Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-01-29

! turning to the mate, .'ssend along the carpen
1 ter, sailmaker, and two boys. The lazy lub-
bers haven't had anything to do this three
months, and can pull the boat ashore as well
as not. I'm not going to have these fellows
60 ashore on any pretence men are too
scace in port to risk the chance OF any des-
i ertions, now that weare so soon to sail. %
While the mate was drumming up this
novel boats crew Jack Brace took advantage
of the darkness to slip round abaft the trunk
cabin, where quantity of whale lines were
slowed, and from thence down into the star
board mizzen chains to the boat, and almost
instantly returned unperceived. d g4.rI5 @.
Hadn't you better take pocket lantern
and compass, sir ~ inquired the mate, as the
captain stepped into the boat. 'It is rather
dark to see the way now, but if you head
north least by east it will bring you off that
headland, when you can see the lights from
| the town." .
d The captain unwillingly submitted that
! Mr.. Smith had for once In his life, made a
suggestion that had some slight show Of sense.
These articles having been put aboard. and
the captain crouching in the stern sheets in
a monstrous great cloak, and under thump-
! ing big umbrella, the painter was cast off and
the word given to give way. The crew bent
to their oars like men. who wanted to get a
disagreeable job over and done as quickly; as
possible, and the boat shot away from the
ship at very respectable speed, considering
the strong current against her. For half an
hour, more or less they continued to row
without word being spoken by any of the
party-the singing sound of the rain falling in
the river, the creaking thump of the oars
playing in rollocks, and the short quick gasps
of the men as they doubled to their work,
| serving rather to increase the silence by its
monotony than to break it. At length the
captain, who had kept his eyes fixed alter
nately upon the compass and the point from
which he expected to see the lights from the
| town, exclaimed impatiently - .,....
Why in thunder don't you pull, you lazy
scoundrels? Here we've been half an hour
going mile and haven't got there yet You
don't work hard enough to pull shad off
gridiron. Pull, now I tell ye, or will
give you something that will make ye live
ly."
Thus admonished, the men bent to their
work with redoubled energy, making the boat
fairly jump from the water at every stroak
Strange '' muttered the captain, as after
a quarter Of an hours furious pulling, the
men, painting and exhausted, began to slack
en- speed. 49, ...-.-
Are you sure the compass works, sir ?''
asked the carpenter. "That's heavy wealth
er compass, and perhaps the motion of the
boat don't give it start" .-
The captain punished the instrument with
his forefnger. - IT,, -..-. ...
g Be sure it works." he replied, looking at
his watch. {" 1 don't know what to make of
it. I've pulled up here against the tide more
than fifteen minutes making the distance
now we've been an hour. What do you
think. carpenter Where do you think we
are %
Well, sir" replied the carpenter, hest
tating, eff l may be allowed to give an op-
iniOn-".5 u ..f-.... ..-.-.,,., ,.'--..
"Ofcourse you may. What in thunder
do you think asked you for ~
Well, sir, think we have pulled some
where about nine miles now take out six
for the current, and it would leave us about
three miles below where we ought to have
borne up for the town."
81 don't understand how possibly could
could have passed the town without seeing
the lights unused the captain in great per-
plexity. . .0..
"Pears ye did though or else where are
we?"
Responded Chips, encouraged by the fam
liar tone of his commander for now that
that august parsonage talked like mere man,
and actually spoke to his subordinates as if
they were human beings. .-
The captains pocket lantern, which had
been for some minutes growing fainter and
fainter, now gave two or three bright flashes
and went out altogether, leaving them in worse
than Egyptian darkness-or, if not worse,
full "a, 10 \
There " calculated the captain, in tone
of despairing vexation, ''itnever rains but it
pours." .
And as if to verify the adage, the rain,
which had come down briskly enough ever
since they left the ship, now absolutely cas-
caded upon them in such immense sheets of
unbroken water as rendered the captains
umbrella mockery, flooding the boat so rap
idly as to keep one man bailing continual
ly.
81 suppose, of course, you wouldn't think
of going back, now sir" remarked the car
penter. --- .--
Why not, carpenter? ?'
Well, sir, without being able to see the
compass, we might run ourselves ashore any
where along here, or even up some of the
| creeks, and the shore is lined with those Gus
sed Malays. It's only last week that these
cusses cut up whole boats crew, stock and
fluke, you know sir"
True" responded the captain II didn't
think of that But think we might go ahead
with safety, by rowing very slowly and max
ing no noise whatever. About couple of
miles below where suppose We are, there is
fleet of fifteen or twenty vessels at anchor;
if you'll pull easily, think l can keep near
lxI>o of klo
the feet, where at all events we can pass the
night little more comfortable than in this
| waterfall
more easily than before, and rowed in silence
| for nearly an hour and half without falling
in with the expected fleet, though the dark
ness was so intense they might have gone
within half dozen fathoms of vessel with
out knowing it.
1--WE don't seem to come up with them
yet, carpenter" remarked the captain, at
is hardly possible we could have passed with
out seeing them, they were so anchored across
| the stream" -... .f.-.. .......
| $50 you thought it wasn't possible we'd
pass the town, sir," responded Chips "May-
hap we passed the vessels before we stopped
the first time we pulled pretty fierce for a
spell you know, sir" r.. ...s.. e.. .
g In that case we must have been getting
well out of the mouth of the river toward the
sea-" said the captain, leaning over the side
| of the boat to dip up some water in his hand,
and tasting of it. Be hanged if it isn't as
salt as Lots wife. 1t won't do to go any
farther just keep your oars dipping enough
to overcome this current, and keep the boat
where she is till morning. We cant do moth
ing better as see." 5y 3 as s5a. s.3ua
For six mortal hours the benighted seamen
labored at the oars, while the rain poured
| down INCREASINGLY, soaking the captains par