| 186 | 187 | 188 | 189 | 190 |
| 1 | 75 | 151 | 226 | 301 |
|
You know that sailors don't fly around worth a cent unless you swear
at them--so the mate that can do the best job of swearing is the most
valuable man. In great emergencies his talent saves the ship. But a
ship is a large thing, and he can't be everywhere at once; so there have
been times when one mate has lost a ship which could have been saved if
they had had a hundred. Prodigious storms, you know. Well, a ship can't
afford a hundred mates; but she can afford a hundred Cursing
Phonographs, and distribute them all over the vessel--and there, you see,
she's armed at every point. Imagine a big storm, and a hundred of my
machines all cursing away at once--splendid spectacle, splendid!--you
couldn't hear yourself think. Ship goes through that storm perfectly serene-
-she's just as safe as she'd be on shore."
"
"
"
"
"
"
It's a wonderful idea. How do you prepare the thing?"
Load it--simply load it."
How?"
Why you just stand over it and swear into it."
That loads it, does it?"
Yes--because every word it collars, it keeps--keeps it forever. Never
wears out. Any time you turn the crank, out it'll come. In times of
188
Page
Quick Jump
|