The Elbert County tribune., 1914-01-16


smack right on the lips.
Cant gueas ?" 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. boyT
He'd a hand like bear trap.
SMITH" ] squealed. SMITH"
Fast" says he. Fiji yourself a
goblet OF that ere sherry wine. with
some sugar. Drink, you cub. to Cap
tain and Mrs. Smith. Now of with
ye. and pass the bottle forrard."
Next day. or next week, or maybe
the Monday following, the ships got a
headache. with the sky sitting down
on the mastheads, the sea like oil, the
sheets slapping the shadows on the
deck. where the tar boiis and our feet
Is like overdone toast
The sky's like copper edged with
sheet lightning. then there's scud in
hurry overhead. the horizon folding
In. and funnel-shaped cloud to the
southard wrapping up the sky. There's
no air. and l noticed the pinnacle
alight. SO 1t must have been nigh dark
under that funnel cloud. Just as it
struck, some one called out "All
aboard" and heard the mate yell.
You mean, all overboardl"
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 fiattened. white under
In Clr u I-g -
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 officio Just to keep US warm. Work
in'e warmer than waiting.
Being timber-laden 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 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'e
one OF them felucca-rigged dago swine
out of 1nvicta, Texas. His charges
was quite moderate, too, for breaker
of water and some fancy grub-until
we seen the bill
! 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. 30 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-be-good-
and-it's-killin,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
to drown clean"
But was to stay with our sailors
aboard the dago. to fetch Invicta quick,
and bring a tug. Dad trusted me.
even to play the coward and quit him.
dread to think back on the passage
of four days to the port of Invic;a.
Now In them days was fifteen, and
considered homely. The mouth got
would be large for dog, smile-six
and three-quarters. Thar ashore at
Invicta, 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
showed power of attorney. wrote
in indelible pencil on dads old dicky
cravat. but 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 moren n
mere boy. The glass is down the gulls
is flying inland. thar's weather brew
ing. seen in my mind the sprays
lash over the wreck.
1t was dark when l 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 l wanted now was a
navigating officer ! could trust
Which brings me to Mr. Mcmillan.
our own second mate, buying dozen
fried oysters in card box with u wire
handle. all for twenty-five cents,
though the girl seemed expecting a
kiss.
Hello. Frankie" says l. slapping
him on the back A foremast hand
can make his officer act real dignified
with less. Say, Mac! Dye know
what Greed done?" I grabbed his
oysters. Greed. he choke puppy"