The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-10-08
from the Yankee Blade.
Rope Yarns.

"Brother, what is n yarn ~ said little
cherry checked child 10 her brother Jack
just returned Fem. sea. Chcny's brother
was fine hearty looking fellow. seventeen
years old. as rosy as herself. and whose
eyes twinkled with mirih at SIS question.
"Comc, III tell you," said Jack, taking
her on his knee at is a sailors story. every
word true, but you must not believe all
| oft"
Sand wont you tell tue ones
| "les, certainly but remember the one !
tell you is all true. II once happened on
our voyage around the Horn; we'd been
off sounding quite a spell, our stewart
was rather grabbed, and had got out OF
eggs"
Eggs, brother-do you have eggs in
ships:'
"Bess you, TO be sme. Did you never
hear of Mother Carey's Chickens: The
eggs they lay are peelers, l tell yon and
plenty enough in vay high latiluIcs.n
"Bnt where do the chickens come from.
jack"
"Why, Cherry, they come over in great
hoc!is. and light all around US; the minute
we see them we begin TO take in sail. How
ignorant you are, Cherry"
"Well, 20 on. jack
! owed got out o! eggs, as told YOU. and
, 10 tell the truth. our butter was iank-"
"Buttter, butter -
| "lou put me oUt--dont interrupt. Cher
ry; butter, to be sure. If you were to see
our dinner table"
"Table ~ says Cherry, Wdidn't know
"No, poor child, of course; you never
were at sea, and how should you know ann.
thingi lsay we happened to be out of butt
ter and eggs-and I'm sure there is no lie
in that-when one morning we walked I'm
with whale alongside of us, a cosy old
chap that was rather nearsightcd, aud hav-
ing left his specs at home. did not spy our
craft till he was close aboard.'
"Whales don't wear spectaCles," within
pcred Cherry
"Not that / know Of" said Jacll-sI'm
sure this fellow hadn't any on. You NAV
depend we rabbed our eyes open. We said
good morning to tie old fellow: and our
captain, says he, .Ma,cy, get boat out.
will youE and pay respects TO that Cri,ter :
| reckon we might catch him if we had the
right sort Of bait
"Toas,ed marlinspikcs are the sort they
snap al most; and while we were getting
some toasiod-ior all we had were raw
says TO jim Ratlin, what say To swimming
oil and Scrapin' 'quainanceT 'Donc,' says
he, and without another word, we over
board and swan. The old man (captaiu)
bawled after us but we mads as if we
were deaf Our plan was TO take rope
with us, and make a slip noos over his
smcller, aud steer the sea monster into nor,
-iirSt-ratc riding-an elephant ride is fool
TO it-but we did not come it quite. for 5
soon as we got snug board of him. the old
fool began TO scramble to windward. He
sounded two or three times, but we held OH
TO his ears. Finally got u chance and
jabbed my pcnllniie into him, but he still
KEEP, OH running; Mt last he turned up. and
we crawled round TO the upper side and set
a sail, and began to think of finding the
ship.-We had TO drift as we could, for he
wouldn't mind bit nor rein when we first
caught him, aud now he was dead, TO be
sure he wouldn't. We put out and swan
southwest all one day. and then at night
swan back to the whale. In the morning
we made another excursion, with no better
luck. We at last concluded to stop aboard
entirely, and abandon the old ship: so we
established ourselves comfortable, and be-
ing hungry. commenced cutting away some
Of the blubber-took the Undertook, caught
some Albiero, cooked and ate their me at
and drank their blood. We lived so about
week, and might suppose, longer. We
had given up all hopes of seeing our ship
again, when was awakened from my at-
tcmoon nap one day, with a cry of
"Whalc ahoyn
"'Ifallon
"Where yer bound?
"'Bound TO ship five can find onc.'
"'Tack on, then : and they threw us n
line. They soon came up with us, for, 10
say the truth, VIC didn't want ,oracc. You
can judge our surprise nt finding that il was
n boat from our own good ship Napoleon.
They took MS alongside and we common
ced cutting inland we slowed down lGO
barrels of as good oil as ever was put in n
i'riah.' VIVA. think Of that%'