Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1914-02-27


S2ESAj able to keep up my insur
ance, and IL die, it will mean
workhouse for the old woman" He
tried to steady himself for moment
and then hiccoughed behind his hand
"Oh, things will come all right, sir
at the office when they're explained. g
said the mate. "You aren't a doctor
You can't be responsible for Mr. Lit
tie going off his head"
when you have been at sea longer.
Owen, me man, you'll understand
that a shipmaster is expected to be
doctor, lawyer, commercial agent
and clerk of the weather, and IL he
Fails at any one of those jobs or at
eorty others when they come along
res sacked (although he may been
with the firm for forty years). and
here are ten men waiting in the
,uter Office, ready to take on his bill
ct for less pay. It's dog'sh life
he sea, Owen, me man. and on a
"oyage one is seldom able to get 2
'ull whack of sleep at remindsh
ne, think I'll just have a peg and
indulge n a few minutes snoosh S
Nothing else to be done. Presently.
rhen we begin to starve. s'pose I
hall have to stand round and see
that the men don't eat one another" "
There's Mr.. Little, sir, on the
fore crosstrees. Any message, sir?'
Captain Farnish looked drearily al
the broken caster of his easy-chair
and tried without success to stifie
another hiccough "Tf l could only
get the beggar to his room"
Aye, aye, sir" said the mate
briskly, "I'll tell him you order him
to go there" and with that betook
himself to the outer deck, and closed
the chart-house door on the hool;
behind him.
On the main deck below there were
gathered the whole of the Norman
Towers company. And high upon
the steamers drab foremast, perched
ridiculously on the clumsy iron cross
trees, the white naked body of the
chief engineer stood out vividly
against the cobalt of the midday sky
He was preaching to the congrega
ton in an elaborately conventicle
voice, and they, with the seafarers
susceptibility to sudden, hot religious
influences, We're listening with strain
ing ears.
Mr.. Kettle, the mate, ran crisply
down the ladder Clear a gangway
here, you sons of FOOLS" he ordered
sharply And then. Fore crosstrees
there! Captains orders, sir: will
you go to your room at once?"
By not so much as the flicker o
an eyelash did the madman show
that he had heard the interruption
He mouthed on with his discourse
The sun, staring from the hot SIX.
above, was already beginning tc
scorch the skin of his white back tc
an angry pink.
Fast, / tell you," he thunderet
down at his listeners, fast If "
wo"'d find salvation; and that there
should be no backsliders ], even /
have thrust fasting upon you. There
is no food left upon this ship, yef
and drink also. both strong and other
wise, such as may endure for the
space of two weeks, and after tina
woe, woe to the man that shall no
take to fasting with prayer and free
will He'll shall have him hungry,
Just because you can't do arith
metic accurately, Mr.. Little" sait
the mate acidly, I'VE may starve
and men may die. but each one will
have to report wherever he lands
that he's got there because of al
engineer who's Incompetent at hi
Job"
I'm as capable at my profession
as any engineer on all the seas
accept criticism from no brass-edgec
cargo-tallier whatever, and I'll bar
tize you with blood, my son. whel
I've finished attending to tn,
heathen."
"Mr Little, there is no getting owe
the fact of your incompetence. Nv,
seen the evidence of 1t myself II
your own shaky handwriting, mt
signed by your own name Now you'll
agree with me that no man that eve
lad been taught to write could scraw