Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1919-04-09
On the Deck Of the Namur.

It was here that fortune favored me,
strengthening my decision and yield
ing a fresh courage to persevere.
Forking out directly over where 1
chung desperately to the wet hawser,
my eyes were able to trace the bow
spirit, the rather loosely furled up jib
tapping ragged edges in the gusts of
wind. Suddenly, as 1 stared upward
] became aware that two men were
working their way out along the foot
ropes, and, as they reached a point all
most directly over my head, became
busily engaged in tightening the gas
ketS to better secure the loosening
sail. The foot of one slipped, and he
hung dangling, giving vent to a stiff
English oath before he succeeded in
hauling himself back to safety. The
other INDUCED in a chuckling laugh,
yet he was careful not to speak loudly.
Had one drink too many, Tom?"
he asked. "That will pay yer fer fin
ishin' the bottle an never givin' me
another sup"
"YOu, HI! Yer he'd the fu'st ov it.
yer fair share of, Bill Haines-trust
yer fer tibet. What amt got straight
yet is whar tibet stuff cum from so
easy"
"That wus part O. the luck. Tom.
Did yer git eyes on tibet new Teller
Manuel Estevan brought back with
him in the boat"
1.-THE one you and Jose carried
aboard?"
Hes the lad. Thar want nuthin'
the matter with the cove, 'cept he wus
dead drunk. We wus waitin' on the
beach fer Estevan, an three feIlers
he he'd taken along with him inter
town ter cum back--the niger, Jose
an me-when this yere chap hove
longSide. He never hailed us, ner
nuthin'; just elm over into the boat,
an lay down. shook him, an kicked
him, but it want no use; so we just
left him lie thar fer Manuel ter say
whut wus ter be done with him. Only
Jose he went through his pockets an
found three bottles o. rum. We took
a few drinks an hid whut wus left in
the boat locker"
$50 thet's how yer got it! Who
wus the party?"
"Thet's mOre'n I'll ever tell yer. 1
never got no sight o. him, 'cept in the
dark. Bout all 1 know is he wus
white, an likely a sailor. Enyhow,
when Manuel got back he told us to
haul the lad forrard out O. the way,
an fetch him along. So we pulled
out with the Teller cuddled up in the
bow"
Il never seed nuthin' more of him
after he was hauled aboard. Whit
become o. the lad?"
Him? Oh, Jose an me carried him
inter the for'cassel, an showed him
inter a berth ter sleep off his liquor.
Tibet wus the last l ever see err hear
o him fer bout six hours, when this
we're Teller must woke up in the for
cassel sum crazy. He cum chargin'
out on deck, whoopin' like an Indian,
wayin' knife in his hand, intendin'
fer ter raise hi. Well, it happened
tibet the fu'St Teller he run up against
WuS LeVere, who wus cumin' forrard
fer sumthin', an fer about a minute
thar was one hi ov a fight. 1t was
so dark l couldn't tell whut did hap
pen, but it wus fists mostly, till the
mate drove the poor devil, cussin like
mad, over agin the rail, an then
heaved him out inter the water long
side. heerd the Teller splash when
he struck, but he never let out no
yell"
what did Levere do?'
"Him2 He didn't do nuthin'. Just
stared down over the rail biz. an
then cum back, rubin his hands.
never even asked who the teller WIS.
-as-z sSSNzsAa