Show e F C t THE iv- iv PROMOTION O OF P PPL PL THE ADMIRAL AND OTHER OTHERA SEAND SEA A COM COMEDIES DES DESBy E By Bv Morley Roberts Author of The Tha Colossus Tho The Fugitives Fugitive Copyright Hot 1909 1908 by v TA The Ourt Curtis Publishing Company Copyright 1908 by v L L. L O. O Page d' d C Company Incorporated Continued T Yet he did his duty like a a. man Though many things were strange to him he tumbled to them rapidly t 3 Jr One of his fads had been doing orna ornamental ornamental mental work even when he was an 1 J admiral and he put fresh pointing i on the poop ladder rails for Cor Blaker in ina iny y V. V S a way that brought every one to look r at it There was no one on board x who could come within sight of him himat himat at any fancy work and this so pleased Jp Simpson that the admiral never had hada f a cross word till they were south of rf i the Horn Then by chance the mate mates mate's s 's E e t and the captain had a a few words i which ended in Simpson getting much V l the the worst of the talk As luck would i have It the admiral was the handiest 1 to vent his spite on and Simpson J s fr Y x l caught him a smack on the side of the theW W head that made him see stars t Dont stand there to what damned lazy r dont don't concern you you wI hound he said And when the admiral ad- ad J miral picked himself off ott the deck a- a him The t Simpson made a rush for I admiral dodged him and shot up the fF t poop ladder He took off ott his cap to the captain while Simpson foamed t i on the main deck and called him In vain At any other time Blaker would t. t have gone for the seaman who dared t to escape a thrashing for the moment moments s Y by desecrating the poop but now he was willing to annoy Simpson t Well what do you want he roared The admiral made a a. really elegant I- I bow Well sir I wanted to know whether K er Western Ocean custom goes herer here r Ive been told that If I can thrash your j mate I shall have his bis job They say r. r Y forward that that's your rule and if i so sir I should like your permission i. i to send Mr Simpson forward and take takei i k his place r There was something so open and andi 1 Ingenious in the admiral that Captain Blaker for the first time record a on yr i burst into a shout of laughter He f went to the break of the poop and addressed addressed ad ad- J 1 t dressed the matel mate l t Do you hear Mr Simpson he Inquired inquired In in- genially Send him down sir said Simpson r Are you sure you can pound g him Simpson gritted his teeth and w foamed at the mouth I Kick him off ott the poop sir p The admiral spoke anxiously td t. t Is it a bargain 7 Im a first-class first navigator sir Is Isit lIt jit it a bargain And Blaker who had never liked Simpson laughed till he ho cried i j Are you willing to stake everything Ion Jon your abilities Mr Simp Simp- loon Icon And when Simpson said t I son Aye through his teeth the admiral jumped I down on the main deck Now according to all precedents the fight should have been long and arduous with varying fortunes But the admiral never regarded precedents precedents precedents and inside of ten seconds Mr Simpson was lying totally insensible under the spare topmast To encounter encounter encounter ter the admirals admiral's right was to escape death by a hairs hair's breadth and it took Charles Simpson Able Seaman eaman vice Mr Simpson Chief Officer two hours and a quarter to come to And I that he could fight light said the disgusted skipper Come right up Mr your name youre you're the theman theman theman man for me There aint no reason for you to trouble about my second mata for Simpson could lay him out easy All I t ask of you Is to work the whole crowd up good And I dont don't care if you are an admiral you are the right sort all the same I guess that Simpson must have reckoned he struck a cyclone And Blaker rubbed his hands Like Simpson at the fight between the admiral admiral ad ad- miral and Knight he did not know when he had enjoyed himself more He Improved the occasion by going below and getting far too much to drink as was his custom And the promoted admiral took charge of the deck Ability tells anywhere said Sir Richard Dunn I didn't rise in the service for nothing Ship me where you will and Ill I'll come to the top If I x dont don't take this hooker Into New NewYork NewYork NewYork York as captain and master Ill I'll die in the attempt He had quite come to himself and was beginning to enjoy himself His natural and acquired authority blossomed blossomed blos bIos wonderfully when he took on the new job and as Blaker never swore swore the admirals admiral's gift of language was a great vicarious satisfaction to him Wiggins accepted the situation without a murmur Even Simpson himself bore no malice when his s sup sup- p- p planter not only showed none but after after af af- ter knocking the bosons boson's head against a bollard gave his bis place to the former mate Though he kept the men working working work work- ing and got the last ounce out of them none of them were down on himI himI him I r tell you h hes he's s 's an admiral sure they said Hes got all the ways of one I Iown Iown Iown said Bill BIlI old wars man own an man I I spoke to an admiral myself once or rather he spoke to me What did he say asked the rest of his watch He said replied Bill proudly proudly he he upped and said You eyed cross-eyed son son of a dog If you dont don't jump Ill I'll bash the ugly head off you And you bet betI I jumped Oh hes he's all the ways of some admirals he has Well admiral or none said the rest of the crowd things goes on pleasanter than they done when you was mate Simpson And Simpson grunted And he gets more work out of us than you done either Simpson for all your of us mr Ill IlI likely be some of you again shortly said Simpson And Andas as he was cock of the walk walkin In the whatever he was in the ship the others dried up Nothing of great interest happened till they were well east cast of the Horn and hauled up for the northward run And then Blaker took to religion or what he called religion and rum in