SEMI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE
A
"JVas There Any
thing I Could
Have Done?"
In the long nights of sorrow,
many a mother lias said again
and again: "Was there any
thing I could have done to
save my baby? Anything I
left undone?"
Oil, yon mothers with little babies
in your arms don't let that dull re
proach come to you again! Do what
you should do now. Learn that nine of
ten babies who die are not fed right.
Learn that the baby is blessed that
has its mother's milk, and for the baby
who cannot have that milk, you must
be careful of the substitute.
The milk of a cow, even if you are
sure it is clean and healthy, does not
suit the baby until much has been done
to it many necessary things added.
All this is done for you in
So like mother's milk the littlest
baby and the most delicate feels no
change. The best milk from cows
guarded and watched in our sanitary
dairies, purified and modified, with just
enough wheat, sugar and other neces
sary things added to make it the right
food for the baby,
whom it will make
chubby and rosy
and strong.
Cold water and
two minutes'
boiling prepares
it. Try it at our
expense. Send
the coupon for
complimentary
package of 12
feedings.
NESTl.K'9 root) roMI'ANY.
I0 Cbralr 8trrt. New York.
HriH ml iu. HIKE, j our book od trial pckte.
Name
AddreM
SIX BELLS AND ALL'S WELL
fanity among the men. This was at
the first; It was after he was thor
oughly secure in Miss Florence's
friendship that ho gradually dropped
his attitude of respect and answered
my orders slowly and sarcastically,
with a sneer upon his face and often
n laugh. It Irritated me, or course,
but until he committed some overt act
of Insubordination I could not repri
mand him.
Eventually, however, ho gave mo
my chance, just after we had crossed
the Line. Standing at the break of
the poop he roared out a string of
curses at the men at the braces. I
stood aft near the binnacle, and near
me stood Miss Florence, Ignoring me,
ns usual, while her father was below,
with his window wide open. But I
cared nothing for the presence or ab
sence of either of them. I was the
signed first mate of the ship, and my
orders had been disobeyed. Yet, not
doubting that It was chivalry that af
fected me instead of wounded self
esteem, I waited until the work was
done, and called out sharply: "Mr.
Taynter, I want to speak to you."
LIE turned and entered tho port
1 1 alley with darkening face.
"Mr. Taynter," I said, "you havo
broken the one rule aboard this ship
which must not bo broken. What
havo you to say? Do you mean to
disobey my orders?"
"Your orders?" ho answered loudly.
"Break your rulcst What have you
to say? What right havo you to make
rules for me to follow me, a man
who ought to be in your place, not
eating at second tablo "
"Steady, Mr. Taynter," I inter
rupted, as calmly as I could. "Thero
is no quarrel at present. I want to
know if you mean to disobey my rule
against tho use of profanity."
"I will if I like," he stormed; "and
as for a quarrel, there will be one
soon, and a short one. If you call mo
down again before tho men I '11
knock your block off and put you out
of business. Then wo '11 see who
makes rules."
"Do you mean," I said In a voice
rising in anger, "to threaten your
superior?"
"You my superior? Not on your
life."
"Wait a minute," I said, and went
down the poop steps to my room.
Pocketing my pistol one of the
newly Invented automatics I re
turned to the alley and faced tho
sulky second mate.
"Mr. Taynter," I said. "I admit that
you are the better man physically.
Your present offence will go down in
the log, and if It is repeated, and I
am nllve when wo reach Frisco, thero
will bo a complaint to the Commis
sioner, which will cost you your tick
et. On the other hand, if you strike
me, thero will be no complaint. I
will shoot you dead as soon as I am
able to. Seo this " I drew forth
the pistol and held it flat in the palm
of my hand "It carries ten car
tridges in tho handle. The whole ten
can bo expended In two seconds, and
each is warranted to go through ono
second mate and four grizzly bears,
or ono grizzly bear and four second
mates. Watch it."
Aiming over board I spat six bul
lets into the water in less than a sec
ond. He was visibly Impressed; ho
paled and stepped backward, but, as
I slipped the weapon into the pistol
pocket of my trousers, he gathered
himself for a spring. He did not even
begin It. I still clutched the pistol,
and quickly withdrawing It, I alined
for his face, pinning him in a half
irouched position. Slowly ho stood
erect, while I lowered tho gun and
pocketed It again.
"N'ow, you see," I said, "that I vo
saved your life by being the quickest
Furthermore. I can hit you on tho
forecastle deck from where wo
stand."
He did not answer, but the Captain
Continued from Page J)
did, coming along the alley to join us.
"What's all this shootin' for?" he
asked. "And all this talk o" shootln'
irons, and shootin' people?"
"My talk, Captain Hay ward," I an
swered, hotly; for I was angry at his
interference. "I have been promised
a thrashing by your superior second
mate, and I have promised him what
he will get if I survive It."
"I heard it all, from beglnnln' to
end. It seems you object to Mr.
Taynter's cussln' the men."
"I most certainly do, Captain."
"Why? You cuss men yourself,
don't you?
"Not in the hearing of a lady, sir,
and there is a lady aboard."
"Oh, well, she's .used to it; this is
her third voyage vP me, and has
heard a lot of It some from me, I
reckon. But it seems that I 'm tho
man, not you, to make a rule against
it."
"Nevertheless, sir, the rule is made,
and I insist that it be obeyed."
"Then fight It out yourselves, but
don't bring me into it. However, Mr.
Wilson John Wilson, as it would
read in court don't bo too sure o'
your rights In the matter. I shot a
man once when I was mate In self
defense, too, and served five years In
San Quentln. A good llckln' Is better
than a dose o' San Quentln."
