Newspapers / Greensboro Daily News (Greensboro, … / May 26, 1910, edition 1 / Page 8
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Fr ;rif tt f (p tc ir A M in F If? i JO, 1IL Jl Jw JL a I 4 &J Jw iiv ss""1 Y attention was first at tracted to him by the ease with which he pulled tbt bartender over the bar at Fat Anna's hoard J ing house at Calcutta, ana men my aamirauon was aroused by the skill, strength and agility with which he handled himself in the mix-up that followed, when four runners, the bartender, and old Anna herself with her broom, set upon him But he was thrown bodily out into the vireet, and I followed as quickly; f"r 1 had talked too much in a strange hoarding house for a young man that drank too little-, tieside the added offence against good taste of twisting Anna's broom away from her and smiting a runner over the head We picked ourselves up in the middle of the street and mustered under a lamp post to get a tiainted, unmindful of Anna's scrrevhing injunction to "go pv your Own boarding house, you lna ufers, und stay there; mine house is respectable." "Come and have a drink," he said, curtly. " No," 1 answered, " 1 drink very little, and I've had enough " I left him and went to my boarding house, but before I got to sleep a man came in and reported a lively s rap at I at Anna's in which a big, angry " Sou'vvegian " had c leaned up the place and had been arrested. 'My friend," 1 thought, and went to sleep In the morning, though. I attended the police ' court. The whole boarding-house force was there, the barte nd, i as prosecuting witness and Mistress Anna with her runners to assist. The prisoner was brought in, none the worse (or his eiperirne es, and his eye held the same twinkle as on the evening be fore. The bartender told his story. "For whv," demanded the magistrate, "did you hit this man?" "Because he was Scot h, your honor," answered the prisoner, calmly. ' He's a liar," yelled the bartender. " I'm an Irishman, 1 am " But his clamor was silenced by the magis trate. "Scotch," he roared. "Scotch. And is that a reason for hitting a mon. I'm Scot h myself. Thirty days you you " he glared at the prisoner "Officer," he called. "Take you this man, and lock him up. Scotch, is it. Scotch. Thirty days for you." He was led out, and we all departed. And in a few davs, having secured a lierth as sec ond male of an American ship, 1 forgot about him in the rush of work that, at sea or in port, never slackens in these ships. The taptain was a Scotchman named McTavish, but this did not bring him to my mind, nor did the fin t that the tirst mate, shipped a week after my self, was also Si oh h and named Mc! .end, all to remcmbi.iner mv friend and his antipathy to Siots It was only when the crew came aboard on the day of .ailing, and 1 read their names at the (apsian. tuiding two thirds of them Scoti h, thai I thought of him, and won dered w hat he would do if the Fates had con demned him to this ship; then, as though in humorous response to my wonder, when 1 read off the last name on the artii Irs, " Dennis Finnegan." I was answered by a hearty "Here, sir," and ihere he stcxid, big, blond and i lean, with the merry tw inkle in his eyes and a brand new sheath knife and belt strapped around him 1 nodded recognition, but that was as far as I could go; I was a sec ond mate We got down the llooghly after the usual trouble, and soon were at sea, where, before two days h.nl passed, I'ennis Finnegan, Ice lander, had leli In- mark on most of the Scotch (uniingent forward, though he made no demonstration against the skiper or mate; he was civil ainl etheieul, aiitiiiating orders to a great extent, and showing himself an ex pert able seaman Hut his pugnai iry did not last long, il departed with the liquor in his system, and with it went the twinkle in his eye. He relapsed into a quiet, moody man, seldom speaking except in answer to an order, but none the less masterful and efficient. He was not in mv watch, vet 1 had some oppor tunity to observe him. though none to talk with him And so.n I !-: .nt'rest in I morgan on a. count of a larger and he- ill mor interest. 