The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, October 9, 1904, Page 8

~HE SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALE: chidlin: t if they f apprehen Everybody those s of entering our sence, doing suct pigs are we re a particula e were | Daddy appeared greeted him at Yew got mon- the stereotyped Zberyting got. an war make b. Melic no g monkey bery dea However, as soon as Daddy was per- suaded that a mon y was de- sired he undertc »ply one; and, sure enough, n ng he brought one with him, a sinister-looking beast, about as large as a fox-terrier. He was secured by a thern collar and & dog chain to the rail of the fore- ma: and one or two the n of the T themselves by teasing him w almost fran- tic round where he was Jurking, g for the time sbout his presence. Seeing his op- ity he sprang on to my shoulder and bit me so severely that I carry his marks nc Swart with the pain, I picked up a small piece of coal and flung it at him with all the strength I coulé n nately for me I hit h on ? and made it bleed, for which crime I got well rope's that I —many months—a e who never lost a chance of doi an ill turn. He took tc ter at once, and was also on dding terms with one or two of the other men, but with the majority he s at open war. Nat chained up near his bunk, s, and at once commenced to him to go for the pigs. But one day Nat laid in a stock of eggs and fruit, stowing them as usual on the ehelf in his bunk. We were very busy all the morning on deck, so that I be- lieve hardly a chance was obtained by any one of getting below for a smoke. When dinner time came Nat went straight to his bunk to greet his pet, but he was nowhere 1o be seen. The of that d, though, was some- to remember. Jocko had been sing him y trying to make an omelette debris of two dozen eggs was strewn and plastered over the termingled with ecrushed p books, feathers out of Nat's swell pillow, yand several other things. While Nat was ransacking his memory for some language appropriate to the occasion a yell arose from the other side of the forecastle where Daddy ¥inn, a Liverpool Irishman of parts, had just discovered his week’s whack of sugar and the contents of a slush- pot pervading all the contents of his chest. Other voices soon joined in the chorus as further atrocities avere dis- covered, until the fo'c’s'le was like bed- lam broken loose. g is it ve’d be afther complainin® therin® ould cmadhaun. The iz that v ed ud be afther sich 2 hel ght ov a man’s : this. Not a blasted skirrick cover me nakidness wid e buocod relashin’. Only let me ds on him, me jule, thet's all, organ grinder you.” High above all the riot rose the wail of Paddy Finn as above, until the din grew so great that I fled dismayed, in mortal terror lest I should be brought into the quarrel somehow. It was well bunk, bananas, torn "HE SPRANG ON MY that I did so, for presently there was what sailors call a regular *“plugmush,” a free fight wherein the guiding princi- ple is“wherever you see a head hit it.” The battle was brief, if fierce, and its results were so far good that uproar- ious laughter soon took the place of the pandemonium that had so recently reigned. Happily I had not brought the dinner in when the riot began, so CISLLLNEL000: S / that still there was some comfort left. Making haste I supplied the food, and soon they were all busy with it, their dinner hour being nearly gone.- e punishment of the miscreant was un- avcidably deferred for want of time to look for him, for ke had vanished like a dream. But while we ate a sudden storm of bad language rose on deck. Hurrying (Copyright, 1904, by T. C. McClure. HEY had been engaged for a week. Felicla’s heart was full of the sweet wonder of it, yet her mind clung tenaciously to a the- ory imbibed in the unrecorded days that went before. It seemed a terrible theory now, but, bewildered though she was, she acknowledged its claim. “Jack,” she said solemnly, “an ‘en- gagement snould be the lightest, most easily broken thing in the world.” “Eh—what?” exclaimed her compan- ion in amazement, bringing his truant gaze back from the stretch of moon- lit country whose poetry seemed a symbol of his own happiness. “What's that you're saying?” “An engagement,” ‘she repeated gravely, “should be taken as an exper- iment, a trial. At the first suspicion on the part of either person that he or she has made a mistake, it should be broken.” An unconscious sigh expressed the relief she felt at getting this senti- ment off her mind. Another moment and he was leaning toward her, with her hands clasped firmly, almest roughly, in his, his voice sterner than she had ever heard it. “See here, little girl”"— At something that he saw in her face he stopped and his glance softened. “I see,” he said at last, with boyish relief. “It's only a theory. But you gave me a shock that made my heart sia still. I was just thinking how sweet and beautiful life would be—you and I together—always. I felt as if ‘Forever’ had already begun, and right in the midst of it you plum® down a remark