The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1864-05-18

inate 10 Alpneus one morning, Just as we
hove in sight of Juan Fernandez.
Alpheus took the bucket and proceed
cd TO work in the most leisurely manner.
1t was night before he had finished the
job.
"Now amt YOU skulk-a lubberly
hounds" said the officer, as Alpheus
came down from nloft.
Alpheus said nothing, though several
of the crew grinned at him as if they
coincided entirely with the mate.
Before we had reached the Sandwich
Islands however, The continued i'll usage
on board the ship had served to combine
the crew more closely together and even
the hauteur and laziness of Alpheus were
forgotten.
Yet hearty laugh was raised at the
expense Of the young man when, one of
the crew expecting punishment, Alpheus
promised TO use has influence in favor of
his downcast shipmate. We were lying
at Honolulu; a sailor had run away and
had been caught and brought on board
the ship by several natives employed to
ferret out deserters among the noun
tains.
The poor fellow was in irons, and as
the captain had promised to flog him
within an inch of his life, the prospect
was not quite so ambrOsial rs a poets
dream.
"Never mind, Bob" said Alpheus,
consolingly; "rll do what | can for
you"
There was general roar, and poor
Bob himself could not help smiling as he
knew that AL pheus was the last man in
the ship whose word would have any val
ue with the captain, or indeed any body
else on board,
Alpheus showed no moro sensation
than porpose at campmeeting. No
body was surprised at that. We had
become accustomed to his pecuiarities;
but when, on the next morning, the cap
tain came on board in towering pms
sion and roared like bull for the offend
ing Bob, and ordered him 10 be seized up
in the rigging aud hogged, we all turned
our eyes upon Alphcus, wondering what
his temerity might attempt.
Bob was stripped to the buff and seiz-
ed up in the main rigging by the mates.
The captain stepped forward with a piece
of rattling in his hand to commence the
tlogging.
10 our emazement, Alpheus walkedup
boldly up to the captain, snatched the
rope from his hand, and drawing out his
sheath-knife, began TO cut the marllng by
which Bobs limbs were bound.
Captain johnson stepped back one
pace, aud fairly frothed at the mouth,
while the mates ran up TO collar the au-
dacious youth.
"Lay a finger on me il you darep
cried Alpheus to the officers, in tone of
naughty defiance, which would have
done credit to Forrest or MacroRdy in
Coriolanus.
The mates hesitated.
Seize the mutinous scoundrel p
shouted tho captain. Knock him down
with cleaver! Break his skull ?"
"Stand back, you impertinent varlets y
exclaimed the youth, and taking a strip
Of paper from his bosom, he handed it to
the captain. The latter glanced over it
and turned as pale as death. He glared
at Alpheus as if he had been ghost.
81 forgive your offences this time" !"
said Alpheus "but rememberp
The captain looked down, but made a
motion to his mates to cut down Bob
from the rigging. The mates as well as
the crew seemed to be in dream. Bob
was cut down, but he could not keep his
eyes of from Alpheus, who had sudden
ly become "the observed Of all OBJ
servers"
Alpheus descended into the cabin with
the captain, and neither of them appear
on deck during the day.
Three days afterwards Alpheus went
on board homeward bound vessel and
sailed for the United States. The con-
duct Of the captain underwent change
from that hour. The rest of the voyage
was both pleasant and successful, while
every one wondered who was Alpheus
Baily and how he had contrived to effect
such changel We never heard his real
name mentioned, but when the ship
reached home be came on board Of Us at
the wharf, and shaking hands with the
crew hailed us as his old shipmates.
AS l had overheard the conversation
between the captain and the mate in the
Gulf found little difficulty in recoguiz-
ing Alpheus the young collegian--the son