1 had known th.c tnc skipicr's daughter was on Iwafd. h it h id -t-c u fu r only a- a loaked and veiled tiiMre thai lie rs, orte.i , areiullv up the gangwav and inlo lue , abm on sailing dav. Three ijs out she , ame co in the last iog watc ii. while the mate an. I Ins wan 'i were "sweaung up" bra.es and haliard-. and as it u as tine weather she i ame withou'. hat or cloak I suppose she had lired ot the stifling air of ihe . alnn. or she would not hair apKired without her father. Then. to.. ,t may have Ixcn Iut father who c a used ilmt Stirling air, for in mv few meetings with him since sailing he radiaieel an odor of whiskev that was dec idedlv unpleasant and spoke thic k.lv from darkened fac ulties I had last seen him at lour bells, when he lifted his head up through the after companion, said, " How ye hidden t " to the man at the w heel, and itumbled drunkenly down before the man could answer The girl stood beside the after companion, swaying easily to the slight heave of the ship, and supjwrting herself with one hand lightly resting on the house. Finnegan was at the tsUI III ' fcllr I'll t r n h t?v - u 1 wheel and being behind ber, stared openly and brazenly at her 1 feit my hair roots tingle with indignation and when I caught his eye he saw something in my fate that induced him to look closely at the compass for a while. The girl seemed to t about sixteen, tall and well developed for her age, and with a face like that of a child. She had a wealth of black hair, which she seemed to take little care of, for it blew around her face in the wind, and was innocent of jutfs or hair pins onlv a bit of ribbon showed now and then. Her complexion was somewhat dark tanned, in fact, but there was a rich, creamy tint to it. and there was color in her c heeks. Hut it was her eyes that impressed me most; they were large and lu minous, black as night, and with a frank, direct stare in them that was disconcerting to me when they fell uxn me I stcxid up, lifted my hat politely, and would have joined her had she returned my greeting But she did not, she stared at me a moment longer, faced to windward, and slowly moved over to the weather rail; reac hing this she moved aft, her hands sliding along the rail until her out stretched left hand touched the quarter bin; then she slipped behind it, found the taffrail and frit her way along this to a grating along side the wherl Ui And by this time the truth had daw ned uxn me, also uXn Finne gan His eyes sought mine, wide open in pitv. and as he looked at me his lips seemed to frame the unsjmken word upon my own: " blind -Mr. Mcleod came aft. hoarse from bawl ing to the men at their watch tackle and strap. It had grow n nearly dark now, and I w as glad of it because I did not care to have this fellow see the tears in my eyes. He w as a tall, good looking sort of a man, about thirty years old, a first-class seaman, and we had got on very well together, even though I did not like him. He joined me in the alley. "Hello, the birdie's up. Seen her yet?" " You mean the skipper's daughter," I an swered. "Yes, I've seen her." "She's blind as a bat, the old man says. For all that, she's a pea h, as they say in your country, (luess I'll take a kiss in the dark. She'll never know w ho it is." " Mr. Mi Lecxl." I said, standing erect. " What are you thinking of ? " "Oh.h 1. The old man's dead drunk, and she'll never know. It'll keep her guess ing." "Mr. Mi I-eexl, I won't permit it " " You won't permit, you say " he had started, but turned hack. " You'll remember that I'm over you here and have c harge of thr dec k. t let dow n off the poop, to the main dec k, or to your room." 1 weakly yielded, so strong is the influence of nautical etiquette upon a seafaring man It was well for me, h rhajis, that I did, for another man took up the burden and bore the punishment. I had reac hed the foot of the steps in olwdiene e to his order w hen I heard a scream, then a snarling, growling sound, and I mounted the steps again in two bounds. The girl was erec t. c linging to the quarter bitt, the w heel was deserted, and I saw by the stars that the ship was rounding to. And in the clear spare between the wheel and the house two forms, locked in a close embrace, were writhing to and fro. As I hurried aft I heard Finnegan's voice, highly accented, ex pressing his opinion of the mate in explosive sentences punctuated with lurid oaths. "Tamil yer miserable, Saw nee heart and soul," he grow led. " You hunter o' weemen eowartly sneak; you kisser o' Iretle girls. I kill vou. I kill you. Tamn you." "Finnegan," I yelled. " Stop it. Take vour wheel, man. This isn't your affair "Take der wheel yourself, sir, till 1 kill dis S otc hman." 1 took it. for the weather lea hes were shak ing. and by hard heaving got the ship off to her loursc And by this time the struggle was alxiut over I-ooking up from the compass. I saw Mcl.eod lient back nearly double, Finnegan's right arm around his waist, which he hugged righdy to himself, and his left wrist under the other's chin. Farther and farther bin k w c ut the male until there as an unmistakable .racking sound. Something inside of him. a len.lcn. a vein, a Ixme. possi Mv some icunt ot hi- vertebral column, had given way He dropird like a log and lav still, while Finnegan. tn-t giving him a kick, approac hed the wheel. ' ovv. 1 take it. sir." he aicl. c almlv. " He won't hunt