like that, as if our engagement were an episode, a pastime. You didn’t mean it, darling. You"— Just here further words became un- necessary, buit later on Felicia returned to the subject. “Still, Jack,” she spoke in the thoughtful voice of a person who has been mentally occupied, with her sub- ject, “theoretically, it does seem right. Engagements are made to be broken, if they will break. More than that, I helieve. that when people are engaged ;l‘mey ought to see as much as pussi- ™ “Of each other,” he interpolated ap- provingly. “Of other eligible men and women,” she contiued calmly, “just to prove beyvond any possible chance that they really are the right persons—the final right persons. Every ' engagement should be thoroughly subjected to the third person test.” ~ » Jack frowned. It seemed to him that the dearest girl in the world was talking nonsense—chilling, analytical, disquieting nonsense. “I belleve in letting well enough alone,”” was his pointed commient, but long after he had turned his back upon the moonbeams that night and fallen into a deep and healthy slumber, Fe- licia sat at her chamber window, her chin pillowed on her hands, possessed 2 SHROoOU out to see what fresh calamity had be- fallen, we found the nigger cook fling- ing himself about in a frenzy of rage, while halfway up the mainstay, well out of everybody's reach, sat Jocko with a fowl that he had atched out of the galley while the cook’s back was turned and was now carefully tearing into fragments. Rushing to the stay, the men shook it till the whole main- ¥ THE THIRD PERSON by the thought that possibly, out in the great world somewhere, there was what she called her “ultimate love"— a man before whom Jack should pale as other men had befere him. Some ‘way, the thought made her eyes grow wide. “By the way,” said he when after breakfast the next morning he strolled over as usual, “the Danbys arrived last night and the mater sends word that you're to come back with me to meet Miss Danby. Oh, come on,” he continued as Felicia looked down at herself with debating eyes, “you needn’'t ever expect to look better than you do in that pink linen. It would be a work of supererogation if you did.” Thus beguiled, the young lady yield- ed, folowing him along the narrow path that skirted the hedges and talk- ing blithely enouglh, though she sald never a word of the thing that was nearest her heart. “Is she pretty? Is she fascinating? Do men like her?” were the questions that were running through her mind. Of course, as his mother’s guest, Jack would have to pay her a good deal of attention. “Hurry up!” she ordered suddenly, feeling a quick, breathless need to find out herself just how seductive Miss Danby was, and five minutes later she was greeting a tall, dark girl, whose eyes and smile nullified all attempts at criticism. Jack, too, seemed impressed by the unusual character of the newcomer’s charm. In repose, her face was almost ugly. Then she would turn-those won- H g mast vibrated, but the motion didn't appear to trouble the monkey. Holding the fowl tightly in one hand, he bound- ed up into the maintop and thence to the mizzen topmast stay, where for the time he had to be left in peace. As: soon as knock-off time came a hunt was organized. It was a very ex- citing affair while it lasted, but not only were the men tired, but that monkey could' spring across open spaces like a, bird-and catching him was an impossible task. ‘The attempt was soon givensup therefore, and the rest.of the evéning after supper was i devoted to Tepairing damages. For the nextythree days she was a lively ship. That:imp of darkness was like the devil; he'was eyerywhere. Like ,a/streak of gray lightning he would slide down a stay, snatch up something just laid down:and away,.alpft again before the robped;ome;realized what had happened. *All'sorts’ of ‘traps were laidfor him, butihe‘was far too wise to'be taken in any trap that was ever :{devised. ™ 'I was In terror of him night and day, for 1 feared that now he was free he would certainly not omit: to’ repay me for his broken pate.-.And yet it was I who caught” him. For the moment I had forgotten all ‘about ‘him, when, coming from,aloft:and dropping lightly with my .bare feet'upon the bottom of one of the upturned boats on:the roof of our house I saw something stirring in the folds of the main-topmast stay- sail that was lying there loosely hud- dled together. Leaping upon the heap of canvas, 1 screamed for help, bring- ing half a dozen men to the spot in & twinkling. Not without some severe bites was the rascal secured, and by means of a stout belt round his waist, effectually prevented from getting adrift again. I looked to see him summarily put to death, but no one seemed to think his atrocious: behavior merited any worse punishment than a sound thrashing except the cook and steward, and they, being our natural enemies, were, of coyrsé, ynh ", The fact is Jocko had, after his first performance, con- fined his attentions to the cabin and galley, where he had done desperate