IN THE CAPTAIN'S CABIN

Evening Star, Issue 17032, 1 May 1919, Page 8

IN THE CAPTAIN'S CABIN

(All TtSgbts Reserved.)

By Captain Walter Masxixo I" Jonto M'Quade "). He- was a gold-bug! About the time when W. J. Br van. the silver-tongued American orator, * travelled ]B,ftX) miles •■a sin election, campaign folk* tjiat " Humanity mast not tie crucified on a cross of gold," and a State bank -was one of the planks m the platform of the iN'cw Zealand' Progressive Liberal Association. He frequently had the floor and " the fort,** in my cabin, in defence ox "a gold iia-i's:*' Currency problems may bo (as a friend of mine," who is a line.il descendant of Mrs paid. " Very obtu.«o." But they were then cuirent topics, and any of them formed u* good a bone for cheerful contention a? amthing else. The Gold-bug and T foun 1 ourselves after many discussion:-, in the posit i-ons ot leaders ci opposing taction*. We lead up the subject, and whether we fully understood it or not, ire could talk it. _ He ■uioil to come on board my ship, spoilingfor » fL'ht. Mid, 33 what he Liekti in logic he made up lor in fluency, he of'ri gave me a hard time. One everunjr he L-aacht i e alone. He took his i=o<it uv the tottee. and I ho uni.il "«=et-to" commenced. The rUht ivai line, but theio \vas a moderate beam sea. I was in good form. For half an hour we pounded each other; then T grined the advantage, ramtniiu ai fitment after argument and point after point into him. ilis fluency det-erted Ir.m. to beanie silent, pale. \md i't-eit. 1U hcrige.l upon the cu-hintis, and. hj. ci i been pre»i t. ■would have b"in "" c>i tiled out"—a omInted man. Ncor before had I seoied such a vietety! Saudenlv, he se'-urpbVd to h".< lot. and. stvins:. "l-iseise me i. inh.iit ," huir.edly left the rr.bni. and—vomited .11 —;■ ai 6n.inv.rts over the sh.p's -:Je I Cruel, but very fin;ivy were the sittia-ri..i-a I often found my-. If hi. One Utile jriidcct. which made- me fr.voi.ihio to the system cf sipied kiHtt-- and .at.c'as, is wt-rth /cording. A very old nieou, whe> held 'differei.' r'-.nloEs'from pi;, self • n r iuy sttbjei ts ( aid fr--qnorii]y t-rn.v ot:t m the Kilkenny ,«.idi-miis that ?o off it rased in iny i ion' 1 , tnmed up t.nt sprite.il\ and d ttiered me tor r-rtnuneni on a t-me up "i v. ho a be was r<j I.c-t----i: U s-i 1 -u ;.;n that [ hive •what (O.ored cattail he w.s trailing, but i had written an aiicr.yrncris artitie on the -iibj.it. ]t h-,1 been accepted by one - : the d »ily paper.-, and appealed in that rrioriiiiii:'? ia-tie, a- cony of which lac ujnjii my tame. Theie had been a speU of fozyy v e ttu-r. I was uted. and v.anted bb *'p r-< le than talk. Si. when he oiernd tire, I languidly handed him the newspaper, and. without tjlun. h:m who the author was, said: "Trtere's. an aitide- that contains til the I can advance —lead it lie Li..hbcd i: ea_;e;!y, and ii m is amusing t> «..teh hv face a» he read. At tne termination re exciu die banned the paper on the ■-ettee. -and exclaimed r ''The fellow who Mivte that is u. b.u.y foe-' '." ******* "Don't play to the gallery, ci \ou may f.'.U into the pit." was sometimes broughthome to me through lamentable experiences, springing too often from thinjrs that- hau.'bitter"have l>ctn left tin-aid. or bare been differently exrre.