anv more, the Scot' hman'" " Have vou killed him .'" I asked, bornhrel at the situation Mire 1 have broken his back He lr served it, the vvretc h." His excitement was gone, and his diction again correc t He took the "heel and I lent over the mate, reeling his heart. There was not a Iveat, nor a sign of breath from the rxs- tllls " The mate has tx-en killed, captain." I saicl n-hen I had his attention ' What'" he answered. "Killed! Who's kllhd - "The m.i'e Dennis Finnegan killed him near the wheel. He's lying on the deck up there now " Mr Mc I eod killed?" He was coherent now. " And Finnegan killed him ? Is he in irons J " " No sir. I was waiting for you to order that." "Get the irons and your gun," he said, as he hoisted himself out of the berth. " Wait, captain," I said, with a dim idea of helping Finnegan " You should know why he killed him before you ad. It was for an assault upon your daughter " " What! " he roared. " The mate assaulted my blind girl ! Where how was it ? Tell me, mon, and dinna waste sympathy on me. 1 desairve little " I told him all that had occurred, omitting my emotions on discovering the girl's blind ness. He listened gravely, then answered "I am no the law, and the law demands that a man that kills a fellow man shall be im- pvtt Thfl Ma mm m vbtthin rhrr fathom oC eh gen nd with preesoned at once until the proper authori ties may deal wi' him." I secured the irons and my pistol, though I knew 1 would not need it. Then 1 called a man to relieve Finnegan. " My man," said the captain, as Finnegan, releasing the w heel to this man, stepped over the body and extended his hands for the irons. "I'm sorry for this, for ye ac ted the man in defense of a wooman. But ye went too far, and 1 must confine ye till the consul frees ye, whii h nadoot he'll dowhen I state the sarrum stances. Ye'll be fed well - the usual allow ince, and excre ised every dav on dec k." " Whic h is the law. I believ e, captain," an iwered Finnegan, with a smile. " I see ve no realise the enormity o' your oflrnce," said the captain. " It's a woeful thing to kill a fellow creature 1 should na hae it on my conscience " "Mine is clear, captain," said Finnegan. "He wasn't tit to live, and Ix-sidcs- he was Note h." The captain saw no significance in this speec h, whic h 1 was glad of. for he c ould ren der finnegan's life a burden to him. even under the law, should he so choose. We shut Finnegan up in the laarette, sewed the body in a sack, and next morning buried it with the usual ceremonies. Then the capta.n got drunk again, and for a while it was with great illiTicullv that I roused him at midclav to take the sun. and kept him srbcr after I n ikf.i-l long enough to take chronometer sights. As I was not a navigator 1 needed him for this, but nothing else. 1 could handle the ship and the men. and the "Ixvsun" stood his watch. I saw Finnegan often, and he invariably asked alxvut the girl. " It's common enough, sir." he explained in aiKilogy, " for a fellow to get fond of some helpless thing he has protec ted Small liovs do that, even when they'll kill and maim other helpless creatures " "Yes, finnegan." I said "But can vou explain other contradictions in ours"'f This girl is ,'scoti h, and vou -ccm to I ite the Srote h. And while vou admit vourseh a woman chaser, vou protcc t a woman from another. And your name is not Finnegan, either W hv if 1 mav inquire " ' 1 -ign a ilillcreni name in c a ! ship, -i-." he answered. " ui-i ln'c ,iu-e 1 Ion i i, ere a hat I'm called, and am v. liluig i- nugii mv own nH I drink tor ilu -a.-r.c re.,-.n I . . c out here at -ea there - no'1, ing lo tnr.k and so. what's the ,se " He pat.-cil. ra:-e,i bis mana led wrist- ancl looked at iheni " i ,o on." I euioinec! ' '1 ell me cc n , v,,u are to about vourself. o re n.M iMrv man. and vou know I'm voi.r tnen.i ' lb- waited a moment tiien went on V- ia-r. rugged la. e glexvmv w ith memories ot tnc p.i-i that I was drawing trom him li s ibe old storv," he said 1 never drank at tirt. but 1 always admired women. It was born in me. and 1 could not help it. 1 had mv ship at twenty -live a bark out of Dundee, and my wife and child And 1 fool ishly left them where the Dutchman left his anchor, at home, among the Scotch. My wife was more to me than any woman on earth, but she could not understand, and one time, when the little girl was four years old the most lovable age. you know, she ran avrav with some fellow, and took the child my little Hedwig " The tears were in bis eyes now, and I could say nothing. "Little Hedxcig," he continued. "She thought more of me than she did of ber mother, and that perhaps made the trouble. A mother's a mother, you know. At any rate 1 found my house stripped when I came back that voyage, wife and