damage and made the two darkies lead a most miserable life. This conduct of hil, ¥ believe, saved his life, as those two funmctionariés were cordially de- tésted by the men for many reasons. At any; rate he was spared, and for some time led a melancholy life chained up onathe forecastle ‘head during the day and underneath it at night. Meantime we had sailed from Bom- bay and arrived at Conconada, where the second mate bought a monkey, a pretty tame little fellow that hadn't a Dbit of vice in him. He was so docile that when we got to sea again he was allowed to have the run of the ship. Petted by everybody, he never got into any mischief, but often used to come forward and sit at a safe distance from Jocko, making queer grimaces and chatterings at him, but always mighty careful not to get too near. Jocko never responded, but sat stolidly like a monkey of wood until the little fellow strolled away, when he would spring up and tear at his chain, making a guttural noise that sounded as. much like an Arab cursing as anything ever I heard. So little Tip went on his pleasant way, only meeting with one small mis- hap for a long time. He was sitting on deck one sunny afternoon with his back against the coamings of the after hatch, his little round head just visible above its edge. One of the long-legged, raw-boned roosters we had got in Con- conada was . prowling near on the never-ending quest for grub. Stalking over the hatch he suddenly caught sight of this queer little gray knob sticking up. = He stiffened himself, craned his neck forward, and then drawing well back dealt it a_peck }ike 2 miniature pickax falling. Well, that little monkey was more astonished than ever I saw an animal in my life. He fairly screamed with rage, while the rooster stood as if petrified with astonishment at the strange result of his investigations. Owing to the close watch kept upon Jocko he led a blameless life for months. Apparently reconciled to his captivity he gradually came to be re- ¥ By KEITH GORDON derful, coercing eyes upon you and smile, and forever after you watched and waited. Even in the first hour Felicia trem- bled for her supremacy. Covertly she noticed that Jack was as irresistibly attracted as she herself was. For ten whole minutes he had not once looked in her direction. “She has a lovely smile,” the latter observed craftily as her lover walked home with her. “Heavenly!” was his unsuspecting answer. “And her eyes! By Jove, 1 never saw such eyes! It isn’'t that they’re so beautiful, but it's what they say. .When she looks at you you feel as if you're It!” Felicia, walking behind him in the mnarrow path, felt suddenly bereft. She didn’t have eyes that made you feel that you were It. She didn’'t have a smile that even Jack grew enthusi- astic over. She was just pretty. “So unusual! She draws you in®&pite of yourself. I simply can’t keep my eyes off from her. She's fascinating.” On he went in the same strain, too absorbed expressing his interest and admiration to his other self to notice the forlorn brevity of her replies. “Not -to come over this evening?” he repeated in.surprise, when, at the door, she told him her wishes. “You must be crazy. Of course I'm coming.” But in spite of his protests she was obdurate, and he went away in a huff. If Felicla were capricious during the following week, Miss Danby was all a man could wish. In her society Jack’s wounded pride was soothed and TR comforted. She made him forget his worries and appear at his best. Once, and once only, he had a heretical thought. He wished Felicia were more like her. Then he winced at his own disloyalty. Dear, blue-eyed, sunny Felicia! A wave of tenderness swept over him and he determined to find out without further delay what was the impalpable shadow that lay between them ever since the Danbys came. “Well, by Jove!” he exclaimed aloud, a light dawning upon him. Then, as if there were really no use of trying adequately to express the wonder that the suspicion caused him, he. exclaimed again helplessly, “By Jove!” “And she is the lady who believes that an engagegent should be the lightest of ties; at engaged people should see as much as pessible of un- engaged ones. Oh, my eye!” and he threw back his head and roared with delight. That afternoon - they had it out. Felicia, with burning cheeks and flash- ing eyes, accused him hotly. “You've been perfectly daft over her from the first moment. There’s no use of denying it. You know you have, and our engagement—" She choked, and Jack, who stood looking down at her, his hands thrust in the pockets of his short coat, fin- ished the sentence. “Has stood the test of the Third Person,” he said in a teasing volce. Then he held out his arms, and after one startled, questioning glance, she went “to him. garded as a.changed animal who had repented and ‘forsaken his evil ways for life. But my opinion of him never changed. It was never asked, and I knew better than to offer it, but there was a lurking devil in his sleepy eyes that assured me if ever he got loose again his