Evening star., 1917-11-25
AT SEVENTEEN BY 1Gs $E Ens A

3AS1 G2D aeen
cans on board. The engineers mess
man was Prussian, Kari Tatzner, by
name. I nicknamed him Fritz" He
was only twenty years old. but was
clumsy. strong as an OK and about
After weathering tho gale. We at last
came into the gulf stream. and on the
coast of Florida it was warm and
pleasant.
I found that my duties were to peel
spuds, wash pots and pans, and be a
regular fetch and carry for the cook.
My Office hours were from six bells In
the morning 6 oclock) until four
bells at night 90 o'clock). I was
nothing but salt water to wash In, and
this would not cut the grease. Bill had
it much easier than I. had murder IN
my heart and vowed to Jump ship" at
the first port we put In to.
After nine or ten days we came
alongside at Castries, st. Lucia, Brit
ish West Indies. to coal ship. At this
port the men believed in woman euf-
frage. Long lines Of half-naked black
women, with huge baskets of coal on
their heads, passed up the forward
sangplank, dumped their load of coal
into the open bunkers. and left the
ship by the after gangway. Before
leaving the ship the fourth engineer
gave each one a little brass check.
which later on she would turn in to
the coaling company for an English
penny. While the women were work
ing, the men would sit around the dock
smoking cigarettes.
The natives at st. Lucia had a great
appetite for salt pork. I soon got wise
to this fact and traded about half
a barrel of pork for lines. guava jelly.
bay rum and alligator pears. II the
steward or cook had caught me /
would never be writing this story. The
women threw the pork into their dirty
coal baskets, and upon reaching the
dock gave it to their husbands or
sweethearts. who would Immediately,
without washing it. devour it. They
spoke in a jibbering patois which I
could not understand. Some Of them
could speak pretty good English. The
kids, averaging from seven to fifteen
years, were running around naked, or
diving Off the dock for pennies which
We threw overheard.
About two hours before sailing from
St. Lucia. a little fellow about fifteen
years of age came to the entrance Of
the galley, and in fair English told
Bill and me a pathetic story of in
human treatment which would have
melted hearts of stone. He wanted
US to stow him away on the ship. 1
was agreeable, but Bill warned mo
against the English board Of trade
laws. the maximum penalty being
fourteen years Imprisonment. I did
not wish to incur this risk, therefore.
would not listen to the entreaties Of
the young negro. explaining to him
the penalty of the board of trade laws.
Upon hearing this, cunning look.
which at the time did not appear Gig
nificant to me, came into his eyes, and
he told mo that II would stow him
away, "see how easy it will be for
YOU" He would do all of my work,
and all would have to do would be
TO sit on the superstructu-e and let
worth riskfng fourteen years for, so
fell in. with the plan. Bill. objecting all
the time.
The ventilators had been unshipped
while the coaling was going on, and
we're lying aft on the poop deck.
and hid the little fellow in one of the
ventilators. warning him. upon pain OF
death, not to make a sound until the
ship was we'll under way. To say that
I was nervous is putting 1t mildly
We cleared st. Lucia and were soon
at sea The islands Of Martinique. st.
Lucia and Barbados were tiny gray
dots on the horizon, when an Italian
sailor, Louis Maranto. went aft to ship
the ventiIators In a few minutes he
came rushing forward with terror in
his eyes. AS he passed the galley I
matter. All he could gasp out was
Mary of God. a devil ees on da ship"
"One-eyed Gibson" seeing his terror,
went aft with him and soon we could
see him coming forward leading our
little stowaway by the ear. The little
negro was bowling blue murder, and
the curses Of the mate snapped like
a wireless message. Luckily for me
the mate stopped at the galley and
said, Keep your eye on this black
skunk until I can take him before the
old man." For five minutes I put all
my power Of entreaty into my voice.
and prayed the stowaway to stick by
me: to swear that he came aboard OF
his own volition. He promised to do so.
Then the mate came after him and
took him before the captain. During
lived in an agony of torment and sus-
pense. The little fellow came back
with a smile on his face and knew
things were all right. He told me- that
the captain had shipped him at a
shilling month for the passage. For
two days he was detailed to help me
in the galley. and lived the life of a
prince. We nicknamed him Monday"
the day that he came on board. His
real name was Charles Tasima Benn.
On the fourth day Monday. after
peeling bucket of spuds. while I was
Sv,<r ry.G NJ fy.rY t-o 5orr
his knife. and. with a cunning leer, in
a commanding tone told me to get
busy and complete the task; that he
wished to rest. l started In to bull
doze" him. but he simply held his
hand in my direction, fingers extend
Civilian