Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1864-08-02
PERIL ON THE YARD ARM.

n ~,
Among the crew of the MAXWELL
merchant ship bound to San Francisco and
the Sandwich Islands, there was one of
those tall, quaint looking, rawsboned In&
| dividuals. who generally come under the
designation of backswooGsmen.
Here, then, on shipbOard, Bill Sings
was decidedly out OF his proper element.
1t seemed as though he would never learn
the ropes, blocks, and many. little intrica-
cies that certain to full rugged merchant
man. Hence the many and serious blun-
ders he made both below and alOft to the
| great Indignation of Captain Blake, and
the amusement of the foremost hands.
oh. you Internal lubberv the skipper
would roar out, shaking his fist at him,
| I'D Just like to feel of that head of yOurn
! with a handspike, and see what it's made
| off, to which Bill would sometimes reply
in the following style:
Look here. cap'n, consider myself
! free and civilized critter, and must be
treated 'accordin'; so don't you 60 to fol
! lowing me no with your cusses and shak.
ir' Of fists never was used to it, and it
won't do me a speck of good | can tell We.
| As to feelIn' of my head with handspeck
! it wouldn't cOnVart me nuther, for. laying
| phrenogics aside, | reckon you'd find it
! purity tuf arter ALL
Then, in towering rage, which only
! the colossal proportions and fearless eye OF
the bachswOOdsman could keep within
bounds, the captain would order him to
| take hammer and knock the rust off the
anchors, or sweep the decks with a broom,
which would be cheerfuly performed
by Bill without the slightest suspicion on
his part that the captain was oyerwoI king
him.
But in attempting to overWOrk our pow.
erful shIpmate, it soon became evident that
the captain suffered more than his intend-
ed victim, as with his prOdigious strength
Of body and quickuess of movement the
backsWOOdSman SO easily performed the
multitude of tasks imposed upon him that
the commander was continually harassed
in bis efforts to invent new schemes to keep
him busy.
Catch me taking such lubber in my
| ship again the skipper would frequently
say, addressing mis- mate, he isn't Fl for
anything, and l can't think for the life Of
me, what to pot him at next. But we
must put him to work somehow or other
/ Can't you think Of nothing?
Send him alofs to tar down. said Mr.
| Gumbs, the mate.
No no. said the captain, he'll spill all
the tar on the'deck, and dirty the .planks,
which we made him scrub so clean the
other day. ....
All the BETTER said Gum6s. for we
can make him scrub 'em over again, and
there's two nice. little jobs you can see
tho tGrrin' aud the scrubbIn'-to say
nothing of the chance it will give you to
cuss him
'Gllriousv said the captain. 'Gumps,
you're the mani
I'm the man. replies Gumps, and turn
ing upon HE heel he sings out:
You Bill Sings get tar bucket and
tar down that fore rigging
Aye, aye, SIR
And mind that you don't spill any Of
the tar, added the captain, winkiug al
Gumbs, who winked back again.
IF it isn't agin the bounds of human a.
tur. WON'T replied Bill, as he mounted
tar bucket in hand.
Presently, as the captain and his
mate had foreseen, the black drops began
to descend IN little showers upon the
deck.
Then the former walked forward, and
looking up at Bill, poured forth torrent
of curses-iaughing all the time in his
sleeve. and turning around to ak at his
mate Suddenly one of those winks was
stopped in the midst of its career by droF
of tar falling into his eye, and then be
swore in earnest.
During the whole of the neat day, aut
the day following, Bill was kept steadily
at work scrubbing and securing the decks
which trek, when finished, was followed by
another devised after the same manner al
the foregoing.
Thus it was that the officers of thu
Maxwell managed to keep poor Sling,
continually employed at something, Will,
they unanimously declared that he Sas
good-for, nOthin.
In due course of time. the ship arrived
at San Francisco. where she remained
about two weeks, and was ready to sail 70,
the Sandwich Islands. An addition ha(
now been made to our number, iu the per.
SOL of o travelling Snowman, togethel
with three wild animals, consisting of {
leopard, tiger, and wild cat, which b,
carried with him. and was anxious to dis
play tc the good peOple~of Honolulu.
As there was no other convenient plaot
for the cages in which the animals wert
: closely confined. the were placed as far af
9s possible, and securely dashed dawn t
prevent their being washed overheard in
gale Of wind. The aspect Of each Of th,
.prsopeIs with the bristliDg hair, glariny
eyes, and sharp rows of teeth, was savage
enough. 1t was the opinion of Bill Sling
which he frankly expressed to the show.
man, that they didn't have more than hal
enough to eat
And I'd warn ye, stranger be added
pointing toward the cage, so keep goot
lookout Cd them, and fix no those doors
little, or else the critters will be breakin
loose some of these fine days and creatin
mighty rumpns. Them doors amt set il
as they ought to be-'specialIy the on,
where the catAmOunt is
But the Snowman gave Bill contemp.
tuehs glance, saying, that he knew wha
be was about, and that he (Bill) need no
soncern himself
Three days out from San Francisco, WI
were overtaken by violent gale of wind
which caused as to stow away every raa
with the exception of the close reefed toH
sail and top gallant sail. Rolling ant
pitching violently among the heavy seas
the ships motion greatly discompesed th'
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