Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-12-13

this, because had TO 60 nome first
so he gave Bill and me permission to
/ go, but said we had to get back al
midnight. We hurried home and on
the sly packed my grip. with my be-
longings.
That night exploded bombshell
in the family. After dessert had been
served, pulled up with Importance,
declared: "Well, I'm going to South
America A barrage of laughter
rippled around the table. This got
me sore, and | shut up like clam.
| 1t was February, and very cold.
About seven o'clock that night great
| storm came up and the streets were
| soon covered with sleety ice. I turned
into bed with my clothes on. Bill was
to notify me at ten O'Clock by throw
| ing pebbles against the window pane
| in my room. Every time I looked
| out into the street and saw that howl
| ing blizzard, a picture Of ship wal
| lowing in a trough of the sea con.
| stantly came before my mind and I
| to zero. | could not take my eyes
| away from the clock. 1t was an
| agony of intense waiting, similar to
that when, later in the trenches,
kept looking at my wrist watch wait
ing for four o'clock in the morning
when we were to go "over the top
in q charge. Oh, how I wished that
Bill would change his mind!
About five minutes to ten, crack
crack! came a couple of pebbles
against the window pane, sounding
like the crack of bullets on the west
ern front. With my shoes in one
hand and my grip in the other, soft
ly tiptoed downstairs, put on my
shoes and heavy Overcoat, and opened
the front door. / was greeted by a
rush of wind, snow and sleet Bill
looked like a snowman.
We plowed through the blizzard
got on a trolley car, and reached Erie
basin at a quarter to II, went up the
gangplank and reported to the stew
ard.
The ship looked like an ice palace.
You could hear the crea1ing Of
Winches and the straining of cables,
and could see dark forms sliding and
eursing on the slippery decks under
the glow of the cargo lights.
The steward greeted us very cor
daily and thought him the finest
man had ever met. Bill was shipped
as second steward, and I got the bill
let of second cook.
My "glory hole" was aft on the
main deck, while Bill slept 'amidships.
piled into the little two-by-four bunk
and was soon fast asleep. I had
horrible dream; giant had me by the
heels ana was swinging me around his
head, trying to dash my brains out
against the side of the ship. | awoke
in terror. The "glory hole" seemed
to be looping the loop, and could
hear heavy thuds as immense waves
broke against the side of the ship,
the water kissing and rushing around
the port hole. Reaching for the cleo
trio button l turned on the switch.
An awful mess met my eyes. The
deck of my room was aWaSh. The
grip and all my belongings, which
/ had unpacked before turning in,
were swishing and smashing on the
deck, now in this corner, now in that.
The ship was rolling like a log in
the trough of the sea. ] held on to
the sides of my bunk in terror. A
wave would swash against my door
and water would pour in through the
cracks. I felt deathly sick and I
thought | was going to die. / was
experiencing my first touch Of sea-
sickness.
About six bells in the morning
(three o'clock the door opened, and
there standing in the opening was q
huge Swede encased in oilskins. The
icy blast sent cold shiver through
me. / wondered what he wanted, but
did not wonder long,
"You bane get tea and toast on
bridge for mate, damn quick" | was
bewildered. The door slammed and
once again was alone. Fifteen min
utes must have passed when the door
opened again and in rushed the
toughest-looking seaman I have ever
seen. He had only one eye. Later
on | found that he was out first mate
"One-eyed Gibson" a "Blue-Noser"
from Nova Scotia, and a man whom it
was not safe to trif1e with. Without
word he stepped into the glory hole,
grabbed my shoulder in a grip of
steel, and yanked me out of my bunk
into the icy water which was awash
on the deck. This was my first in
PRODUCTION to him.
"Get out o. that, you landlubber.
There's no fire in the galley. and
l||Iz,