The practical advice of tho old man
had cooled us down, but not to the
point of answering him. So, he went
aft and descended the companion,
slowly followed by tho second mate,
to the binnacle, while I moved myself
to tho extension of the poop where
ho had stood when cursing tho men.
It was in the last dog watch, and
the quick darkness of tho tropics was
closing down; yet thero was suffi
cient light for mo to seo Taynter and
the girl Btanding side by side near
the binnacle. It was his watch on
deck, and ho had a right to bo there;
so it was not this that sent mo down
to my room In a silent rage. It was
the sight of her beautiful face, lifted
up to his with a smile, and the sound
of her musical voice as they con
versed. "You're all kinds of a fool," I
growled at myself, as I reloaded tho
pistol and lay down In my berth for
a Bmoko. "Bill Hayward's daughter,
and used to It. Perhaps she can out
curse any man on board." So, despis
ing her now as much as I disliked
her, I smoked myself Into a cold re
solve to keep out of trouble, to let
Taynter curse all he liked, and to as
sist him at it if necessary.
DUT it was not necessary. Taynter
emitted no more billingsgate, and
we did not quarrel again, nor speak
to each other except at the change of
watches and in the matter of routine
work. He and Miss Florence seemed
as friendly as ever, but I could not
help seeing them and hearing them at
times. I noticed that she did not
smllo upon him as before, and that
her voice, when audible, held a plead
ing note. Only once did this plead
ing note become articulate; It was
when I was smoking In my berth in
the last dog watch and they passed
along the port alley together that I
heard her say through my open win
dow: "He will surely kill you If you
do."
"Shsh-sh," ho answered, know
ing, I suppose, that I was wlthlu
hearing.
"Got him galleyed," I chuckled, as
I rolled over on my left side to bring
tho hard pistol in my pocket from be
neath me. "No wonder she don't
smile any more."
But she did smile again, and not
only smiled, but laughed at him
when, two days later, carrying a
pitcher of water, he slipped on the
deck and drenched himself. Both the
girl and I saw the accident, saw him
sit up, a ludicrous picture of bewil
derment, and it was a full half min
ute before he got his breath and
strength to rise. Meanwhile peal
after peal of silvery, derlslvo laugh
ter came from tho girl, and I Joined
her in It; but as Taynter, after an
angry order to the watch as to
clearing up the wreck, marched aft
to his room with glowering mortifi
cation in his drenched countenance,
the girl's laughter took on a hyster
ical note, and she, too, hurried aft,
going below by the other companion.
I was amazed, but knowing nothing
about women except their inscruta
bility, put tho incident from my
mind. And I only mention it here
because it had something to do with
the events of the night and the fol
lowing morning, when I'lurvncr Iluy
mirtl spoke to me.
T'HOUGH it was my turn below In
the last dog watch, I kept the deck
until Taynter relieved me at eight
bells, when I went below, very tired,
and turned In, boots and all fall
ing asleep immediately. I lay on my
left side, to avoid the pressure of the
pistol, thus facing my open door, and
at the regulation time I awoke, my
drowsiness somewhat abated by the
short sleep, and waited to hear four
bells strike. But it did not strike,
and tho waiting and expectancy com
bined to waken me thoroughly, en
abling me to see distinctly In the
half light from tho cabin lamp the
figure of Taynter sneaking past my
door into tho forward cabin or mess
room. He had no business there at
the time and I sat up wondering.
Then I felt of my empty pistol pock
et, and rolled out on my feet, non
plussed and nervous, knowing my
protection was gone. I cautiously
peepeu arounu inrougn ine uoorway, t
then seeing that tho forward cabin
was empty, softly entered it. Sim
ultaneously a report sounded from
the after cabin, nnd in a moment the
swinging door flew open, and Taynter
burst through, staggering and stumb
ling, turned around onco and fell on
his side at my feet with blood stream
ing from his mouth and my pistol In
his right hand. He gasped and choked
a few times, then lay quiet In death,
and I picked up the pistol. Then
again the swinging door flew open
and the Captain appeared In his pa
jamas, coincident with the appear
anco of the steward from his room at
tho starboard side.
"What's this shootin'?" exclaimed
the Captain. "Oh, I see," he added,
glancing at the body and at the pistol.
"You've done it, as you said you
would, and you 'ro caught with the
goods. Steward, you 're a witness.
You see him standing over the man
he threatened to kill, with the gun in
his hand that killed him."
"Yes, sir," answered the steward,
his eyes popping in terror and horror.
"On the contrary, Captain," I said
calmly. "I did not kill him. He must
havo shot himself, after taking my
gun from my pocket while I was
asleep. I always waken at four bells
of tho middle watch, as I 've told you,
and this time I saw him sneak past
my door Into the cabin. Then I
missed my pistol, and followed in
here just in time to hear the report
from the after cabin; then he
stumbled through the door with my
gun In his hand."
"Tho h 1 you say. It don't happen
to be four bells."
I looked at the double faced clock
above tho door In the bulkhead be
tween the two cabins. It was sir
bells three o'clock in the mornlnc.
My mental alarm had waited one
hour.
"I cannot help that, sir," I an
swered. "I awoke just as he passed
my room. I saw this forward cabin
empty, I heard the shot from the
after cabin, and saw him tumble
through the door and fall dead with
my gun in his hand. I picked up m
property a second before you cam-'
through the door."
"But why did he steal your gun an-l
Your rlk 1 iinall thf niltrrtltrr'n grrat.
