell
come out that almost made me sick.
THE furniture was the old fashion.
eldest | ever see. 1t was fine stuff, |
kin tell you. but the curtains and the
canopy to the big bed was all fallen
to pieces. There was a fireplace big
enough to roast an OK in and arm
chairs that for comfort beat a ham
mock all to pieces. But was too
sleepy to take much notice.
well. now. mebbe them covers
wasn't musty. If hadn't been ready
to drop Off | wouldn't "a stayed under
'em no time. AS 1t was. ! was asleep
almost before | struck the bed. r
I'm the middle of the night | was
dreamin of my mates rollin around
In the breakers and woke up with q
start What dye suppose ! saw?
man comm in at the door He held q
candle to light the way. and it shined
right on to his face. and it was the
ugliest mug / ever see in any country
Why. Malay pirate was a holy Joe
to it. Wo'st OF all. the Teller clutchet
knife as long as your arm.
He wasn't Iookin' at the bed al
fust. His face was a-workin' as If b,
was powerful mad But he come righ
on and purity soon held up his candl,
so the light shined right on to my face
At the same moment | jumped. Blu
| hadn't landed ON the floor before tn,
light went out. and 1t was as dark al
the black hole o. Calcutta. | expectet
to git that knife In my ribs. but
didn't. Then | listened to hear tn
Teller move hopin' he'd go out. Tn
room was as still as burryin ground
81 had no way o. strikin light. TO
when went to bed hadn't thor
about wakin up in the night | won
dered II hadn't been sufferin' from
nightmare Anyway ! got back int
bed my heart a-thumpin' and tn
sweat standin out on me. la
awake till day came and could sc
all over the room. There was no sign
of any one except me havin' been in
durin the night So turned over an
went to sleep.
II walked about noon and wen
: downstairs.
"'Where's that piratical chap tina
e come into my room last nightT asked
! "Law sakes.' said the gal. palm
Did you see himT
"'Reckon | did Who is hep
Hes ghost. When this yer
country was first settled a slave deale
built This house and brought youn
wife here to live In it One time whe
no come home from Africa student h