previous achievements would pale into insignificance before the feats of diabolical! ingenuity he would then perform. Still the days and weeks rolled by uneventfully until we were well into, the e weather to the north’ard of the line in the Atlantic. We had been exceptionally favored by the absence of rain, and owing te the exertions of the second mate, who was an enthusiast over his paint work, her bulwarks within and her houses : y dazzling white, with ny sheen like enamel. In fact, I heard him remark- with pardonable pride that he'd ver seen the paint look so well in all his seven voyages as the second of the Belle. Tenderl s If it were his wife's face, he wo go over that paintwork even in his watch below, and some cles spot of defllem s soon as it ap- peared. Tarri down was accom- plished without a spot or s upon the paint, and the decks having bee holystoned and varnished, the secc mate now began to breathe freel more dirty work remained to be and he would h a lot more to devote to his beloved white pai We had been ping along pre fast to the north'ard and one afterr the old man had all hands up to our winter suit of sails. Every n er’s son of them w aloft except and I was busy about the mainmast, standing by to attend to the running gear, as I was ordered from above. As they had hoisted all the saiis up befor: they had started aloft, they were a long time, as busy as bees, trying get the job finished. At last all was ready and down they came. One of them went for’ard for something and immediately raised an outery that brought all hands rushing to the spot, thinking that the ship was on fire or something. The sight they saw was a paralyzing one to a sailor. On both sides of the bulwarks and the lower panels of the house were great smears and splashes of Stockholm tar, while all along the nice blue covering board the mess was indescribable. With one accord everybody shouted: “That —— monkey!™ Yes, as they spoke there was a dull thud, and down from aloft fell a huge oakum wad satufated with tar. They looked up and there sat an Infernal object, hardly distinguishable for a monkey, being smothered from head to tajl end with the tnick glutinous stuff. But his white teeth gleamed and his wicked eye twinkled merrily, as he thought of the heavenly time he’d been having, a recompense for what must have seemed years of waiting. Too late the men now remembered that the tar barrel, its head completely out, had been left upended by the windlass, where it had been placed for conveni- ence during tarring down. It was there still, but leading from st in all direc- tions were streams of tar where Jocko had dragged away the dripping wads he had fished out of its black depths, I was never revengeful, but if I had been I should have felt sorry for the second mate, my old tyrant, now. He drooped and withered like a scarlet runner under the first sharp frost. Not & a word did he but he looked as it all the curses in every tongue that ever were spoken were pouring over his brain in a flood. Pursuit of the monkey was out of the question. Clambering over the newly tarred ging was bad enough when done with all care, but in .a chase, especially over places where it had been freshly enointed by the fugitive, we should have had all hands captured like flies on a gummed string. They all stood and glared at the mess like men not knowing how to adjust their minds to this new condi- tion of things, nor, when the skipper and mate came forward to see what was the matter, did they contribute any words good, bad or indifferent. Apparently they would have remained th 11 they dropped, fascinated by the horrible sight, but suddenly pierc- ing screams aft startled everybody. Jocko had crept down the mizzen rigging and pounced upon poor little Tip, who was delicately combing him- self (he was as daintily clean as a cat) on the after hatch. And now Jocko was perched on the cro’jack yard vigorously wiping his tar- drenched fur with Tip as if he had been a dry wad. The second mate started from his lethargy and sprang aloft to the rescue of his screaming pet with an agility scarcely inferior to that of Jocko. Rage seemed to give him emergy, for pres- ently he pressed Jocke so hard (he let poor little Tip go as soon as he saw his pursuer) that he ran out along the mizzen topsail brace and, balancing himself for a moment, covered his eyes with his hands and sprang into the sea. Bobbing up like a cork, he struck out away from the ship which was only just moving, but in less than five minutes he repented his rashness and swam back. A line was flung to him, he promptly seized it and was at once a captive again. The men were so impressed by his prowess that they refused to allow the second mate to touch him, nor did any of them even beat him lest they should have bad luck. But they revlaced the chafed- through ring he had broken by a mas- sive connecting link and when Jam- rach’s man came aboard in London Jocko was sold to him for five shillings. Tip went to the Crystal Palace and met a worse fate. done time