Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-08-09
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10 an easier position, and wet his hot lips with
fresh orange-iuice.
tired" ~" "A'
" No, amt, Doctor No, I amt I'm
hound to finish now. But Lord deliver US look
there one of the DEVILS cwn imps, b'lieve !"
looked on the little deal stand where 7 had
set the candle, and there stood one of the quaint.
evil looking insects that infest the island. q
praying Mantis. Raised up against the candle.
with its fore-legs in the attitude Of supplicaton
that gives it the name, its long green body re-
lieved on the white stearin. it was eyeinc jack.
son, with its head turned first on one side and
then on the other, in the most elfsh and prefer.
natural way. Presently it moved upward, stuck
one of its fore-legs cautiously into the flame,
burnt it of course, and drew it back, eyed it,
first from one angle then from another, with
deliberate investigation, and at length conveyed
the injured member to its mouth and sucked it
steadily, resuming its stare of blank scrutiny at
my patient, who did not at all fancy the interest
taken in him.
/ could not help laughing at the strange ma
noeuvres of tho creature, familiareas was with
them.
" It is only one of our Texan bugs, Jackson"
said it is harmless enough
" Its got pesky look, though, Doctor l
thought I'd seen enough Gurus creturs in the
Marquesas, but that beats all -
Seeing the insect really irritated and annoyed
him, put it out of the window, and turned
the blinds closely to prevent its re-enterance,
and he went on with his story.
$50 tramped it to Hartford that night, got
lodgin' with first cousin had there, worked
my passage to Boston in a coaster, and after
hangin' about Long Wharf day in and day out
for week. was driv to ship myself aboard of
whaler, the Lowisy Miles, Twist, cap and
writ from there to Hotty, So she could know
my bearin' so fur. and tell my father.
" It'll take week, Doctor, to tell you whata
rough an tumble time had on that are whal-
or. There a feller's writ book about v'ya-
gin atore the mast that'll give ye an idee ont;
he had an edication SO t he could set it off, and
| fell foul of his book down to Valparaiso MORN
year back and swear | wanted to shake
hands with him. heerd he was gone ashore
somewhere down to Boston, and had cast anchor
for good. But tell you he's brick, an what
he said's gospel truth. I thought I'd got to
hell afore my time when we see blue water.
didn't have no peace exceptin' times when was
to the top, looking out for spouters; then I'd
get nigh about into the clouds that was alters
a-hangin' down close to the sea mornin' and
night, all kinds of colors, red an purple an
white and stead of thinkin' o. whales I'd get
my head full o. Simsbury, and get a precious
knock with the butt end of handspike when
come down, cause I'd never sighted a whale
till arter they seed it on deck.
" We was bound to the South Seas after sperm
whales, but we was eight months gettin there
and we took sech as we could find on the way.
The cap'en he scooted round into one port an
another arter his own business, down to Carac-
cas-, into Rio and when we'd rounded the Horn
and was nigh about dead Of cold an short ra-
tions, and hadn't killed but three whales, we
put into Valparaiso to get vittled and there /
laid hold O. this little trnket of chain, and
spliced Hetty's ring on tot, lest 1 should be
stranded somewheres and get rid of it onawares.
We cruised about 10 them seas good year or
more, with poor luck, and the cap'en growing
more and more outrageous every day Them
waters aren't like the Gulf, Doctor,-nor like
the Northern Ocean, nohow there ant no
chopin seas there, buta great, long, everlastn,'
lazy swell, that goes rollin and fallin' away
like the toll of big bell, in endless blue roll
ers and the trades blow through the sails like
singin, as warm and soft as if they blowed right
out o. sunshlny gardens and the skys as blue
as summer all the time, only jest round the dip
ont there's alters hull feet o. hazy roundtop
ped Clouds SO thin you can see the moon rise
through 'em ; and the waves go ripplin' off the
cut water as peaceful as mill pond, day and
night. Squalls is sea ce some times O. the year;
but when there is one, | tell you Teller hears
thunder The clouds settle right down onto
the masthead, black and thick, like the settln's
of an nk-boule; the lightin misses an cuts
fore andaft; and corposants come Aightin' down
onto the boom or the top, great balls o light;
and the wind roars louder than the seas and
the rain comes down in spouts,-it don't fall
fur enough to drop you'd think heaven and
earth was come together, with hell betwixt EN-;
and then it'll all clear up as quiet and calm
as a Simsbury Sunday; and you wouldn't know