Evening star., 1928-12-23
F@hgS Galley A@dd-Pad Cheer Hide Pns odome
nd fRafthe Sc

not so much because of the approach
of Christmas as because of the honest
| homeward-bound wind that was thrust
! ing us along. The mate-well, we always
| said that nothing created or uncreated
could ever arouse smile on that satur-
nine face; but he certainly appeared less
| eXacting and critical as the day of fes-
! tivity approached.
THE pig was killed-not scientifically,
not even hunanely, very much
fear. For, the ship throwing herself
about in a somewhat lively fashion, as
the cook broke down his pen to allow
himself entry--being himself at least
as fat as Mr.. Murphy-the pig seemed
to realize the irnminence of his doom;
for he made a supreme effort and un-
moored himself; scrambled between the
doctors legs and romped effortfully
along the slanting, slippery decks. With
ship-motion to help his own natural
impetus. he shot aft like a cask; cam
noned off the end of spare spar. re-
cannoned off a hatch corner, and then
turned turtle in a scupper, where the
perspiring cook fell upon him with a
murderous yell and stabbed him to the
heart.
However, he was slain: that was really
the main thing. He was cut up with
never fragment of him permitted to
go to waste, and we paraded before his
jointed remains with rare hope of sue
culent faring, drawing each others at
tention to his fatness and the nice ap-
portionment of the lean streaks.
On Christmas eve, the wind freshen-
ing in boisterous squalls and a biggiSh
sea running up on our quarter, the mate
felt the softening impulse of the season
and decided the ship should be snugged
and shortened so that the day need not
be interfered with by such a thing as
work. The glass, we afterward heard
although all details of navigation and
apprehension and ships business gener-
ally were religiously kept from us by
the afterguard until the very worst was
over-was tumbling down in an alarm
ing manner, in way to indicate trou-
BILE of the BiScayan sort. We so much
appreciated this condeScension that we
laughed and sang light as we
handled the upper sails and, working
downward, furled the topgallantsails,
picked up the great main course and
put a reef in the fore topsail. This was
something like a Christmas, we de-
clared-aIl we should need to do would
be to loaf and smoke and eat and re-
cover from much eating.
BY midnight the wind had freShened
to a three quarter gale, still fair, kick
ing up q brisk sea that roared up aft
with the thunder of countless Niagaras,
poised, fell disappointed aStern. gath
cred fresh impetus and thundered on
again astern of the scudding fabric that
seemed now to taste the first quick
fears OF what might lie ahead.
y X
WITH both watches on deck the cap
tain decreed that the fore topsail
should be furled and reef put in the
foresaii, and this was done, not uncom-
fortably, for the canvas was dry and
negotiable. 1t is when the cloths are
wet before the dinning gale that ham
ding big sails becomes such an ordeal
that the blood starts from broken fin
gertips and the skin is rasped from
clawing hands. And Christmas, day did
not rightly start until daylight, so we
had no kick coming.
The dawn was lIrid, a crimson
tragedy.
Occasionally a black cloud, inky save
where its edges were dirty brown,
dropped lower and split and spilled its
contents in gusty biting squalls, shot
across by weak lightning flashes. We
were running through the beginning of
a mighty gale. and these little gusts and
splashes were merely the overture's
commemorative tuning UP, as 1t
were, of the celestial orchestra.
The daily rite of deck washing was
abandoned, and we felt queerly idle,
almost guiltily so. When morning coffee
was served there was really nothing to
do. Even the ceremonial of swigging
everything taut and doubly taut was
not demanded. The second mate, who
had the dawn watch, leaned over the
fife rail, smoking an unwonted pipe.
He gave us Merry Christmas!" with
facetious grin and an upward look at
the threatening sky.
We tackled from house corner to
hatch corner, and thence by way of
the donkey engines barrel, toward the
galley, to preside over the preparations
for the royal feast. Mr.. Murphy was
there, in segments; and the cook was
stirring enormous bowls of duff We
implored him to add an extra currant
bowl, and then we wakened up to
the reality of leisure and began to sky
lark To run aloft to a call of duty
was an irk; today we inaugurated races
aloft-up the main to the dropped royal
yard. thence by the royal stay to the
foretop; up the fore royal mast, down
to the jostling bowspit, with a plug of