Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-12-23
THE CABIN BOY.
cAPTAIS's STORY.


slight acquaintance. Captain StTeeter
was about threeseOre, and had followed
the sea most of his life. Morton was con-
siderably younger, but still a seaman OF
much experience. The subject OF sboll-
ton of hogging in our navy came up in
the course of conversation, and Captain
Morton expressed himself decidedly in ia
yor of that time honored institution, the
cat o. nine tails
1 am not prepared to say remarked
Captain Streeter in reply, that the con-
6ition Of our man ofwars- men will be in
every case benefited by the abolition of
| hOggiug, though 1 am sure Il might be so.
neal hat the officers have il in their
powe. Lea 10 away with all kinds OF pm
ishmrIt mean. of course, for such of
fences a. are usually punished on ship
! board.
For my part, said Morton, i shouldn't
care 10 take command of ship, if the
power of Furnishing refractory seaInen as
| thought most proper were taken from
me-
Well, said Captain Streeter, i used to
think Just So In fact, there were but few
masters more passionate and severe than
WAS. Men used to run away from me, and
on more than one occasion my life has
| been in danger from the violence of men
whom l had abused used the cat and
the ropes end almost as freely as / used
my tongue; and | used to wonder how l
had the luck to get such bad men in my
| employ.
When was about forty years of age.
took command of the ship PeteTsham.-
She was an old craft. and had seen full as
much service as she was capable of seeing
with safety But her owners were willing
I to trust Il valuable cargo in her. 80 |
wouldn't refuse To trust myself We
were bound TO Liverpool, and nothing un-
usual happened until about the eighth
day out. when we ran foul Of small ice
| berg. II wasearly in the morning. before
sunrise and not above six or eight feet OF
ice were above the waters, it having near
/ ly all been melted in the warm waters OF
the Gulf Stream. did not think wehsd
sustained much injury for the shock was
light; but was very angry and gave the
lookout severe thrashing. without stop
! ping 10 enquire whether he could have
seen the iceberg in time to escape it.
NV cabin boy was named Jack With
I ers He was fourteen wears of age, and
this was his first voyage. | had taken
him from his widowed mother, and had
promised her that would see him we'll
ueated-that was. if he behaved himself.
J soon made myself believe that he had
nh awful disposition faneied that he
Was the most stubborn piece OF humanity
/ had ever came across. | made up my
mind that he had never been properly
governed and resolved TO break him in
told him I'd cure his temper; before
had done with hIm. In reply he told me
might kill him if | liked; and | hogged
him with the end of the mizzen-top gal
liant billiards till he could hardly stand.
! asked him if he had got enough, and he
told me | might fog him more if | wish
ed it. felt a strong inclination to throw
the boy overheard, but at that moment he
staggered back against the miZzen mast
from absolute weakness, and | left him
( to himself When | reasoned calm
J ly about the boy disposition. was forced
/ to acknowledge he was the smartest and
most faithful lad 1 ever saw When
asked him to do anything he would be of
! like rocket; but when | roughly order
ed him to do it, then came the disposition
with which / found fault
I One day when it was very near noon,
spoke to him, and told him to go below
and bring up my quadrant. He was look
ing over a quarterrail, and | knew he did
not hear me, and the next time spoke,
| ripped out an oath. and intimated if he
did not move l would help him.
didn't hear ye,' he said in an indie
pendent tone
No words said /. -..
i s'pose / can speak, he retorted, NOV
alz,.- L. L.. l..
His looks, words, and the slow. care
less manner in which he moved, fred me
in moment, and | grasped him by the
color.
Speak to me like that again and III
fog you within an inch ofyour life, said /.
You can flOg away he replied, firm
and undaunted "a rock
And did fog him. | caught up the
end of u rope, and beat him until my arm
fairly nched; but he never WINGED
'How's that? said l.
There's a little more life in me you'd
better fog out, was the reply.
And beat him again. beat him un-
I'll he sank from my hand against the rail;
and then | sent one for my quadrant
! When it came and had adjusted it for
my observation. found the sun was al
ready past the meridian, and that ! was
too late. This added fuel to my madness,
and grasping the lad by the collar. led
him to the main hatchway, and had the
hatch taken off | then thrust him down
and swore ! would keep him there till
his stubbornness was broken. The hatch
was then put on and ] went into the cab
in. suffered a good deal that afternoon,
not with any compunctions for what had
done, but with my own temper and bit
terneSs. IL made me mad to think that
could not conquer that boy-that ] could
not break down his cool stern opposition
But will do it, said | TO myself, by the
heavens above me, I'll starye him into il,
or he shall die under the operation.
After supper / went to the hatchway,
and called to him, but he returned nc
answer; so closed the hatch and went
away. At 10 o'clock ] called again, and
again ! got no answer. | might have
thought that the fiogging had taken away
his senses; had not some of the men as
sured me that they had heard him. not
an hour before, talking TO himself. did
not trouble him again until morning
After breakfast | went TO the hatchway
and called out TO him again. heard
nothing from him, nor could ! see him
had not seen him since put him down
there | called out several times but he
would not reply-and yet the same men
told me they had heard him talking thai
very morning. He seemed 10 be calling
on them for help. but he would not ask
for me. | meant 10 break him into it,
He'll beg before he'll starve.' thought
} so determined to let him stay there.
supposed he had crawled forward to the
forecastle bulkhead, in order to make the
sailors hear him. Some OF the men ask
ed leave to go down and look for him. bu
refused. | threatened TO punish thu
first man that dared to 60 down.
= AT noon | went again, and as he die
not answer this time. resolved that h'
should come to the hatchway and ask TO
J me ere went any more. The day passed
away, and when evening came began Il
be startled. | thought of the many gooC
qualities the boy had, and of his widoweC
rnathar He bod haan in the hold thirtl