child gone, and a letter in the post office saying she was through with mc, and had gone with a man that loved her." " And did you never get trace of him ?" I asked. " Only that he was a Scotchman. A year later, however, I got another letter from the w ife, sent from I-ondon, saying that the child had died and that I had a right to know it. That's all. Myleetle girl my leetle Hedwig! The larst word she learned to speak was Ourth, my first name. And she's dead all these years, she's dead!" His voice was broken now, and the tears streaming fast. 1 let him sob it out, then asked, " And your last name?" " Never mind," he answered. " I believe I am a lineal descendant of ( )ld Red Kric, and I.ief. his son. But do you wonder now that I hate the Scotch, that I lost my command, that I drank and went down, and that I defended that innocent girl on deck from the mate? Blind, and as helpless as my own little girl? Of c ourse. I'd do it again " "And so would I." 1 ta, id his irons. " I'll have these off you befoa' long " I left him and went on deck, intending to argue the matter with the skiper when he apjK-ared solier enough to talk. And 1 found him in this londition near the binnacle, not only sober, but anxious of fac e. He was a tall man of alxiut, fifty, and though the marks of his recent dissipation bore heavily ujxm him, he was still a handsome man, with gray hair and lieard that matched his eyes, and, when not under the influence of liquor, a masterful seaman and navigator. " We are to have a typhoon, Mr. Williams," he said to me, 'as I joined him. " The barom eter's below twenty nine and it's Ixsl lo be readx. We're texj short handed to wait I wish you were a navigator, mv lad. and I'd make you first mate- at once, and take a sec ond from forward." I In re was little wind, ancl the -hip rolled hcaidy in a swell that came from tin- north east. Co the south east, a heavy bank ol dark gray me rged sea and sky into one. ancl .n the air was the soft, humid sensation tb t -c a men call the "smell of a blow '' : ho n reference to the barometer 1 knev lh.il r wrtc in for a rrct.ng rr.al. h "There's a competent ni.He and na':.M'nr down below, captain," I said. ' I've ; i talked to Finnegan He's held c omm.incl." "But the law, lad, the law. I've noticed he was an exceptional sailor man. but if I release him, what 'II he do. What II I say to the consul I've entered the matter in the official log, and then there's the crew " "I'll answer for it, captain, that he does not run," I said " He's had a lot of trouble, and tcxik to w hi-kev The captain's face cleared ' ( id him on dec k," he said I gladly unloc ked Finnegnn - a I must still call him and brought lorn up. " My man." said the c apiaif. I. incllv ' Mr Williams inform, me thai lou'rc a navigator. Haxe you any disc harges '" " I ve lost them all. sir." answered Finnegan. "("an you. talc the sun. take ehrone miter sigh;s, keep the log, and plot the ship's track on the chart?" " Vol onlv thai. sir. but I .real ( in ie Sail ing ana l.unars Will i oi; j iromi -e me nd to run he n " e get to ori. but to a..car Ixtor,' trie- .on-ul wiih me. it 1 relea.-e um'" ' I promise, captain.' answered 1 umegan. ' I ve nothing tat ga n bv U-ini; a i'lui e Then get vour dunnage out eat the Jerr e a-tle ancl take mate's lerth " "Wha! J elver Mr William-, -ir-" an swered the amaed Finnegan "1 don't like that." "Mr. Williams is not a navigator, and it was he who recommended you." " Very well, sir " " When you 'x e slow ed xour c lot hes, shorten down at once to lower topsails, loretopmast staysail and reefed spanker." When Finnegan had gone the captain turned lo me with a sigh of relief. "I'm glad of mv resolution, Mr. Williams," he said. ' It's Ix-en a sore load on my heart to confine that man. And for the offense of protecting my own daughter against a scoun drel. As for his drinking, well eLord knows we're all weak at bottom." But emotion gave way to work. Finncrgan appeared, arid for two hours we were busy. The men forward needed no uitroduetion to their new first mate, nor any inspection of 'discharges' to know that he was their master. His orders came in crisp, explosive nautical terms that a greenhorn could not have under stood, and his voice, when he raised it for the benefit of a crowd on the foretopgallant-yard, sounded like the blast of a trumpet. There was no mistaking his caliber, and no man required the repetition of an order. It struck us squarely from astern when it came, and for a few moments there was a snapping, singing and whistling of things that made us think the spars were going. But nothing carried away, and we sped on, dead before it, for it was a fair wind, until the rising sea threatened to board us. Until now the captain was loath to heave