Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-23

Here you, boyi" he called and tossing the
sea boots to the deck, returned below.
Gillans blue lips were voiceless he picked
up the boots. tantalizing smell of hot
food came from the pantry. Whining and wag-
ging its tail, the dog passed down the COM
panion ladder to the saloon where the mate and
the skipper sat down to their suppers.
1t was almost dark. Now and again a bird
cry broke the silence.
When we went to the half deck for our sup
per of bareback and skjlly there sound
as of many cattle lowing far away and coming
slowly nearer. We were eating our bareback
and slipping the thin hot skilly when the wind
caught her.
From that time on there was small time for
talk or for books of an evening There was no
roland making by day. In brief lulls of almost
ceaseleSs storm we snatched what sleep we
might Again and again rang the order, "An
hands on deck!" Again and again at the chang
ing of the watches one other of the mates
called Turn in all standing! Keep handy the
watch!' Time after time we turned in "all
standing; sleeping in our oilskins and sea boots
lest sudden call come. After a week of steady
gales two of the crew laid up, and, moaning i'll
their hunks, fegned sickness to escape the
misery of the deck.
Aloft in furious days and hooting midnight.
cold and wet were the unremitting round of
all but the two malingerers Rope-toughed
skin on palms split OPEN Finger joints cracked,
the red flesh showing at the bottom of the
cracks. For want of anything better we rubbed
pork grease on our sea cuts" taught the
new chum to tie rope yarns round his wrists
and waist and ankles-"Soul and body lashings"
Ito help keep the flooding water out. But
still he always wet. Saltwater boils
swelled on his wrists, just where the chafe
of the colds stiff oilskin came. "Wait till you
i get 'em on your knees said L For I was
1imping Our bedding was wet, our mattresses
smoldering; the great seas swamped in when
lever door was opened for the fraction OF
\ "a second. There were days when we must do
without our coffee our skily. Days when
the sole food available was bareback
How Gillian managed to exist during the
full three weeks we spent beating around the
corner don't know. One looked after ones
self. Often I caught glimpses of him clnging
to the lifeiines, waist deep in water, and men,
Der of the crew would jerk him from the
rush of a sea just in time to save him from
being swept overheard.
The second mate had no time to notice the
new chum now. Had he stayed in his bunk
1 no one would have cared or have missed him.
But again and again found him beside me,
aloft or racking topsail yards where none but
tried men could be Of any use. His lips numb.
his face ghostly white his bruised knuckles raw
and red, he did his best at listing frozen canvas
] with the rest of us.
When misery was become wellnigh our sec
ond nature there came at last clear
8 morning WIFI a ugnL VINO ITOu SOuCIl one
was past the corners BY breakfast-time we had
given her full sail; she lifted to the gentle I'M
iulations of southerly swell. The word went
round that there would be work that day.
Some Of the men were watching the birds.
Some hung wet clothes to dry. I was seated
on the hatch, Gillian beside washing his
saltwater boils in pannikin of fresh water,
when the second mate passed by.
guessed his errand, for on his face was such
contemptuous scowl as he had ever worn