Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1860-11-30
THE OLD MANS STORY.


Rhode Island, and at an early age EN-
braced the occupation of mariner. j
made number of voyages from Prtvi-
dence or Newport to the West Indies, and
when I was about nineteen years old, be-
ing strong and active, able to. do all a
seaman's duty--and addicted, | regretto
say, to all a seamans vices - / shipped
viii. Capt. tiuxham on board the Sea
Bird, bound to Bristol.
The brig was small vessel, the officers
and crew consisting of the captain, Mr..
Rundell, the mate, four men before the
mast, and the cook, who was a young man
belonging to Newport, it being his first
voyage to sea. Captain Huxham was a
stern man, who cared little for the comfort
of the Sailors and was great stickler for
discipline Mr.. Rundell, the mate, was
tall and muscular, and prided himself on
his skill and power to knock men about
like nine pins, and get out of them the
worth of their wages. If the captain was
disliked, the mate was bitterly hated by
the whole crew. Unfortunately for me
/ was placed in the larboard watch and
my watchmate was a middle-aged bur-
Unlocking native of Great Britain,
who had seen much of the world, and
borne prominent part in many strange
G and desperate adventures. He was bold,
e reckless fellow, case hardened in rascality,
f and as he often boastcd, feared neither
a God nor man.
4 AS a matter of course, Jack Hensdale
| and Mr. Rundell soon had a falling out /;
p Jack was insolent, and the mate arbitrary
f and clad with authority. After a terrible
!. pounding from the mate, my shipmate was
S forced to succumb, but he often threw out
y dark hints of revenge and was sulky and
9 ill-humored during the passage across the
Atlantic. Occasionally Jack received a
h forcible reminder from Mr.. Rundell, in
$ the shape of clip in the side of the head
j or heavy repe's-end over the shoulder
l. to be more attentive to his work or more
n respectful in his demeanor, all of which
7 tended to increase the hostility of my
a watchmate toward the mate. In the little
y dispute and troubles between Jack Hens
S dale and Mr.. Rundell, the captain of
y course took the part of the mate, and
C more than once aided that officer in taking
y the pride out of jack" as he called it,
c by the application of an emollient known
a as the oil of hemp.
a Jack often complained to me of his
a wrongs, and expatiated on the brutal
treatment he received. Nor were the
a abuses confined to him alone. / was
d sometimes unpleasantly made aware of the
G weight of the mates brawny fist, and
e sympathizing deeply with my shipmate,
d allowed him to exercise unhappy infu-
d ence over my actions. More than once
e during the passage, Jack suggested in a
e round about way, the expediency of max
r ing the mate "food for fishes" but was
d not yet prepared for the deliberate prepe-
Is tration of the crime of murder, even
e under such continued provocation, and
|. suggested that the passage would soon be
n over, we could desert on our arrival at
n Bristol and afterwards waylay Mr.. Rundell,
g and with good Aogging pay him the
/ principal and interest of the heavy debt
d we owed him; then travelling across the
is country to Falmouth we could easily find
IS another ship and embark in quest Of other
d adventures. 10 this plan of mine, Jack
; Hensdale, after some mutterings about the
q delay, and half uttered threat that the
l. fogging should last him for life time,
IS acceded.
% The Sea Bird arrived safely in Bristol;
her cargo was discharged, and she was
V soon ready to return to the United States.
il Jack and myself had made our calculations
% to abandon the brig few days before she
l. was to leave port, and had taken some
p of our baggage clandestinely on shore
is Our shipmates became aware of our inten-
d tions, but refused to accompany us, aud
l. in order to curry favor with the captain
d and mate, informed them Of our projected
e movements A stopper was accordingly
Is clapped on our proceedings, in the shape