| Show THE PROMOTION OF THE ADMIRAL mcgl by morley roberts author of the colossus Colo saus the fugitive copyright 1903 by the currii company 1903 by I 1 C page Ss company incorporated continued I 1 believe I 1 see something out there said the astronomer feebly you are always scein said simpkins crossly but as he he looked round and almost cropped his oar wake up captain he shouted here s a barque almost so we could touch her the skipper roused up and with 1 the rest they jumped to their feet sit down sit down you gang of idiots said the captain dye want to capsize usa oh we are saved we are saved said the ethnologist tor within half a mile of them a vessel lay with her main topsail aback there was noth ing odd about her to the uneducated eye but the skipper looked at simp tin and simpkins looked at the derelict said both tor with such a light breeze it was absurd to see a barque with nothing set but a close reefed main topsail and fore topmast staysail hanging in hanks like a wet duster she has seen us said the ceolo gist been your grandmother said the skipper rudely there aint a soul aboard her and he s waterlogged and loaded with lumber out of hall tax and she s a northerner and about alx lx hundred tons register get the oars out it her flecks are awash she 11 be better than this boat by the time they came within a ca me s length of her it was broad day light and the least maritime member of any european scientific society was able to form an opinion as to her being a derelict As she rolled the water came out of her scuppers for her main deck was almost level with the sea tart of the gear was let go and most of the yards were chafing through their the maintop gallant yard indeed was only hang ing by the tie and the lifts and came crash against the mast every time the sea lifted the vessel s bows halt the bulwarks were gone and the remains of the displaced dek de k cargo showed through the gaps As they got up to her she ant right aback and came round slowly on her heel row up close sir said simpkins and III jump no baid capitain not with this lot I 1 wouldn t go near her with a crew of misfits like these not tor money W e 11 go a bit closer and you must swim and in ten minutes simpkins was on board he threw the end of a vang across the boat and they brought her astern thank heaven said the men of science as they trod the slippery deck of the kamma funder belonging to copenhagen but their troubles were only just beginning the skipper walked aft on the slip pery deck and climbed upon the poop by way of the rail tor some of the loose lumber had dislodged and smashed the poop ladder when he found his toot upon his native heath he was once more captain joseph in all his glory and turning about he addressed the crew simpkins he said you are chief officer second officer and bo son and don t you forget it As for you others have you know that youre the crew just drop any kind of height ened notion that you are passengers and well get along easy but it you don t look out for squalls simpkins turn this useless lot to throwing the remains of the deck cargo overboard and try a couple of em at the pumps maybe her seams may have closed up again by now and going aft to the scuttle be disappeared from view well said the geologist of all the infernal oh stow that cried simpkins and turn to you re here ain t you and lucky you should consider your self and the captain s a man of his word as I 1 know so loop and pass this bloomin truck over the elde the miserable crew looked at each other in despair come now said simpkins ampa wake up do you want me to report you chaps as duty the geologist who was the young est and sturdiest man in the crowd eald that he did but the astronomer and the entomologist remonstrated with him 1 I think we d better said the un happy insect man this seems a regular brute he Is said the astronomer and I 1 pray to heaven that he find any rum on board but heaven did not listen and the captain presently came on deck with a flushed face simpkins roared as his head appeared over the edge of the scuttle yes sir said the new mate Is that lumber over the side yet quick for dawds sake said simpkins and the reluctant men of 1 A a ki A science commenced sliding the boards over its going sir answered simpkins goin said when he got his hands on the after poop rail coln I 1 should say so what a crowd oh you miserable things shape o 0 get you into condition make sailors of you get two of these boosters on to the pumps and see if she s leakin very bad and then well make sail this ere kamma funder wont make a quick passage but bv the time were picked up or sail er ome make you chaps fit to ship in the worst cape hortner that ever sailed he turned away but stopped and when the s clear simpkins you can let cm eat what they can get there s plenty of biscuit but mighty little else now then you stars pump and the astronomer and entomologist pumped for their lives while the sea round about the waterlogged barque was whitening rapidly with many thousand feet of nova lumber for when the captain was out of sight simpkins was encourage ing and talked what he told them was horse sense you wants to get bark ome to your families don t you he