Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-04-24

"N0W, he says. VI had tried all
the other good things that found in the
cabin | had drank the captains wine,
and staightened myself out on his sofa,
and swung in his hammock, and !
thought | wouldn't quit without taking
dip into his bath"
Accordingly he strips, and is just en-.
joyine the first pleasant feel Of water,
when he was interrupted by the messen.
ger boy, who had been sent into the cab.
in by the captain. Fortunately he was
not disc overcd this time but it made
him cautious.
81 must contrive some way 10
get out with my clothes i( any body
came along again. wasn't long in
finding the way. The ports on the side
Of the forward cabin were open and
through them could easily ge, ou, into
tt Q mizzeE.chains, where l could dress
myself without being seen. There was
big gun in each port "caronade" as
they cal 'em-shon but fa.-the biggest
kind-you never saw such kind Of guns
except aboard ship, Of war. | could
Chamber out along side Of one Of 'em
easy enous sh though | was little fellow
them"
He takes his shoes, clothes, and hat,
and sticks them outside Of the port,
where they couldn't be seen "then" he
says, 81 went back TO the Tub. All this
didn't take more than half minute, for
worked sharp can tell you. The on
ly thing that | was a(taid Of was that
The steward would come III and catch
me. | didn't care tinker's copper for
the captain. knew | could get out OF
the port in less time than would take him
to come down the poop ladder. Biz
bugs are never in hurry, it wouldn't
look digni6ed, you know
"Prescntly, while lying luxuriously in
the captains tub, hears him coming
down the cabin stairs. when he jumps out
of the receptacle aud makes for the
port.
81 was fairly outside and safe, as |
thought in the chains, before the captain
opened the cabin door. sat there a
minute drying myself, and then was go.
ing TO begin TO dress when | heard the
sound Of oars coming round the stern o
the vessel. knew by the regular dip
in the water, and by the noise Of the
oars in the rowlocks, that it was IA man.
o(.war's boat, and Of course supposed
i, was the first cutter coming alongside
though it seemed to me she had come
up mighty quick.
"Here | was in fix. They would
see me from the boat as soon as she pull
led round tbs stern, and | should have
work to tell you what was doing stark
naked in the chains. couldn't get my
clothes on quick enough to be ready fo
company-lor couldn't stand up with
out considerable risk of being seen from
the poop, in case some fellow happen
ed to be looking over the larbord side
concluded pretty soon what to do.
first looked into the cabin. The cap
tain wasn't in sight, jammed my
clothes into the muzzle Of the gun, ant
then got in. after myself, feet foremost
| told you, you know, that guns OF th'
kind they call carronades are short bu
have most tremendous big bores. The
are used in close fighting, and whel
nothing else comes handy. they loa
them with a cask Of nails and such sol
Of thing. | slowed myselfin feet fore
most. because | knew if rammed IN
head in first, with my body on top oft 70
wad it would be,rather close quarter
for breathing. Hound it rather a snu
berth as it was, couldn't move an inc
after | got in, but l knew l was out {
sight at any rate.
"I supposed that after the men ha
como about the boat would be haule
out to the booms and then | could g
out Of the gun. But instead Of tn;
they had the cutter loaded with SOM
thing, | don't know what, that it too
pretty nea. an hour it seemed to me
clear her off. They got a sling on Il
main.yard, and could hear the orde
given to hook on it in the boat and Il
I. bo'sn's mate in the gangway piping
: haul taut and hoist.away and "ava
., hois,ing," and "come up" over and ov
u again, until it appeared TO me, they hi
" got dozen launch boats over the sid
10 BY this time my back began to &C
:, with lying in the bore Of that old gu
ID it didn't exactly fit my shoulders.
81 now began to hear talking in I
cabia-the guu you know was in !
al cabin. except the muzzle Of it, ii
I'd ran out Of thsport l couldn't hear
al we'll through Vhe iron. though, and
was some time before ] could mako {
what the talk was about. could d
ey tinguish the captains voice. and col
w. hear the woids clock" and "wafsr" pl
ID ty often. At last he and the men
was talking with came close up to
l. gun was in, aud then l heard him c
u' the gunner by name in talking 10 b
land ! recognized him BY his srowl.