Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-10-18
Continued from Page 12)


mo, / amt" and that started
the whole thing again.
Well, / got so mad that / told
the boatsteerer where TO go and
he punched me in the eye. That
was enough. We struggled there
on a dirty little street. smuggling
it out like kids. And pretty soon
there was a crowd around us
sereeching and standing we'll out
Of our way and making enough
fuss to raise the dead.
I got a fine black eye and a
split lip and the boatsteerer's
nose was never the same after.
Then we heard a whistle blow.
"Cops!" yelled. and we
beat 1t.
We ran for it again but this
time everywhere we went some
darn kid followed US and shouted
so that women poked their heads
out of windows and yelled at us
and it looked like every street
corner grew a cop.
Then we ran right into a
patrol. Right slap into 'em. First
thing they started TO bolt and /
thought we'd get away. But one
of them dropped his rifle and it
tripped me up. The others ganged
on the boatsteerer and pulled him
down, Then we were dragged
off 10 the calabozo. That was
the dirtiest place / ever saw. fun
of beggars scratching themselves
and trying to beg from us. !
was nearly sick and just a bit
scared, 1 don't mind telling.
Was / glad TO see my uncle
when he turned up! Seemed he'd
told the police about assertions
and they'd been looking out for
white sailors ever since the first
hands had jumped ship.
There was a fine howde-do at
the court or whatever il was.
First the police would yell their
heads off. Then the jefe would
do a bit of squalling and wag
his yellow finger at us. Then
my uncle would roar like a bear
and we'd stand there with our
heads hanging down like pick
pockets.
Only thing I was scared OF
was that Maria's father would
turn up and get US in deeper.
But he didn't and when my uncle
paid fine or something we were
taken aboard the Canton.
Throw 'em both in irons" my
uncle yelled 10 the mate.
I didn't like that. The mate
clamped pair of rusty hand
cuffs on me and l was showed
down into the run under the
cabin floor along with the canneC
goods and cockroaches, not ia
saw rats. was down there all
night amid the stink OF b.lSe and
oil and everything else that
makes up the breath of a
whaler.
heard my uncle and the mates
moving in the cabin once or twice
and a thin spill of light came
through the hatch. But l didn't
yell. guess l was too proud for
that. l just crouched there, the
hatch six inches above my bent
head. the handouts Calling my
wrists. and decided then and
there that that was the last time
I'd wear that kind Of jewelry.
In the morning my-uheIe
kicked off the hatoh-aad dragged
me up into the cabin. My. my
what a overhauling he gave me,
Worthless, l was, and no whaler
Beachcombing. pierjumping. sea
lawyering, sharkbait was loving
beside the things he called me
And further more L was to have
no more shoreleave.
Took four weeks before We
were ready for sea. We got de-
serters from other ships to take
the place of those who'd jumped
the Canton. And we slowed away
four Portuguese who were running
out of military service. Then
the Customs sent police TO search
the ship for them stowaways
They were down the hold when
boatsteerer and st. Helena
foremost hand dropped the hatch
on them and left them in the
dark.
Crikey! you'd have thought
there was a cat fight in that holc
but some more police let then
go; the boatsteerer and hanC