A POSSIBLE STORY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2403, 3 December 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

A POSSIBLE STORY.

“Talkiso of life proservers,” said the truthful mariner, as he knocked the ashes out of his pipe, 11 you remember the old steamer Roustabout that used to run from Buffalo to Chicago. I was mate on her the year before she was lost. We were about sixty miles out from Chicago when Mike Linogan, who was doing something up on the mast, fell, struck on his head on the roof of the cabin, and bounced clean out into the lake. Well, the captain ho sec him fall, and he stopped and backed that old Roustabout quickor’n you say ‘ scat.’ Mike went down like a plummet, for ho was knocked insensible, and I know’d there was no use to heave a life preserver for him, sol just hurried up the boys in getting the boat down, although I did’ut expect it ’ud do much good. Wo had Jim King on board, passenger from Chicago. You remember Jim King, don’t you ?” “ Can't say that I do,” remarked a bystander. “ Well, Jim was champion quoitthrower iu them days. He’s dead now, poor fellow, but Jim was a boss on throwing quoits. I toll you quoits were a groat game them days. Every village had a (quoit club, and the boys on the farm used to throw boss shoos. It was something like base ball in those times, although I never could sec as much fun iu base ball as I could sec in a good game o' quoits.” “ Oh, come off,” cried the impatient listener. What did Jim do, or did ho do anything ? Did the man drown ?” “ Now, don’t bo too fly. Who's tellin’ the yarn ?” “ Well, you don’t seem to he.” “ Co on 1 Go on !” said the crowd. “ Well, you know, in quoits a ‘ ringer ’ was when you put the quoit round the stake. It counted double. Well, Jim, he |)ieks up the round life preserver—it’s like a great big quoit, you know—and as the uap’n came running aft, Jim he siuga out, 1 Cap’u, I’ll bet you fnlol I’d make a ringer on that man if he comes up within the length of the line.” “ Bet you 20dol you can’t,” said the cap’ll. “Take you,” said Jim, and just atthet miuit up bobs Mike’s head about (iOft astern. Jim threw, and I’ll bo darned if that life preserver didn’t go plump over Mike’s head clear down on his shoulders, and there it struck. Wc got down the boat and when wo got to

Mike he hadn’t come to yet and didn't for some time after. He’d been a goner if he hadn’t been fur that ringer, although it took the skin offen Ids nose.” “ Did tho Captain pay the 20dol?” “Pay it? You jist bet he did. And Jim he handed it over to Mike and Mike he blew it all in when we got to New York. I wish some of it was here now fur I’m mighty dry. Thanks. Don’t mind if 1 do.”