on the Ship bord. Jan. 9.
Friend Al: Well Al I guess theys a million peopl wishs they was a pitcher like me and what do you think Im wishing now Al Im wishing I wasent no pitcher at all but a catcher and if I had of been a catcher and not no pitcher I wouldent be in no danger like Im in now. May be Al you wont know me the next time you see me and may be my face will be diffrunt and it will ether be me or some body else a long on the trip thats got to suffer and its just my luck to be the 1. I bet if I had of knew what we was runing in to I wouldent never of got on the boat at Adeline but they wasent no body told me a bout the danger and here I am takeing a chanct with the rest of them that is all accept the catchers the lucky stiffs and they aint in no danger like the rest of us.
Well Al we got on to the boat at Adeline this p.m. and we hadent been on the boat more then a couple hrs. when I found out a bout what wear going to run in to and I found out wile I and dutch Schaefer was talking to 1 of the crews on the boat. Schaefer says some thing a bout the Ocean water being smoothe and the crew says yes its all OK today but tommorow we will be in the grate australian Bite and then theys libel to be trouble and when Schaefer herd him I thot Schaefer was going to fant and I drug him over to a chair and pretty soon he come to again and then I ast him what was libel to come off.
Then Schaefer says You herd what that man said dident you and I say Yes and Schaefer says Well you know what it means dont you and I says no I dident and he says Well it means wear going to run right threw the grate australian Bite insted of going a round it and I says Well what a bout it and he says Well you know what a Bite is dont you and I says Yes I know what a flee bite or a muskeeto bite is and Schaefer says Well this is a million times worst then them and if you dont know what it is youll find out tommorrow when you see it.
Well Al I had to cox him a long wile before he would tell me the truth on acct he says it made him sick to talk a bout it but finely he told me. You see Al they call this place the grate australian Bite on acct of a grate big bug that flys a round over the water and the bugs called a Bite bug on acct of how he bites and hes a bout as big like a egle only hes got a reglar mouth and fangs like a woof and he flys a round all the time waiting till he sees a boat and then he atacks the boat and bites 1 man and then hes satisfide and flys a way and waits for the next boat and some times he missus 1 boat but not very offten and he flys so qick that they aint no body cant get out of his way when he comes after you not even Cobb. And he aint never satisfide unlest he bites off 1 of your feechers your nose or ear or some thing. He bites his way right threw the window and scream or threw wood and the only thing thats got him stopped is irren and steal and thats why the catchers is OK because they can ware there mast over there faces.
Well Al Id of been all right if Schaefer had only of told me that sooner a bout the catchers masts keeping the bug out but he dident tell me that at 1st or I could of got 1 of the catchers to leave me take there mast and wore it on my face tommorow and they couldent of got it a way from me with a shot gun but when he finely told me it was to late and when I seen I. V. Wingow and ast him to leave me look at his mast he all ready was wise and he says no he should say not and did I think he was a sucker. So you see Al him and jack Bliss and Slight wont be in no danger because they can ware there masts all day accept when there eating or they dont even half to take them off wile there eating if they want to eat salery or some thing like that that they can stick threw there mast and eat it.
Theys only 3 masts on the trip because I ast Callahan and he says thats all they was and he says What do you want of a mast have you deside it you cant pitch and I says I guess you know I can pitch and he says guess again so you see Al they aint no guessing a bout it but as I say I wisht I was a catcher now insted of a pitcher and if I ever get back to Chicago or some wheres where they sell masts Im going to buy 1 and carry it a round on trips with me after this and not take no chances.
Well Al they aint no danger of none of us geting killed because theys a Dr. on the Ship bord and he can rap up the place where the bug gets his fangs in to you so you wont blead to deth but Id pretty near as leave be dead is not have no nose or no ear and
