The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-02-11
THE CAPTAINS STORY.

W0en / was ABOUT lOTly years vi aye tOOh
command Of the ship PeUersham. She was
an old craft, and had seen full as much ser
vice as she was capable Of seeing with safe
ty. But her owners were willing to trust a
valuable cargo in her, so | would not refuse
to trust myself. We were bound to Liver
pool, and nothing unusual happ ened until
about the eighth day out when we ran foul
Of a small iceberg. 1t was early i'll the morn
ing, before sunrise, and not above six or eight
feet of ice was above the water, it having
nearly all been melted in the warm region
of the gulf stream. | did not think we had
sustained much injury, for the shock was
light but | was very angry, and gave the
lookout a severe punishment, without stop
ping to inquire whether he could have seen
the berg in time to escape it.
Nv cabin boy was named Jack Withers.
He was fourteen years Of age, and this was
his first voyage | had taken him from his
widowed mother, and had promised her that
| would see him well treated that was, if he
behaved himself He was bright, quick,
intelligent lad | soon made myself believe
he had an awful disposition. | fancied that
he was the most stubborn piece of humanity
1 had ever come across. ! had made up my
mind that he had never been properly gov
erned, and had resolved to break him III |
told him Id curb his temper before I'd done
with him. In reply he told me that might
kill him if liked ; and | hogged him with
the end of the mizzen top gallant haIyards
till he could hardly stand. | asked him if
he'd got enough, and he told me might
fog hIm more if | wished to. | felt a strong
inclination to throw him overheard, but at
that moment he staggered back against the
mizzen mast from absolute weakness, and
left him to himself When reasoned calm
Iy about the boys disposition and was for
ced to acknowledge that he was one of the
smartest and most intelligent and faithful
lads ! had ever seen. When asked hiurto
do anything he would be off like "a rocket :;
but when | roughly ordered him to do it,
then came the disposition with which found
fault.
One day, when it was very near noon |
spoke to him to bring up my quadrant. He
was looking over the quarter rail, and knew
he did not hear me the next time | spoke |
ripped out an oath, and intimated if he did
not move I'd help him.
81 didn't hear you" he said with an in
dependent tone.
EsNO words, said I.
81 suppose | can speak" he retorted,
moving slowly toward the companion
way.
His looks words, and the slow, careless
manner in which he moved fired me in a
moment, and | grasped him by the collar.
Speak to me again like that,a I'll fog
you within an inch of your life, said |.
''You can fog away" he replied, firm and
undaunted as a rock
~ ALL HOor him, I co,,crb+ nv, tbo aud
of a rope, and beat him till my arm fairly
ached but he never WINGED.
''How's that p said |.
"There's little more life in me, you'd bet
ter fog it out" was the reply.
And beat him again. / beat hin till he
sank from my hand against the rail and |
sent one of my other men for my quadrant
When it came, and had adjusted it for OBJ
servation. found that the sun was already
past the meridian, and that | was too late
This added fuel to the fire of my madness, and
quickly Selling 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 stub
bornness was broken. The hatch was then
put down, and ! went into the cabin suf-
fered good deal that AFTERNOON, not with
any computations Of conscience for what
had done, but with my own temper and BIT
terness. 1t 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 ''Pll
starve him into it., or he shall die under the
operation
After supper | went to the hatchway and
called out to him, but he returned me no
answer, At 10 o'clock called again, and
again got no answer. l might have thought
that the tiogging had taken away his senses,
had not some of the men assured me that
they had heard him. not an hour before, talk
ing to himself did not trouble him again
until morning. After breakfast | went to the
hatchway and called to him once more.
heard nothing from him, nor could see him
i had not seen him since put him down
there. | called out several times, but he
would make no reply,a and yet the same men
told me they had heard him talking that
very morning. He seemed to be calling on
them for help, but he would not ask for me
| meant to break him into it. He'll beg be
fore he'll starve, | thought and 50 determin-
ed to let HIM stay there. | suppose that he
had crawled forward to the forecastle bulk
head, in order to make the sailors hear him.
Some of the men asked leave to 80 down and
look for him, but | refused, and threatened
to punish the first man that dared to 60
down.
At noon ! went again, aud as he did not
answer me this time. resolved that he should
come to the hatchway and ask for me, ere |
went any more. The day passed away, and
when evening came again. began to be
startled. | thought Of tue many GOOD quail
tiles the boy had, and of his widowed mother.
He had been in the hold thirty six hours.
ard all of forty hours without food or drink.
lie must be too weak TO cry out now. 1t
was hard for me to give up, but if he died
there from actual starvation, it might 90
harder with me still. So at length | made
up my mind to go and see him. 1t was not
quite shutdown when l had the hatch taken
ot,and jumped down upon the boxes alone
A little way forward | saw space where
Jack might easily have gone down, and to
thus point | crawled on my hands and knees.
called ont there but could get 10 answer.
\ short distance further was wide space,
which had entirely forgotten, but which
now remembered had been left open, on ac-
count OF break in the flooring OF the hold,
which would let anything that might have
been stored there rest directly upon the thin
planking of the ship. To this place made
my way, and looked down. l heard the
splashing OF water, and thought / could de-
tect a sound like the incoming of tiny let
or stream. At first could see nothing but
as soon as became used to the dim light, |
could distinguish the faint outlines of the
boy at some distance below me. He seemed
to be sitting on the broken floor, with his
feet stretched out against eask. 1 called
out 10 him, and thought he looked up-'Jack