to, but when he did decide he chose the port tack. But the wind increased, and with it the sea. Again we reefed that spanker, then took in the mizzentopsail, leaving the ship snug enough for anything short of a hurricane under maintopsail, reefed spanker and fore topmast staysail. But even this was too much, and soon we thought that hurricane was hardly the word for the solid pressure of w ind that hove us down until the lee rail was buried, and the water up to the combings of the main hatch. The captain ordered! the maintopsail goosetv winged that is, furled on the weather side, and I started forward to reitfse the men to this task, barely saving my self at the main rigging from going over to leew ard with a sea by clinging tightly to the coils. But the next sea took something else; liefore I had shaken the water out of my eyes, I dimly saw a cloaked figure c reep cautiously out of the forward companion, groping with outstretched hands for the weather rail; then that sea, breaking over my head with a stun ning foTce, swept on over the lee rail, and when I looked again, the black cloak framed a frightened, white face on the water, a half a length to leeward. I threw off my oilskins and boots, sang out "man overboard," and w hen the next sea c amc I went with it. The sea was a great help; it sent me within three fathoms of the girl, and with a few strokes I reached her. Her clothing had supported her head out of water, and she was screaming. " All right, Miss McTavish," I said, cheer ily as I could. " I'm here, and they'll send a Ixiat " Sbe quieted as she heard my voice and trustfully obeyed my instructions not to struggle, to permit me to remain behind her and beneath, with my hands under her arms. Had that topsail been furled or even goose winged, there is no doubt that the ship, with no headway except from the staysail and spanker, would have drifted down upon us; as it was she forged ahead, and we passed under her stern, the agonized faee of Captain Mc l avish looking down ujxin us. He threw the end of the spanker sheet, but it fell short n nd was soon dragged away. There were no life buoys. nd so it lasted an hour to me, hut pos sible ten minutes until a peep over my .hoiilder showed me the white Ixiat drifting stern first awav from Ihe ship's quarter, six m n shipping the oars, and Finnrgan erect in the stern sheets, direc ting them 1 shoutecl. ami they must have heard, for they headed mv way. and pullet! furioush But it was mv miming that brought us together, and I w.i- nearlv exhausted when Ihe bow oarsman shipped his oar and seized the girl. Next I was seized myself and we were both pulled in. " You did well, tamn well, Mr Williams," shouted rinnrgan, his eyes sparkling- ith ex citement, and his voire taking on the accent that excitement always brings to the speech of Anglic ized foreigners. " Lift the young lady aft, where there's room." She was conscious, but weak, and the men tenderly lifted her back to the stern sheets, w here she sat, trembling and white of face, near Finnegan The txiat was in the trough, and he wa- alxnit to straighten her hac k to a course for the ship, now a quarter of a mile away, when he tooped over the girl and fin gered a lo. kri that had lieen drawn with its i hain from Ix neath her dress. " Where. Miss McTavish," he asked in a shaken voice, "did you get d s locket?" 1 cni.ld hear his voice indistinctly over the wind, bin. though I saw her lips move, I could not In- ir Iter re-iionse. "Your mother?' he shouted, in answer ' Your mothe r gave it to you '" He opened it. lexiked ai the inner face, and said. "Is elis icn.r muiic-r's pic ture'' Her aii-v.rr seemed lo be negative-. IVr ha - she 'lid not know of a pie ture. ' nd vour name, your first name?" Again I .saw her lip- move. The men near me lxg.cn grumbling at the delay; but 1 si lenced them. '" Vot Man ." continued Finnegan. his face strained and inten.se. "Drr name ihev call you when leetle when vou were a leetle girl?" She had hardly replied w hen he dropjied the tiller, and put both big arms around her. "Hedwig, Hedwig," he groaned. "My leetle girl Hedwig." He drew her white, wondering fact to his own. kissing her repeatedly on cheek and lips, until the wonder in her face gave way to fright. He took her in his r.rms. and rocked back and forth, the tears streaming down his face, and her name coming brokenly from his lips. Then she screamed, and he stopped, placing ber tenderly on the seat, and faced us. " Men,' he said, wiping bis eyes with the back of his hands. " I've found mine tiwn let-tie . daughter, that I fought was edetad. , That's all. Give may starboard. Back port". There was little trouble now in reaching the ' ship and at last this was accomplished and we saw Captain McTavish