The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-04-04
By JOHN PETERSON

ting weak. The long and bolster
Gus passage, hard work and poor food
had told its tale. Not that the ship
had run short of provisions; there
was plenty food in the cabin-but not
for the sailors. They had to buy food
by paying out of their meagre earn
tngs. Captain Jock would sell us
anything from needle to an anchor
providing he got his price, which
was downright eXhorbitant. Every
Saturday night we went aft 0 buy
a few Stops (rags) which were Of
dogs vol and oakum.' The captain
would temptingly smach his thick
lips and eXclaim, pointing toward the
cabin table upon which food was
Cunningly displayed: How about it.?
Would you like to buy some?" What
a smile lit up the old niser's face
when sitting before his large sales
book, be marked down the prices!
And what prices!
One day when the ship rolled
heavily, sailor was going aloft. car
rying a big block. Now the block
was very heavy and the man was
very weak. Slowly. pace by pace the
sailor struggled going aloft. Now he
would hang like monkey, then he
would cling like cat. Sloy ly he
advanced. He was about to reach the
top. Suddenly he slipped. The rat
line upon which he stood gave way
broke. The sailor threw up his hands
he curved back and was about to
fall. We turned away our heads;
our hearts stopped; our stomachs felt
light. There was splash, something
fell overheard. We looked aloft
About thirty feet below his drop,
the sailor was clinging to a stay
which had saved his fall. the man
had saved himself! Meantime he had
lost the block which fell overheard.
The captain seeing what happened
called the sailor to come aft and
give him an account. The sailor
came, badly frightened and trent
ing, having just escaped from certain
death. He pleaded. E. But Captain
Jock, without saying a word grabbed
a Delaying pin and with it struck the
sailor terrible blow across the
mouth. The man dropped in a help
less heap. Blood flowed from his
mouth and nose. Several front teeth
which were gold capped, lay on deck
and glittered in the sunlight. The
holy man saw the gold. A CLINT of
greed came to his eyes; his mouth
opened; he gasped; his hand extend
ed and trembled; fingers became stiff
-slawlike. Giving the PROSTATE
form . violent kick, he yelled for the
man to get off ard be gone. The
sailor rose slowly. painfully; stag
gering about and blindly cropping his
way, dragged himself off the poop
and crawled away forward The
sailor gone-quickly the captain
bent down and picked up the sailors
teeth which, though bloody-were of
IA karat gold, precious gold
Throwing glance around him to
make sure that nobody had seen he
quickly ran down the companion way
and disappeared in the cabin. Under
his desk he hid the bloody plumber!
Sometime later when a hard gale
was blowing and big seas roared and
drove on as if madIy chasing each
other, and the watch was at the
braces working desperately to save
the ship and themselves-suddenly a
big sea that roared and foamed at
its mouth struck the ship crashed
aboard, engulfed the men, swept them
off their feet, battered, and flung
and washed them about like bits of
drift wood.
Two sailors went to Davy Jones.
Every bone in their bodies smashed,
flesh battered to pulp-like rags, they
were washed away Cut, bruised, half
drowned and dizzy, we managed to
ave ourselves and scramble to our
feet.
Soon we found that another man
was gonel So
damned under and laying behind
y spar, the third man was found
badly battered and more dead than
alive.
He was extricated with difficulty
and taken to his bunk family groan-
ing. The man grew worse. Life was
ebbing.
Captain Jock soon made his APP
pearance. Clutching his old, tattered
bible like precious treasure, he man
aged to get by the side of the dying
man. All wet. soaked, covered with
blood; both legs broken, caved-in
chest, punctured lungs, and fractured
skull-the sailor did not have many
more minutes to live. Without a
moments loss the holy man opened
his bible and hurriedly began reading
q chapter in voice that took on an
excited pitch.
Suddenly the sailor came to life,
he groaned, moved. He put up his
head, eyes opened; his blood and
froth-streaked lips moved:
"You :. You dirty D." he man
aged to hiss out as blood gurgled in
his throat