-s-ed. One unfc rtnnate comparison that I reitn tted as soon ;.3 it was made dipped fioru me m my Kotomahana da>"3. "UTien ju f di ci"? o it t m the u -t t Welhngton w* or k bull « vporcs '■tie- Chr t hi- " n I t tt d ui eiDle c t ' l ntn n two n>i -> n l kev 8-L.d i ih4of Ltme t u t t i pi rui. 1 i ui c in i th > »d a 1 c t 3 1 te V t in t i 1 t 1 ir% t \i o. t m»"t b * it i _<"* a.id V "i r tr ke-x J ken it rai i fccts t the* Tcaii id t - hi In th ft t d v a t» t impeded m t Vt th ■ve se 1 d lit a'ot _ mt an 1 ' tt cm f ■> b aid F it vh n 1 % i- ]1 t t nr r«lt tr-D i Oitton.re-1*- f cnrtd In tun j it -c-io lan out i lb hj it d i _ 1 o„.:kI hfd Ihe oi tpm i hi e ork usr Tnau c e ed i v ol <ia\ t t i e; j cd 1 tin* tie ca-b n d tl t c il \ a d then rente un hit tn u -eliwa 10 ie eff the wL Hi nca ii i> a sndr lnou n ifj i 1 r i m lie nt i ?hn lee en tl e Me ri-f i fl -t no en tie ' n ke It \ ao sim-ilr r L id r *1 + v*> 1 could i o V\ i veiouflo u' ut hm Hoi t.re I rj 3 % Dtm n r 1 (offl a r) mudo ~> c 1 -. e 1 ! Nt n-. -o T vckctl L -a. up a= I c d t 1 e < i un witamuj c" t'e l u f V e- TO i o - t tuc Hell 1 II t-r tt- b n (r t v jig ■" i t'eK he" I r 2S 1 >\) t J hj.. t-e 1 te pto "-It Tied to pit r v i 1 a» i n „-ac i i "t 1 l 'Hi i d o i t t i fT n> u I V n e < m i 1 Ii m it hj tn n ' V\ iu i- o ob o iti i~ I s d f ,h d n i r 11 t t = r I* a-> r \ i -> u ml s " nr T f f t o I pi I c-v i r^ i . m ke\ J ■* «■ * * -"■ X Ihio i o-. hj i t n_n . toy a toe c i-c ai e tot n 1-flaprjpos 1 ei jut 'or hi t> el the lead n^ ' i ' no ii » Idi 1 i hum if a 1 c ill 0 her } ua nn f irt i Ut i 'cd \hile n lie r en -.)"> e v -k- •• tne it J^n f = trl re til t«s.(oe lhe tt. 1 -o ice tf j t e t the" * 6 o"e e'jie <r ° u b inn is i 4 c i>e err hj« m u. ; n 11 » lut3, ' ko o"= o 0 t_ H t I I i der 7wo Fl i?o' io\e' i t i on i lit 3 B-a'-e tn w<i3 ab tvadcud] imp -s.* that tmie a'j natet i >. ah v " hi it er she e—=; "> •si- e t"< i m r hi » Jm hm-dl Tl "i \" SLir-cv jli t I 1 I 1 lj * OV€L 1 lor-e —i datk tr-e -oila tl o t »• LtsLnte s ra v th" t n ] p Jk t't so' <l 1 t r Imt cm n iHh a IJLjste il tiu „'i u 1 Hit. u; „ ii. t c r m tent ro i J c ten i l the JtK.*o\ hei 1 i ' 1 v l ' i » ft} S D 1 -f ft" Tie i i 'nc' " ' t -urt "AS hi* t. Cj t*v {/ ui [ ' t i- rot! 1 Kl-f l ii 1 hi i * it OS -"• tre *. c t tr ii l i vf tl 3 L.nd * I' i m T-tv O l ~ -d hj i I heio rn e £2O to 1 t d t n u i t-rO to an oti-e •V r 1 u ft i i u hj e tt sV iota at " il i tie i e ir 1 let b * 10-td Jl c il v? vt th and wc €<->>J" t a.i v. T at mc i t^e cocsp rat-r » t l \ i n i 1 1' exl ted il CiX |H/TtiJ3 c y if i tt r i c ft O TMOT * t t ] r i t [[OUEV l& pass *j f- i n tcvi s "ji s o huv in >l. t i.i What c u i u u i in tv viri ft ha t e pa d in io rull tout Ths *ero Ui 1 ) <vu ip i n* a to ward > " n b it iujji-mI I) 1 roa thick liasn i Tie «ewuio. < oi-y % j, * ij. n c br a /m«r aT tra-e ier F i'p: 1 i e'i n Cin-fcchurti qui tr < ir Wic i v„ too the wit" i « mi indinl « i partner fo 1 * t v e ctai u. im Ii ■> i tend It-'TTfl' 'ecived i t p f a" to l the men from Comtecticut to procure* the tickets., Squeezed and jambed by fhe crowd, he at last reached the lit!'-.' tote window, and Mid: "Two tickets on No. 11, -please." Whether it- was his particular intonation, er whether the totalisaior clerk was flustered by the rasa is not known., but he jrabt*ed the money and slapped down two •ickete on No. 7, the Yankee not noticing the mistake till he was clear of the crowd. Returning, the American found tha bell had sounded and the box was closed. Disgustedly the two disappointed sports moved down to see the race, anathematising the stupidity of the tote clerk. Listlesslv they watched till the horses were tearing up the straight to the winningpost. Then they cheered and waved their fiats. Xo. 11 was in the hack rock and |io. 7. leftHing by a neck, Kpurted ahead and.passed the- i>ost a ivinner by a length.

After "drawing a £23 dividend the American made an early appearance at the totalisatcr before the-next race, and, smiling agreeably at the clerk as he put down the two notes, said, in drawling tones i , '* Yoa Us—jest—give me—any iwrmber yon like."'