clasp the girl in his arms at the raO. Then, as we backed ' to the hanging falls, Finnegan, directing two to remain and book on, the rest to dimb, swarmed up the bow tackle hand over hand, and reached the deck. I and the others followed, and in a short time we had the boat up and secured. Though over seeing the job 1 paid little attention to it, being keenly interested in what was happen ing on deck. The captain, with one arm around the girl, stood at the main rigging holding himself steady with a grip on the fall of the maintopsail halyards, whose iron block and wire whip were but six feet above bis head. Finnegan was facing him. " I don't follow you," the captain was saying. "What are you talking about? I know nought o' your wife." " You lie," said Finnegan. " Where is the wife you stole from me w hen at sea ? Dene is the leetle girl my leetle egirl. Where it ler mutter? Speak, before I kill you with mine hands. " A cloud of anguish passed over the cap tain's face. He straightened up, looked wildly around at his crew, and said: "Come into the cabin if you want to talk in this man ner. We are before the men." " And we are before God Almighty," an; swered Finnegan, advancing a step. "We speak it out right here. Where is mine wife that you stole ?" "Who are you? What is your real name?" asked the captain, hoarsely. " Father of dat leetk girl. Who made her blind? Where is ber mutter?" Captain McTavish reeled, hanging tightly to the halyards. " You are Gurth .Ericaon," he said. " I a compelled to believe you. The mother is dead; she died ten years ago." It was the mate's turn to reel now, but be recovered himself as quickly. "And why did she say in der leteterrrom ' London dat der leetle. girl was dead? Answer me, or I kill you now." " "To stop your possible pursuit" "And what made my leetle girl blind?" "A sickness that left a blood ckvt en -the ' brain. She will never see again." "Neffer see again!" Ericson as be must be called now" stood silent, his face growing darker and bis eyes more lurid with thoughts that found a fit accompaniment in the rumbling thunder and fitful flashes around us. "Neffer see again," he snarled. Then with the whole expanse of his upper teeth showing under the upcurled lip, with fingers extended like claws, he sprang at the captain. But he did not reach him. A report like that of a hundred-ton gun j struck our ears, and in a blinding iflash -of light we all went down. There was a crack- ling crashing sound aloft, and eveJKeoiinirjy back I knew that the mainmast hadxbeen j struck hy lightning. As I scrambled to my feet, unhurt, the whole fabric above the lower J masthead went Iry the board, and, as the-top- j sail halyards slackened, . Captain McTaadsh, still supporting the girl, sank to the deck. I lexiked for Ericson; he was picking himself I up with the fiendish look .gone from bis-face, j and I sprang to the girl. But Ericson was there a second behind me. She was unhurt, but frightened, and ber, eyes turned from my face to Ericson 's, then ' back. , We lifted ber up, and her eyes wan-, dered about, resting on this object and that "What is it?" she asked. "What hap-1 pened ? I can see. My blindness is gone, but oh, it hurts!" She covered her eyes' with her hands." " You ran see! " roared Ericson, joyously. " My leetle Hedwig! You can seel Look at me. Tell me who f am, Hedwig?" She uncovered her eyes, looked doaey at his fare, and doubtfully said, "Gurth? I think I remember. Gurth." " Your father, Ftedwig," he said, soberly. " Your real father, from whom you were stolen." I seemed to be a third party. Turning awav for a moment I examined the captain. He was stone dead from the bolt that had re stored sight to the gfrl, and across his body lav the steel w ire maintopsail halyards. Three months later Captain Ericson and a bright eyed young lady stepped aboard after a visit to the consul. " Exonerated," he said, dryly, "rrom the charge of murder, or manslaughter, because of good seamanship in rigging a jury mainmast and getting the ship out of a storm center and to port. Also, made permanent skipper by cable from the owners. But I almost lost my c ase? " he lexiked quizzically at the smil ing girl "on account of this young person. I ought not have shown her to the consul. He said he didn't blame the mate, and if it wasn't sudden death he'd kiss her himself." " And he is an old, gray man," she said, earnestly. " And I am a voung one," I said. " We are all alike. Hedwig " "That's all right, young man," said Eric son, grimly. "But you'll learn navigation before you get this girl." 1 have learned it.
Greensboro Daily News (Greensboro, N.C.)
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May 26, 1910, edition 1
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