The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-01-07

entS. Eouriee0 DAYS ndd passed anu
they knew not whether he was dead
or alive.
He was promptly knocked down,
kicked to the ladder and pushed over.
Slowly he got up. He gazed at the
smiling gorilla who was leaning
over the rail. Civilization seemed
very remote condition. Cathew the
boy had bumped down the ladder;
Cathew the man had risen from the
deck, coldblooded primordial man,
with an interest in life at last: to
kill or MAIN that grinning devil up
there. He was lame and sore, but
he never faltered during his watch.
What makes you limp" asked
Gorrigan, as they met at the water
bucket for rink.
Cathew told him. And as there's
a God above us, he'll pay for those
kicks. No man shall ever put his
boot to me and get away with it.
Corrigan. / want you to teach me
how to fight. I don't mean fancy
ringstuff. l mean what you call
dock walloper style, where you use
your teeth and nails and feet and
thumbs"
Corrigan rubbed his hands pleasur-
ably. iii take you in hand. After
we coal up at Seuz. Well be five
They coaled at Suez and dropped
down the Red Sea.
One afternoon the two were seated
in the shadow of the foremost
hoistb ooms. %
"And so you're rich mans SON"
said Corrigan. 'fI thought as much
when l felt the silk of your under
clothes. And that swine of a crimp
body-snatched you block from
a1I Jova in o.
fishy about that"
'They may have kidnapped me for
ransom and got cold feet" suggested
Cathew.
Maybe"
"corrigan, have you got any
money!"
"A hundred and ten dollars. 1t
took me three years TO save it."
"A hundred and ten and you signed
on?"
II wanted to get to Singapore the
cheapest and quickest way there
But why Singapore"
Maybe I'll tell you some day"
You're a puzzle. You're an edu-
Gated man. I've listened to your
talk. You ought TO be something
better than a fisherman at forty
bucks a month";
WcHt idtl Way tHIOuBu
high school and read lot. Then l
got mixed up in the fight game;
later, with Old Jawn Barleycorn; and
here j am. Oh, there was woman
in it. and when she passed out of my
life. everything else worth while
passed out with her. She was
poor thing and a strong man loves
only once. But why this question
about money!"
fsT
Colombo. There's a mother back
there" with a nod toward the west.
"and<I want her to know what's be-
come of me. Besides, / want some
cash waiting for me when l land at
Singapore"
The speaker climbed out of his
bunk. He was naked~from the waist
up. His chest was deep, broad and
hairy, and his arms and legs were
those of a caryatid. He measured
up to five-f foot four and there nature
had left him to shift for himself. APP
parently doubling the ACCESSIBILITY Gin
an effort toward universal peaee) of
building him any higher. The crew
described him as a big voice entirely
surrounded by helluva little man.
He trotted over to the inanimate
Cathew, picked him up and carried
him back to the evil-smelling bunk.
The chief engineer, Mullins, some
thing of a Hercules himself-balled
his fists and stood irresolute, pulled
one way by the knowledge of his au-
thority and another by his caution.
He looked big enough to take Cor
rigan in his hand and break him like
a pipestem; but he made no effort to
do so. for the very good reason that
the Irishman was as quick and strong
and merciless as a tiger when fully
aroused.
Sikh muttered Corrigan. as Gao
thew rolled off his arms into the
'bunk. silk underwear I'll kill that
dirty crimp Fall the next time ! see
New York.
where am II" whispered Cathew.
ION board the Limerick. I guess
they shanghaied you
"Shanghaied me? A block from
Broadway" cried Cathew, everything
coming back.
Yep 1t was tough work to get
full crew for this old bucket; ana
/ guess the Capn didn't ask ques-
lions this trip"
IT most see the captain at once,'
declared Cathew, struggling to get
out of the bunk.
Corrigan ~pressed him back firmly.
Better sleep off your souse first"
But l wasn't drunk 1 was kid
mapped the drugged block from
my .club.'
'Uhuh. Better lie STILL
Where are we bound?''