The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-08-12
By
Win Brooks

no sign Of any vessel in distress, but Jess
gr1pped Suttle by the arm.
ITS TOrrey Lamberts and his Sleep
walker, you sayl Well, well get them
just the same, sonny"
The lead showed six fathoms Of water
Wnen they made out her single masthead
light. She was hard on, with the seas
breaking over her, but Jess o the
wheel and brought his own vessel in as
close as he dared. Then he hoated two
dories, on lines, down wind to the
beached sword1sherman. One Of them
was swamped. h other brought back
six OF the Sleepwalker's crew.
When the Ruth was safe in deep water
again, George Suttle turned to Of the
rescued men and asked: How long had
you been burning hares?"
I'VE didn't burn no fares" came the
answer. I'VE didn't have none"
None asked Jess Tiverton how he knew
there was a vessel in distress. No mar
inquired from Jess Tiverton from whom
he learned it was TOrrey Lamberts' boat
there on the sands Trtpper Tarboy shook
his head when Suttle told him the facts.
TITS as I told you. I've heard o such
things before. The boy is with him ali
the time"
There were others who thought the
same after that rescue, u who refused
to accept the belief with Tripper's COM
p~laisance. The Ruth lost eight men Of
her crew when the voyage ended.
Hes a mailman" n Of them said in
explanation. HE risks your life n his
own on some mad twist Of his brain and
no reason you won't go to Davy Jones
the next time"
Harbingers Of bad times, those words
For the Ruth began to experience diff
Guilty signing crews. One trip men are
neither satisfactory nor satisfied fisher
men,. ALI men Of the sea are superstt-
tious and fishermen are no exception,
not many could bear the thoughts 81
their lives entrusted to the wisdom of
mate they had never seen.
TITS a hell ship he'll make Of her,
some said. Another Night Hawk"
The Ruth's trip became Of increasing
duration; her hauls smaller. The boa
was hardly paying; not paying wei
enough to keep a steady crew under nor
NAL conditions. Such a situation is no
allowed to exist for long without som'
word from those chiefly interested hnan
| cially.
Temper was in Boston at the conclu
sion Of one of the Ruth's unprofitabl
A., trips n with Jess Tiverton held a con
ference in the cabin while the ship wa
being unloaded. It lasted upward of al
hour inc when it ended Temper left tn
: ship alone.
George Suttle, going below, paused out
= side the closed cabin door at the sounl
: : Of Jess Tiverton's voice.
They're finding fault with us, sonny
+ Perhaps they've reason to, but it ain
. your fault. It's mine. But I'll give 20
a little more time and you'll be ready.
Suttle heard no more, for he turne
. on his heel and left. That night tn
mate had another talk with Tripper Tai
: boy, but found little solace in the oil
! hsheman's words.
: "Tempor's right" Tripper said. "Yo
= and I know the reasons for his actien
right enough, but others don't. An
r every crews a worser n and we ain
! pullin' the fish. It's lookin' blacker."
. To the story Of Jess Tiverton there re
6 mains but one more episode, the las
trip he made as master OF the Ruth Mo
Kelvie. Autumn fishing passed with cor
n ditiOns going from bad to worse and til
Ruth went Town the harbor one mornin
: late in October with as rough and poor
- crew as ever sailed on a Banker out {
Boston. Hangers-on about the wharve
h most OF them, fellows h were down an
out and saw a bed and food aboard tt
ship. The longer the trip the better the
would like it. Fellows who had hear
the stories Of Tiverton's eccentricities u
took the jobs because they needed joI
badly, not because they had a glimml
# Of understanding of the captains sorroV
Imagine those rats forward aboard IL
Blue Belle in the old days." said SUIT
disgustedly to old Tarboy.
n "YOu'Ve little call to kick" answers
Tripper, taking a liberty born of loI
years and Of friendship. "I've to slet
is along with EN-"
~ On the trip down some Of them owe
heard Jess talking to himself, and one,
to burly Swede shipping his first trip, maj
10 free to mock him behind his back. Su
tie overheard and swung once with b
big right fist, setting the fellow dow
Of and knocking a tooth out. ?
4 III teach YOU manners to our ca
To tain," the mate gritted. you won't ev
thousand years"
10 That ended that, and the others to,
cognizance, yet it was the first tir
George had used his fists aboard any DO
in nearly twenty years.; there is in t
fishing fleet small necessity Of brutalit
his action was a bad sign.
IN The Swede was a vindictive sort al
he made small talk in the forecastle a
n such was the crew that he SOC had {
no ganized a little clique Of trouble make
DO The vessel had fair weather until S
he made easterly Of Sable island On the OF
side run, when a cold northerly blow
if in for two days. Followed another sp
to Of clear days with a bit Of excellent hs
to ing for a change and then an easterly, 6
" cOmpanied by a fog. When h shro
lifted there was a full week Of fine, ca
weather and Suttle drove the men / t
lot knowledge that Jess T1VertOn'S RU
needed a good trip in order to set /
master right with the owners. He recC
.pt nized the difficulties Of overcoming a
handicap with such a crew as was Civ
ng him, but he did his best with men W
I'd took no interest in the size Of tn
for shares.
cir He drove them and thew cared not