Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23

tOil a6h WIN RaS NAtS -
in the bucket. Don't ask me
why Ward shipped again. All
1 know is. that the mate Put
back to Boston and the Flying
Dutchman sat in her dock. for
years before she was unloaded
and sold to pay her wharfage
charges.
Tough? I guess so. But all
the tough ones are not abaft the
foremost.
4 REMEMBER a little happen
y ing on my own a few years
ago when I was master of the
Moss Rose. square-rigger out of
Philadelphia. My first command
she was. and i tell you I was ten
degrees four minutes prouder
than a peacock with two tails. I
brought her out from Sandy
Hook in fine style and she was
leaning to a quartering breeze
as smooth as silk when / heard
yells and language coming from
the fo'c's'le. The mate yanked
a Delaying pin out of the rack
and l reached for a hardwood
hatch wedge.
We clattered down the fo'c's'le
stairs and there was the crew
crouching in their berths out
Of the way Of damn big Ital-
ian who had small Irishman on
the deck choking the life out of
him. I tapped that Italian on his
thick head with the wedge and
he turned like a bull for me. But
he saw the mate and stopped.
foaming at the mouth like a
bloody mailman. Oh, he was big;
great tattooed shoulders and a
bullet-head covered with greasy
curls. He was hid to the eyes
behind a massive curly beard
and his teeth showed like a
VOLTS. And stink! He'd been fed
on garlic and oil all his life, /
guess, and when he talked his
language and the vapor that
went with it was enough to poi
son a polecat. He waved his long
arms and swore In italian and
1t took five men to drag him on
deck. Fact Of the matter was
that the crew were scared to
death of him.
I told him that he'd have to
behave himself and he sneered
like the villain in a melodrama.
but kept his mouth shut. I let
him off then. but decided to keep
an eye on him. All that day nc
swanked about the deck as If
the ship was his and once he
passed to windward Of me, and
that's a black insult aboard
ship. But I said nothing and
bided my time. Well sir, 1t wasn't
three days later when he was on
the feFeysFd- taking In sail
saw him grab at another hand;
there was a yell, the flash of
knife and that hand dropped off
the yard and disappeared over
board In a second. I don't think
anyone saw 1t but me.
Get that man down here" I
roared.
But it was ten minutes before
he stood before me grinning like
an ape.
We'll, you numbering son"
I roared. What d'you mean by
it,"
II do nuttin'," he growled and
his voice was like fog horn.
you damned liar. Give me
your knife"
lossa he. drop overheard, s.
he laughed.
80. my clever foremost law
yer" 1 sneered. Put him In
irons"
He came at me, but I was
hoping he would and / stopped
him with a straight arm smash
in the chops. Before he could
pull himself together they had
him down and ironed.
Bread and water for a week,
me lad" l told him. You've been
living too high; you need filming
down a bit"
And bread and water 1t was
for a week. i didn't like that
killer and made up my mind that
I'd turn him over to the police
soon as we touched Montevideo,
our first call. At the end of the
week I took him out of the laz-
arctic and the second mate
brought him on deck. He stood
there like a big ape. wagging his
head in the sunshine.
Then his bloodshot eye fell on
me. In a flash he matched a
pin out Of the rail and came at
me like a tiger. Boy, I thought I
was in for it. grabbed his wrist
and 1t felt Hike the branch of a
tree and with my right hand I
smashed him in the face. Splitting