Year: 1875

IA
good deal about the world in my time
said Captain W, striking his gray
beard with his big brown hand, and Pvt
seen lot of rough customers; but its
my opinion that the worst have some
good in them, if you'll only take the
trouble to look for it; and that, let 9
fellow be ever so bad, he's not all bad
You don't agree with me ? well, perhap.
you're right and Pm wrong, but Pll tel
you story.


It's about eight or nine years ago now
before this Suez canal, that we came
through yesterday, was made-that
was first mate of a steamer plying from
Suez to Djeddah-the port of Mecca
you know-carrying government stores
and fighting tackle for the Turks.


I'd rough lot for crew that voyage
all odds and ends, like an Irish stew
Greeks, Maltese, Dalmatians, negroes and
what not.


Most of the men were too thick-headed
to be up to much mischief, and l man.
aged 'em pretty we'll on the whole bat
the worst of the lot was Dalmatian,
named Spiro.


To give him his due, he was a good
sailor, like most of his sort; for Dalma-
tia's kind of nursery of seamen for
Austria, Just like Finland is for Russia E;
but that is all the good there was to be
said of him, for more vicious, blood
thirsty dog never bre:' thed. He was
never happy unless he was in a row with
somebody.


Spirs hadn't been aboard two days
afore I'd picked him out as an ugly Gus
toner, and it wasn't long before we got
to eying each other like two strange
dogs making up for fight.


About week after we'd sailed on our
first cruise, as we were lying in Djeddah
harbor, this chap Spiro was rather slow
over something I'd iold him to do, and /
began scolding him. What does he do
but turn round and give me saucy
word, right TO my face.


don't take impudence very kindly,
that's fact; and, besides, was angry
at having all the work put onto me this
way; so, without thinking, l knocked
him clear across to the other side of the
deck.


1t was more than minute before lie
knew where he was; but when he came
to, he gave me wicked look out of the
corners of his eyes, and hobbled down
below.


The minute he was gone, up comes my
chum, Bill Barlow, the engineer, who
had seen the whole thing, and said


"Tom, now that you've done that, you
had better shoot that there fellow right
off; if you don't, your life amt worth
anythingp'


Bills words stuck in my head all that
day, and they stuck in it a trifle more q
couple of nights after, when, just as We
were getting out of the harbor, dowr
from the rigging came block within an
inch Of my head.


There were more than a dozen men
aloft at the time making sail, SO, OF
course, it might have been an accident
but when l saw Spiro coming down with
the rest, | had my own thoughts as to
who sent me that sugar-plum.


Well, the second day after that, just
as we were halfway to Suez, Spiro was
on the taffrail coiling a rope, when the
ship gave lurch, and his foot slipped
and overheard he went.


If it had only been that, it wouldn't
! have mattered q pin to him, for not O
man on board could hold a candle to
him at swimming; but, you see, he fell
somehow flatways, and struck heavily
on the water, and was really stunned
He lay out on the water as limp as q wet
rag.


Well, / happened to be nearest, so
sang out "Stop her % and jumped after
him, and collared him just as he was
sinking the second time.


But what with his weight and the
rough sea, had all / could do to keeI
afoat and, by the time they picked u,
up, had swallowed more salt water
than was comfortable to take.


Well, Spiro was put into his hammock
and kept warm, but it was next morn
ing before he came all right again.


The first thing he asked was who saved
him =? and when they told him it was
me, he Just stared for q moment without
saying anything, and then few up the
ladder like wild cat, came rushing uT
to where I was standing, and threw him
self down on his knees, and took my hand
and kissed it again and again, and cried
like child.


/ came near piping my eye, too, i car
tell you, to see 80 much gratitude in 0
great hulking cut-throat like him. But
the next minute he got up and stood be
fore me, as tall and grand as king
and, looking me straight in the face, he
sah:


"Capitano-he always called me thai
-Capitano, you no know all. You
member dat block fall at your head d.
oder night? trowcd it; and when il
no kill you, tink kill you wild dis knife
See, you take de knife, drive it into my
heart-so."


He gave me the knife, and stripped
open his shirt.