equally undiluted doses Im a miserable sinner I am am he said to the admiral but all the same Ill I'll do my duty to the crowd Ho called them aft and preached to them for two hours And when one man yawned he laid him out with a well well- well directed belaying pin The next day when It breezed up heavily and they were shortening sail ItIC 1 o 1 f 1 1 if T. T 14 ri j he called all hands down from aloft on the ground that their souls were of more importance than the work in hand Come down on deck you miserable ble sinners said sald Blaker through a speaking trumpet His voice rose triumphantly triumphantly tri trio above the roar of the gale Come down on deck and listen to me For though Im I'm a miserable sinner too theres there's hopes for me me and I for you theres there's none unless you mend I your ways in accordance with what Im I'm telling you Even with the speaking trumpet he could hardly make himself heard over the roar of the increasing gale and the thunderous of th the topsails topsails topsails top top- sails in the spilling Dont you think sir that that they'd they'd better make the topsails fast before you speak to them said the admiral No I dont don't replied Blaker not Blaker not much I dont don't not by a For If one of em went overboard Id I'd be responsible responsible re re- before beCore the throne And dont don't you forget torget it Dam Damme me hes he's mad said Sir Rich Richand Richard and ard mad ard mad as a march hare Shell She'll be shaking the sticks out of f her soon He leant over the break of the poop and called up Wiggins Mr Air Wiggins one word with you Wiggins came up as Blaker roared his text through the trumpet Will wm you stand by me Mr Wiggins Wiggins Wig Wig- gins if I knock him down and take command 1 I will but mind his gun said Wiggins When hes he's very bad hell he'll shoot It was not any fear of Blaker's six six- shooter that made the admiral hesi hesi- tate To take the command even from a madman at sea is a ticklish task and may land a man in goal for all his being a Shanghaied admiral I tell you Mr Wiggins that Simpson Simpson Simpson Simp Simp- son is a good man Ill I'll bring him aft again And Wiggins made no objection when Simpson was called up by the admiral i. i Mr Simpson said the mate this is getting past a joke Have you any objection to taking on your old job if I secure this preaching madman n and take command Simpson was full Cull up of the and as he had a very wholesome admiration admiration ad ad- for the admiral he was by byno byno byno no means loth to return to bis his old quarters Im with you sir In another quarter quarter ter of an hour we shall have have the sticks out of her And still Blaker bellowed Scripture down the wind He was still sUlI bellowIng bellowing bellow bellow- Ing though what he bellowed wasn't Scripture when Simpson and Wiggins Wiggins Wiggins Wig Wig- gins took him down below after five minutes of a row in which the deposed deposed deposed de de- posed captain showed something of his ancient form as the terror of th the Western Ocean As they went the admiral now promoted to being captain captain captain cap cap- tain of a Cape Horner picked up the battered speaking trumpet and wiped some of the blood from his face which had been in collision Up aloft with you and make those topsails fast he roared Look alive men look alive And they did look alive for Dicky Dunn never needed a speaking trumpet trumpet trum trum- pet in any wind that ever blew When things were down and the California was walking north at an easy but tremendous gait galt he felt feIt like a man again He turned to Simpson and Wiggins with a happy smile Now were we're comfortable and things are as they should be Mr Simpson let the men have a tot of grog And hows how's Mr Blaker Waal said Simpson cheerfully when we left leCt him he exactly what you would call religious nor re re re-o signed But if It Blaker was not happy the admiral admiral ad ad- miral was thoroughly delighted Now you see what I said was true he declared at dinner that night if it itI I hadn't been an admiral and a man born to rise how could I have been shipped on board this ship as a foremast foremast foremast fore fore- mast hand and come to be captain in six weeks Ill I'll be bound you n never ver heard of ot a similar case Mr Simpson I 1 or I 11 J K r. ji l' l 1 P hl rI- rI rII v y f fi If oJ And Simpson never had hal Was it Shanghai Smith do yon yoa lIW think as put you here he asked h The admiral had heard of Shanghai Smith in the When I get back Ill I'll find out he said And If it was Ill I'll not trouble 3 the law Mr Simpson I never allow S J Jany any man to handle me without getting more than even You dont don't said Simpson If his his' manner was dry it was sincere But I dont don't bear malice afterwards Your health Air Mr Simpson This kind of trade bre breeds ds good seamen after all But you are all a trifle rough y Simpson explained that they had t to to- be i When the owners owners' scheme is to 1 have one man do three mens men's work they have to get men who will make em do it And when the owners get 1 iJ 3 ti f I J j f men meni Look alive alive alive- a bad lame and their ships a worse then men like JIke Shanghai Smith have to J find us crews If you could get back to and hammer an owner owner owner own own- er some som of us w would uld be obliged to J. J you sir Ah when I get back said the ad ad- 1 miral This will be a remarkable remarkable- yarn for me to t tell ll Mr Simpson I 1 s still feel In in a kind of dream Would you oblige me by going to Mr Blaker k kand and telling him that him that If he continues to hammer at that door Ill I'll have the hose turned on him And when Simpson went to convey this message the admiral put his bis feet on the table and indulged in a reverie Ill make a note about Shanghai Smith and settle with him in full i But I shall rise higher yet I know know- Its It's in me Steward steward 1 Yes sir said the I think Ill I'll have some grog r J He drank to the future of Admiral p Sir Richard Dunn master of the Cali CaU- t LL fornia To be coI continued |