Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1934-08-03

ncSc men WIFI WnOm ne WOIheu
were different breed from the deep
water men; what was more, they had
forgotten how to grouse and they
looked on the worst wind and water
could do as merely a part of every
days work. If it came fine weather
they made the best of it; but if, as
usual, the weather was vile, they &C
copied it with stoicism that couldn't
but be admired.
And Notwithstanding that Bully
Burridge was plumb ugly even in his
softer moments, the men stuck in the
ship voyage after voyage-a regular
family group. 1t was an honor to have
earned their respect, as Seymour felt
he had. He could tell that in a hun
drcd ways-their respectful familiar
ity was one. They already asked his
advice on domestic problems and lis
tened to him, swapping his opinions
amongst themselves. Good men, yes
the sort you'd like to have behind you
in really tight corner!
Meantime, there was the need to
get the Minotaur on the homeWard
trail again. Thanks to liberal appli-
cation of raw beef and vinegared
brown paper, Burridge reduced his
lacerated face to recognizable shape.
The one thing that didn't alter was
his inward venom for this outstanding
man who'd licked him; and he might
have forgotten even that in time but
for knowing that he'd tried to kill
him in an undetermined way-when
the sea was doing its best to take the
job from his hands. Too, Burridge
thought Seymour was only waiting his
opportunity to lodge a complaint at
headquarters, so that he could point
to his own work as fit reason why he
should jump up step into the skip
pcr's shoes. The pendulum had swung
the other way for Matthew Burridge
and in its swing had given him a ter
rifle wallop. But the only man who
really knew anything about that at
tempt was Seymour himself and . . .
the Captain and Seymour were often
together in the dark.
The Minotaur sailed from Grandy
Island in a falsely calm sea, with an
evil ground-swell running under the
lcaden stretches. There was an OPP
pressive tightness in the atmosphere
that added to the tale told by the I'M
certain barometer. The run across
from Grandy to the home port was
the worst stretch by far. Burley's
had lost four ships during the firms
history on just that leg of the route.
Two were due to engine room break
downs at a critical moment; one was
plain laundering, the other had been
rammed by lost collier that was
laundering in a week-old fog. But
for two days the threatened storm
held aloof, while because of the cleo
trical tension, tempers of all aboard
grew sour.
Between Capt. Burridge and Mate
Seymour the situations was so strain
ed that it needed only the parting OF
a thread to precipitate crisis.
The gale broke on the early morning
of the third day, 90-mile-an-hour
squall. Having presented samples,
it proceeded to deliver the goods by
1t seemed as if all the
wind in the hemisphere were in a
hurry to get to one place at once;
and, since it came from the northeast,
which was dead ahead, it was cold
and it held the Minotaur back like
steel hand.
But as the postoffices fail to con-
slider weather conditions, the ship had
to be pushed on regardless Of conse-
quences. That was why the Burnley
boats were built the way they we're
to last forever through whatever
came. But it meant that the watch
keeper had to stand by to take advan-
tage of every trifling smooth so that
he could whack the engines up to full
speed and get pace while pace was
possible.
Ice formed on Seymour's eyelashes
after an hour on watch; ice slithered
from his oilskin when he beat his
numbed feet on the deck to assure
himself they were still fast to his
ankles. Ice sheathed the ships fore
part until she looked like a grotesque
berg. But the Minotaur plugged on.
Burridge left most Of the work to
Seymour, except when the second mate
had the watch; and thinking he spited
his mate, really showed his confidence
in him. But since the Captain hadn't