Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-16
BY ANGUS MAcGREGOR.
r,eciai nisnatrh n Tha star

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK. November is CN.A.N.A.).
A week ago Half-pint O'Brien was
assistant messboy and fo'c'sle devil on
the Balu. Now, besides being patient
in the ships sick bay, he is an ordinary
seaman, with an extraordinary privilege.
His dog sails with him. The pup is
In the sick bay with him, and in the
same bunk. Both have colds.
O'Brien, thin, understood city boy
about 20, went aboad the Balu a few
hours before sailing time one day,
carrying his dog under his shirt and
all his belongings under his cap. He
hid down q 20-foot hatch, and after q
day and . night emerged to demand
food.
He was marched before the skipper
The skipper looked him over grimly,
and said: "Tll work We till your bones
rattle, n'boy." and ordered him
for'ard Half-pint had 50 little flesh
his bones knocked together when he
walked, but they deviIed q good share
Of back breaking toll out Of him. 1t
didn't do him any harm. He weighs
10 pounds more now than when he
started.
Dog Becomes FayOrite..
The dog was Immediately q favorite.
Not 30 O'Brien. Raised in the New
York slums, whiting q living as q
hootblack, crap shooter and horse rae
ing specialist, his better nature had
never chance to shine through. But
on the Balu he was taught honesty
and pluck in a hard school. The flash
Of seven-inch knife warned him never
to deal OF the bottom of the deck, and
broken teeth, a sPFead-eagled nose and
kicks that made his spine Jig advised
him never to shirk task.
The Balu beat around the Horn,
dropped cement at Port Said, cotton at
Manila, rope at Honolulu, sugar and
rice at the Galapagos Islands, nosed
through the Panama Canal. touched
at Galveston. Key West and Norfolk.
York.
There trouble befen. A storm smashed
down on the Atlantic, the Atlantic
smashed up to meet 1t, and in between
was the Balu, staunch craft that had
weathered many storms but none like
this. The wind ragged at hurricane
force, the Balu had to keep biting into
1t. and she was taken far out Of her
course.
The storm continued all night and
through the next. day, and the captain
never left the bridge. O'Brien was
given sandwiches for the skipper. He
bucked his way toward the bridge. the
oog following close. O'Brien didn't see
the dog or he would have ordered him
back. A wave Numbered over the deck
caught the pooch abesn1 and sent him
spinning into the sea. O'Brien raced
for the bridge,
You've got to put about" he
screamed to the skipper, the dogs
overheard
The captain looked at Half-pint sym
pathetically. Il can't do anything" he
said. not unkindly. mot in q storm
The boy lost his head. He shrieked
and cursed. The captains temper
broke. The mutt en- go to he'll" he
roared. What We goin' to do about
it?"
do about it," oBrien screamed.
do about 1t! III show you" He ran
to the rail and leaped after the dog.
The balu had to reverse then. Hands
threw Half-pint a line. He tied it
around his waist and clutched the
shivering dog firmly. They were both
hauled out. O'Brien won promotion
and bad cold on the strength Of his
daring.
"A kid who'd pull a trick like that"
says the skipper, has got the makin's
Of man."
This seemed TO be kids week on the
Atlantic Ramon Riyero, 10. of the
Santa Maria, proved his mettle in
trying situation.
Rivero got his first watch as look
out q few days ago In the same shat
tering gale that almost cost OBrien
his life. The lookout Is stationed In
crows nest high above the ship. The
way up Is q precarious one, especially
when the snip Is bucking In q gale.
When Riyero was almost ct the top
the Santa Maria dipped low in the
trough Of q wave and came I'D short
against the next one. She went back,
back. until It. seemed she would turn
. somersauit, and then pitched forward
with sickening stiddenness At the last
pitch Rivero lost his. hold and fell to
the deck. His choked scream was lost
in the thunder of the sea. No one
saw him fall He shook his head aud
crawled slowly up again, even though
his leg had been broken and the bone
stick out two inches
How Rivero lasted his fo1Ir-hour
witch IN the crows nest no one can
tell But he sung out his findings Ia
q voice ~ brave as any. Every tossing
minute mustSlaAye been agony. but the