Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1940-12-12
CHAPTER 1

time is another. At dusk, Captain
Keen moved the Sunset from the
wharf out into the stream to wait
for the morning tide. She was
full-rigged ship of three hundred and
forty-seven tons burden, bound for
the Fiji Islands to load with sandal
wood for Chinese and Indian ports;
but she was under charter to the
Mission Board to carry certain
freight and passengers from San
Francisco to Honolulu and to the
Marquesas, on the way. 81 want to
give the men overnight to sober
off before the missionaries come
aboard, Mr.. Chase" Captain Keen
told the mate as the ship swung to
her anchor. "And another thing.
AS long as they're with us, I'll have
no going ashore at Honolulu, or at
the Islands, nor any native girls
coming on the ship at ALL"
The Reverend John Gale and Mrs.
Gale were returning to their post in
Micronesia after a years leave at
home; and the Reverend George
McAusland went to serve his APP
premiership with them. McAusland
was not young man as years 60,
but his training for the ministry was
only just concluded. He was rath-
er small; and decidedly thin. He
was, actually, thirty -eight years old.
John Gale, since they met day or
two before, had studied his new as
sistant. He had some misgivings.
McAusland seemed full of a restless
earnestness; but the old minister
knew that too much zeal could be
as dangerous as too little.
Aboardship, Mrs. Gale went to her
cabin to settle her belongings there;
but John Gale and McAusland
stayed on deck to watch the bust
ness of departure.
what decided you to become a
missionary" Gale asked.
"Why, sir, at the Seminary I read
a great deal about the mission to
the Sandwich Islands, and-I want
to be like the men who led that
work. They did so much, and ev-
eryone loved them" McAusland
added humbly: II want to help peo-
pie, and-to be loved. I'm pretty
clumsy about it, though; about max
ing friends"
The other suggested: ''The trick is
to like people. People like man
who seems to like them" He asked:
"But what turned you toward the
ministry, at your age?"
McAusland answered frankly: "I'd
killed a man, in Nevada City, in the
mines" There may have been sur
prise in the older mans quick
glance, and an unspoken question,
for the other explained: II suppose
I don't look like a-man of violence;
but lost my temper. He was drunk,
and shooting at me, and I threw a
pickaxe at him. 1t hit him in the
head"
John Gale thought he would have
to readjust his estimates of this
young man. Wasn't that-just an
accident?" he suggested reassur-
ingly.
81 suppose a man is responsible
even for his accidents" McAusland
insisted. "He had no family. There
was nothing I could do directly; but
I wanted to find some way to-
atone"
Captain Keen, one eye on his ship,
joined them with some casual word.
McAusland walked forward to watch
them cat and fish the anchor, and
John Gale looked after him, and,
after moment he smiled and asked
the Captain:
"Would you take that young man
for abe hesitated, used McAus-
lands own phrase-"a man of vio-
lence?"
The Captain said wisely: There's
never any knowing. The quietest
little man I ever knew killed four
Malay pirates with caps an bar"
''He and I are going to work to-
gether, these next years." John Gale
explained. "I'm trying to find out
what sort of man he is"
Captain Keen said: "You'll find
out, presently. Being shut up on the
same ship with man, you come to
know him. The sea strips him
down, wears him down till what's
inside him shows through"
The old minister nodded; and dur
ing the days that followed, while
the Sunset took her peaceful way
across the peaceful sea, he some
times thought that McAusland was
no more than an enthusiastic boy.
The first morning at sea, he him
self came on deck to find the other
bare-footed, his sober black trousers
rolled up his thin shins, pushing a
holystone up and down the plank
ing under the instruction of the
sailor with the parrot. The sailors
name was Corkran; and the two
were laughing together at McAus-
lands awkwardness. The parrot
watched George too, it's head
cooked, and presently it nipped
Corkran's ear and said wheedlingly:
Mighty pretty. Mighty pretty!"
Corkran laughed and clapped Nc
Ausland on the shoulder. "There,
Reverence" he said "That's Pats
sc L.