The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-01-05

4 FISH.CAOWDER FEUD
ev JOHN BARTON OXFORD.

FROM the galley companion came !
the noisy changing of the supperbell. |
Twelve men hurriedly dropped the
travis they we're batting and crowded |
into the narrow forecastle. Tom Den
ME, the thirteenth man, was rather !
more leisurely. !
His way across decks to the fore |
castle took Tom past the galley, and
at the companion hatch he stopped |,
to sniff.
"Fish-chowder again." he grunted
in complaining and soulful disgust
"Ffsh-chowder all the time! Nothin'
but fish-chowder on this old tub"
Even as he stood there, mumbling
his complaint Evie Bishop, the trawl-
er's fat cook. came putting up the COM
panionway with big fiat basket filled
with heavy crockery mugs on his
arm. In his other hand he bore a
huge and steaming coffee-pot.
Tom glared savagely at the cook.
Then he shifted the odor drifting up
from the galley and glared harder.
"Fish-chowder! he snorted again.
AL tllt tlLlt II oh thio
here craft. What's the matter with
yer, EVE? Can't YOU make nothin'
but that eternal fish-chowder?"
Now fsh-chowder-hi particular
variety of observation-disclosures the pride
of fat Evie Bishops simple heart
Any one who maligned that chowder
touched Evie on the quick.
The boys seem to relish that chow
der pretty much,' said Evie with cold
and crushing scorn.
well, ! don't" snapped Tom. I've
EFT chowder till I'm ashamed to look
decent fish in the face"
There's them as says they couldn't
never git enough of that chowder,
Evie declared with pride.
Well that amt me- aroNled Tom.
Seems to me it's time we had some
thin else for supper once in while.
What's the matter with the chow
der make?' Evie demanded, and his
tones made the question challenge.
Tom shrugged his big shoulders and
threw out his hands, palms upward, in
a despairing gesture.
What amt the matter with it
would be simpler way of putin it,"
said he.
The blood surged into IEic's thick
neck. and thence to his leathery
cheeks,
Don't you go to malignin' my Wit
ties" he said hoarsely. That's a
good chowder. I've been told by any
quantity of folks that my chowders
was the best they ever EFT. It's only
ignorammersuses like you that ever
finds fault with it-folks that amt
never been used to nothin', anyway
block-headed ignorammersuses, that
can't even read he emphasized his
most telling shot.
With his nose high in the air. he
swept grandly past Tom Dennie and
into the little forecastle.
Tom waited there until EVE, grin
ming maliciously at the way his shot
had gone home, came out of the fore
castle again.
In moment Toms big fingers were
gripping tightly the cooks left fore
arm.
Say, yer wanter take that back
that yer jest said about me-about
my bein' ign'runt." he Kissed.
Huh! l do-do l? Yer can't ever
so much as read" the cook tauntet
again.
you eat them words of yourn-
you eat EN- right now!' bawled Tom
giving the arm a more excruciatini
twist.
Evie still had the big coffee-pot il
his hands. Now he lifted it quickl
and turned a good pint Of the scald
ing fluid onto the back of the hair
hand that was twisting his arm.
With yowl of rage Tom caught u
an iron capstan bar. What he Nigh
have done with it there is no tellint
but at that moment the skipper, a
tracted by the uproar, came pokin
out of the cabin.
Here! What's goin' on here?' h
roared mo fightin', now. What
the trouble between you two? Dro
that bar, Tom! Drop it, say! An
you, cooky, stop menacin' of hi
with that coffeepot. Now you git int
yer galley; and you, Tom, go into tt
fo'castle and git yer supper.
''Tll git that darned cook before L
DONE" Tom threatened to the mt
about the table. Jest went and sea
me, he did"
The fishing was good that trip
five days time they were runnii
swept past the lightship just aft
dark
Tom Dennie, tumbling aboard aft
the last of the mooring-lines we
fast, almost collided with Evie Bi.
OPP, just coming out of the galley. F
moment they glarcd at each 9th
Then the cook spoke.
"Tom," he said. I'VE been che
in away at each other and neitf
one gittin' any satisfaction. What
yer say if me and you goes ashC
and settles this man to man fashio
If wallop you, you buy me the b.
dinner / can eat up TO Cotters.
Dock square, and if YOU put it o'
me I'll buy the dinner for you. Is
go?"
Eyer bet it's a 60" said Tom W
alacrity.
T wharf is no place for settli
such difficulties, so they poked do
the avenue, crawled through the g
of a wharf below. found an ideal
tie spot, even enough and prope
lighted. and peeled off their coats.
There was a moment of cautiC
circling: then they closed. The nc
by freight-sheds echoed to grunts q