asked and to your instruments and your usual ways of livin why of course you does then buck up an I 1 pitch in and learn to do your dooty I 1 m no a hard man I 1 can make allowances I 1 know you dian didn t ship to do this but it s conr luck and you must now then do the deck just lay into this pump all of you and sound er again and as good luck would have it there soon appeared some reason tor hoping that the leaks in the kamma funder had closed bainy said simpkins well ave er like a witch yet chuck yer selves into it and call the cap tain but the captain was fast asleep in the bunk of the late skipper what s become of her crewe asked the new crew as they sat round the deck and ate their biscuit took off a steamer said simpkins you see they ve left their boats and the captain says the ship s papers as gone so they was took off for sure 1 als h we were taken off said the weary astronomer come I 1 bessay replied the consolatory simpkins but it we sails er ome well get salvage and your time wont be wasted so cheer up and let s make sail while a couple of you keeps the pumps a gom fhe wind by now was a light north westerly breeze and though the barque worked heavily and wallowed in the sea took her as she went round and put the geologist at the helm keep the wind in the back your neck said simpkins to the nervous helmsman and loose the foresail he jumped up aloft and loosed the fe and two fore topsails corn ing down he got the scientific crew to work here you ketch hold of this and pull there that will do belay tie the thing tip I 1 mean on that thing you silly ass and the member of the royal so biety who was thus addressed for the first time since he had left school made the starboard foresheet tore sheet fast to the theat you ain t such an ass as you wants to mal e out said simpkins as he watched him critically me and the captain alu soon put you chaps in shape now then all of you fore topsail alli ards stretch it out and lay back which of you can singa they declared that none of them could then I 1 must said simpkins and he gave them the chanty handily boys so handy until he had the topsail well up and just as the crew were looking aloft with a strange new feeling of actual pleasure in seeing results grow under their hands a sudden row arose aft the captain was interviewing the geologist steer small said captain don t work the bally wheel as if aliu was a chaff cutter I 1 m doin my best said the man of science and I 1 beg you will speak to me civilly speak to you how I 1 like said I 1 tell you a while back as you a passenger no more but one of my crewe sir said the geologist I 1 beg that you will be so good as to refrain from speaking to me I 1 am not accustomed to be talked to in that tone captain gasped and walk ing hurriedly to the side en leanored leav ored to pull a fixed belaying pin from the rail after three or four trials he came to a loose one by this time the kamma funder v as yawing all abroad and when captain came to wards the wheel again the geologist let go and in his turn sought tor a weapon the captain caught the wheel in time to prevent the vessel getting right aback and roared mutiny mutiny simpkins and the scientific assoria alon came running aft simpkins shrieked ketch hold of that geological chap I 1 dare either of you to touch me said the geologist the first one that does III brain him he held the iron pin firmly and looked desperate come and ketch hold of the wheel said in a choking voice no don t let him said the of tender and a violent argument a ose this is perfectly scandalous said the meek astronomer and we wont put up with it cried the entomologist I 1 must obey orders said simpkins or murder you screamed the skipper it he lets go she 11 be took aback geologist knocked the captain down oh cried the pathologist I 1 be eteve youve killed him I 1 hope so said the hero of the occasion with rather a pale face I 1 m not going to ire bullied by any coarse brute of a sailor but he s the captain said simp uns but mutiny was in their hearts but all talked at once and the pathologist felt the captain s skull to see whether it was still sound will he dieb no said the doctor he has a skull like a ram s take him below and lock him in said the astron omer and we can argue with him through the door it was a happy thought and even simpkins in spite of his ingrained re for the lawful authority of the most lawless skipper approved the suggestion you aint all so soft as you look said simpkins and it 11 be a lot of trouble we don t care said the men of science and then the captain let go and rushed for the geologist simp bins broke from the astronomer and caught the spinning wheel just as the the lumber went overboard said simpkins but the sea does bring the devil out in a man tt so be he s got any and aney carried captain joseph down below As his cabin door would not lock they short pieces of sawed lumber between it and the other side of the alley way its said simpkins but it s done and maybe he 11 cool off when he comes to and finds bis ead aching but nevertheless the situation was not pleasant and no one was quite certain as to what should be done hold a committee meeting said the entomologist to be continued |
