Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-01-29
THE ENCHANTED BOAT
why the Captain didn,t get to the Party.
BY F. W. SAUNDERS.

|. Ia Glwit 19 yr'lEs.- r-,. - sgl 81. .
What dye want here? Who, in 81
tan's name, told you to come aft here, hey
Go forward, you bloody villains p ~
The scene is on the deck Of ship lyinga
anchor in an East India river. The captain
a stout, al-looking man, has just pause
in his walk, and scowls spitefully at four sal
ors who stand in respectful attitude befor
him. --. e ID. ..s.--r -...--- -.--~ g.,
Will you please, sir, to allow us chaps
go ashore for an hour or two this evening jus
to get some" H.. ...,.E.a,
"Please let us chaps go ashore" mimicke
the captain, in taunting and most insultin
manner "No, please won't. Forwar
ye go now, before hurry upyour time 70
you" ...f ,..'....... ...... i,.i
And then turning on his heel, he strobe al
to the taffrall when again turning, he per
ceived that the men still remained where
had left him.
f" Blast your eyes! what are you standin
there for ?" he shouted, as with his face in
famed with passion and his fists clenched a
| if to strike, he rushed toward them. -
!" The whole crew are out of tobacco, AM
we want to 60 ashore and get some before tn
ship sails. We can't make the homewart
passage without any," replied one of the men
doggedly. . ....~... .-..". u.
40, you can't hey ~ sneered the captain
Now, I'll convince ye that you not only ca,
and aoiH. You may think yourself lucky
you get your heads safe home with you. II
show you what can be done and what cam
before I've done with you. Blast ye III
work up your old iron for you, SO that yol
won't know you have any tobacco ornot. II
make you cuss the day you ever saw Bully
Waterman Now CO."
And with kicks and blows, he drove then
forward into the waist. .-
| AS the men joined their shipmates in thu
| forecastle and reported progress, simultane
GUS growl broke from them, which, for deptf
of tone and duration, might have been taker
for distant thunder distant.
"Well, I'm blowed if this style of things
isn't getting altogether too bad to be borne
much longer" muttered Jack Brace, fine
specimen Of young, stalwart, we'll educated
American sailor !: one who might confidently
look forward to not far distant period when
he should command ship of his own. "It
is tyranny of the worst sort, he added, in
an ominous undertone, land resistance to ty.
rants is obedience, etc"
It's hard to be hanged for such wretch.
ed object as him, though" responded another
of the crew..
!" Pm not so clear about being hanged
The ships not at sea yet, and knocking of
work in port is very different thing from
mutiny on the high sea- added Jack, deter
minedly.
C Yes, and how much would We make by
trying it on, wonder?" asked Joe Grummet
in rather contemptuous tone. eyed make
jist about as much as the chaps in the Lively
scratch did once when was aboard of her
We all knocked off work when lying in port
at the Oil O France, cause our grub was so
thunderin' scaly, and wouldn't turn to agin,
till we seed the counsil. Well, we did see
him, and told him how we'd been sarved, and
he said as how't was too bad, and that we
shouldn't have no such grub no more at pre-
sent Then he larfed, and the captin larfed
and in minute, file of Johnny Darmes
come in and marched us all off to prison, an
there we lay two months with next to nawth-
in at all to cat; not a rag o clothes to change;
no water for wash in and half dead with
fever at that, SO that when the ship come to
sail, we was the most BILE lookin' peeps
ever We seed on deck. That's what we got,
and I'm thinkin' that's what you'll be likely
to get here, only wus, for this here counsil an
the ole man are so thick as two thieves to.
gether. Now ye can just do as ye like We
know, but yell jest git inter mess eff we try
to desart to the shore now mark my words
with red chork."
Joe was veteran mariner whose advice
was asked upon all occasions, and what is a
great deal more, was generally acted upon =
consequently his remarks upon the present
occasion produced profound impression -
the more so as no one had the slightest doubt
of the soundness of his views and all ha nds
relapsed into gloom silence, whitley. the night
began to close in dark and rainy. Presently
the steward rushed into the forecastle in a
high state of excitement. .
Ky, fellers" he began, shaking his wool
ly head, and grinning like a-a-well, like q
nigger's grin the superlative of all grins-
consequently comparison is worse than use
less.) " Ky, fellers, dat da party ashore ds
tonight is a-going to be q reg'lar double
breasted, high-heeled aft r, sartin sure Mine
tell ye."
"What party is that you're blaring about?'
growled Jack Brace, sulkily."
Why, dat party de cap'n goin' to to
night. KY, he keep me all de AFTERNOON black
in he boots, and brushin' he coat and brech
es an now he gettin' perfectly sane coz he
can't make he har lay jest whar he put 'em
KY, giss cap'n think he regler lady killer, he
he, he |" 49, .
See here, boys" shouted Jack, with an
imation, as soon as the steward was out o
ear-shot, elf the old rip is going ashore, he'll
want four men to pull his boat; now, whoev
er goes must do the errands for all the rest
whether it's possible or no." -e.E'
"That's the talk I'll count round to set
who shall CO." said Joe Grummet, touching
each man with his finger as he passed him.
" Hinty, minty, cuty corn" ....
"Avast there with your cuty corn," inter
rupted Jack Brace, 1--WE won't have any coun
ing at all about it, four of the best men aboart
will 90. Pm one, Grummet's another, Ton
Pipes and Bill Bulkhead are the other two
What say, boys, dye agree to that The
old rip will probably order us not to put foo
ashore, but that's all in my eye Go we will
and bring off tobacco enough for all hands, o.
lose a leg" s...
This arrangement was satisfactory to al
parties, and the four men having made an oil
cloth toilet to protect them from the heavy
rain, proceeded aft to the gangway and des
cended into the boat that lay alongside, tt
await the captains orders.
The point of the river at which the shir
Law was about two miles below the town, but
hidden from it by an abrupt turning of tn,
stream and a long point of wooded land pro
jecting far out into the river, which at th
place is several miles in width.
Well, don't see why the old beas
don't come if he's coming at ALL" growlet
Jack Brace, when they had bee waiting il
| Tho hoot cnrnathipu III, O tuantv minr,foS .STt,
getting confoundedly dark; can hardly SCI
that headland now, and before we can pul
to it against this six knot current it will b.
out of sight altogether, and there is no ligh
to guide US until we round that. 1t would b.
a jolly joke if we should get lost. By Jove,
should rather like the idea myself, if it wa
not for the pretty certain chance of runnin!
afoul of some. of these cut-throat NATIVES
and being cooked up for their breakfasts"
| At this moment the captain made his ap
ROY nt q.