The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-12-01
"My God Massa Scupper," cried he


the word reached my ear. | cast nv ewes
up-it was too true! The adventurous boy,
after resting on the royal cross-trees, had
been seized with wish to go still higher,
and impelled by one of those impulses by
which men are sometimes instigated to
place themselves in situations of imminent
peril, without possibility of good resulting
from the exposure, he had climbed the sky
sail pole, and, at the moment of my looking
up. was actually standing on the main-truck!
small circular piece of wood on the very
summit of the Hottest mast, and at height
so great from the deck that my brain turn
ed dizzy as gazed up at him. The reverse
of Vlrgil's line was true in this instance.
1t was comparatively easy to ascend-but
to descend-my head swan round, and my
stomach felt sick at the thought of the penis
comprised in that one word. There was
above him or around him but the empty air
and beneath him, nothing but point,
mere polnt-a small, unstable wheel, that
seemed no bigger than the button on the
end OF foil, and the taper sky-sail pole it.
selfscarcely larger than the blade. Dread
full temerity fhe should attempt to stoop,
what could he take holl of to steady his de-
scent His feet quite covered up the small
and fearful platform that he stood upon, and
beneath that, a long smooth, naked spar,
which seemed to bend with his weight, was
all that upheld him from destruction An
attempt to get down from "that bad emf
nence," would be almost certain death he
would inevitably lose his equilibrium, and
be precipitated to the deck a crushed and
shapeless mass. Such was the nature of
the thoughts that crowded through my mind
as first raised my eye, and saw the terri
BILE truth of Jake's exclamation. What was
to be done in the pressing and horrible ex-
igency? To hail him, and inform him of
his danger, would be but to ensure his ruin.
Indeed, | fancisd that the rash boy al
ready perceivedthe imminence of his peril
and kalf thought that co0ld see his limbs
begin to culver, and his cheek turn deadly
pale. Every moment expected to see the
dreadful catastrophe. | could not bare to
look, and yet could not withdraw. my gaze
film came over my eyes, and faintness
over my heart. The atmosphere seemed to
grow thick, and to tremble and waver like
the heated air around furnace the mast
appeared to totter, and the ship to pass from
under my feet. Imyselfhad the sensations
of one about to fail from great height, and
making strong effort to recover myself,
like that of dreamer who fancies he is
showed from precipice, | staggered up
against the bulwarks.
Vixen my eyes were once turned from
the dreadful object to which they had been
riveted, my sense and consciousness came
back | looked around me-the deck was
already crowded with people. The intelli-
/ gence of poor Bob's temerity had spread
through the ship like wild-fre-as such
news always willard the officers and
crew were all crowding to the deck, to be-
hold the appalling-the heart-rending spec
tacle. Every one, as he looked up, turned
/ pale, and his eye became fastened in 81
lence on the truck-like that of spectator
OF an execution on the galows-with a
horrent gaze, as if memently expecting a
fatal termination to the awful suspense. No
one made suggestion-no one spoke. Eve
ry feeling, every faculty seemed to be alb
sorbed and swallowed up in one deep in
tense emotion of agony. Once the first
/ lieutenant seized the trumpet, as if to hail
/ poor Bob, but he had scarce raised it to his
! lips, when his arm dropped again, and sunk
! lstlessly down beside him, as if from a sad
consciousness Of the utter inutility of what
he had been gong to say. Every soul III
the ship was now on the spar-deck, and
every eye was turned to the main-truck.
At this moment, there was a stir among
the crew about the gangway, and directly
after, another face was added to those on
the quarterback was that of the com
modore, Bob's father. He had come along
side in a shore boat, without having been
noticed by single eye, so intense and uni
versal was the interest that had fastened
every gaze upon the spot where poor Bob
stood trembling on the awful verge Of fate.
The commodore asked not question, ut
tered not syllable. He was a dark-faced,
austere man, and it was thought ny some OF
the midshipmen that he entertained but lit
tie affection for his son. However that
might have BEEN it was certain that he treat
ed him with precisely the same strict disc-
pine that he did the other young officers or,
| If there was any difference at all, twas not
| in favor of Bob. Some who pretended to
have studied his character closely, affirmed
that he loved his boy too we'll to spoil him,
and that, intending him for the arduous pro-
fesson in which he had himself risen to
fame and eminence, he thought it would be
of service to him to experience some of its
! prvations and hardships at the onset.
The arrival of the commodore changed
the direction of several eyes, which now
turned on him to trace what emotions the
danger of his son would occasion. But
their scrutiny was foled. BY no outward
sign did he show what was passing within.
His eve still retained its severe expression,
his brow, the slight frown which it ususly
wore, and his lip, its naughty curl. Imme-
diately on reaching the deck, he had order
ed marine to hand him musket, and with
this stepping aft, and getting on the look
out block, he raised it to his shoulder, and
took deliberate aim at his son, at the same
time hailing without trumpet, in his voice
of thunder:
Robert !" cried he, "jump jump over
board or I'll fire at you!'
! The boy seemed to hesitate, and it was
! plain that he was lettering, for his arms
were thrown out like those of one scarcely