Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-02-24
The Captains Story.

When | was about forty years of age /
took command Of the ship FeersbanJ. 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 to trust
Il valuable cargo in her so | would not re-
fuse to trust myself We were bound TO
Liverpool, and nothing unusual happened I'M
I'll about the eighth day out, when we ran
foul Of a small iceberg. 1t was early in the
morning, before sunrise, and not above six
- eight feet of ice was above the water, 1t
having nearly all been melted in the warm
legion of the gulf stream. l did not think
Sc had sustained r'2ch injury, for the shock
aas light; butt was very angry, and gave the
lookout severe punishment without stop
ping to inquire whether he could have seen
TIE berg ia time to escape it,
Ny 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 a bright, quick,
intelligent lad / soon made myself believe
Fl lad awful disposition. l fancied that
ae was the most stubborn piece Of humanity
had ever came across. l made up my mind
thar he had never been properly governed,
#ad had resolved TO break him in | told
ann Ia curb his temper before I'd done with
him. In reply he told me that J might kill
tim if liked and | logged him with the
End OF the mzzen top gallant haIyards till he
could hardly stand. | asked him il he'd got
enough, and he told me | might fog him
more if 1 wished TO. l felt a strong iuclina-
t5au To throw him overheard, but at that mo-
mcut he staggered back against the mzzen-
mast from absolute weakness, ana / left him
to himself When / reasoned calmly about
tie boys disposition, / forced to ac-
a0owledge that he was one of the smartest
tad most Intelligent and faithful lads | had
ever seen. When Il asked him TO do any
ming he would be OF like a rocket; but when
roughly ordered him to do it, then came the
disposition with which | found fault
one Uay, when il very near noon, |
spoke to hlm 60 bring up my quadrant. He
was locking over the quarter-rail and I knew
a did not hear me the next time | spoke I
Hpped ont an oath and minated if he lid not
move I'D help him.
didn't hear YOU. he said, with an indie
pendent tone.
ND words, said l.
| suppose l can speak, he retorted, NOV
a- slowly toward the companion way.
Ills looks, words, and the slow, careless
manner in which h. moved, fired me in a mo-
1leut, and l grasped him by the collar.
Speak 10 me again like that and III ic-
aa within an inch Of your life, said l.
You can fog away" he replied, firm and
saduunted a rock.
And l did log him. I caught up the end
u. rope, and beat him till my arm fairly
seaed; but ne never WINGED
How's thst2" said l.
There's little more life in me, you'd
better tog il out" was the reply,
And / beat him again. | beat him till he
sank from my hand against the rail and
sent one Of my other men for my quadrant
Il ben 1t came, and I had adjusted it for OBJ
saryatiou, 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 seizing the lad by the collar, /
led him 10 the main hatchway, and had the
aatch taken of I then thrust him down, and
swore I would keep him there till his stub
b3Uness was broken. The hatch was then
put on and l went into the cabin. l suffer
cred a good deal that afternoon, not with any
eampunctiOus Of conscience for what / had
lone, but with my own temper and bitter
#a-s it made me mad to think that | could
.at conquer that boy-that | could not break
down his cool, stern opposition. But will
10 it, l said to myself; ''IlI starve him into
i OF he shall die under the operation"
After supper l went to the hatchway and
allied out 80 him, but he returned me no
answer. At 5 O'Clock l called agair and
-ain cot no answer / might have thought
mat the hogging had taken away his senses,
aed not some of the men assured me that
taev had heard him, not an hour before, talk
~ to himself | did not trouble him again
aatll morning After breakfast | went to the
#arehway and called TO him once more |
aeard nothing from him, nor could l see him
had not seen him since l put him down
Cicero. I called out several times, bat ne
would make nc reply, and vet the same men
ted me they had heard him talking that very
moraiug He seemed 10 be calling on them
ter help, but he would not ask for me.
meant 70 break him Into it. He'll beg be
fore he'll starve, | thought; and so deter
mlned 70 let him stay there, / supposed that
ae had craW led forward TO the forecastle
aulkheau, IN order - make the sailors hear
him Some of the men asked leave IN CO
down and look for him, but I refused ,93
threatened TO punish the first man that dared
- 20 down.
At noon I went again, ana as he did not
answer me this time, l resolved that he
SHOULD cone to the hatchway and ask for me-
ere | went any more. The day passed away,
and when evening came again, began 10 be
Startled. | thought Of the many good quail
1as the boy had, and of his widowed mother
lie had been in the hold thirty-six hours, and
81 forty hours without fool or drink. He
must ae too weak 10 CRY out now. 1t was
.aFd for me 10 give up, but if lie died there
rom actgsl starvation il might 90 hard with
s.t.L SO at length | made up nv mind TO
aad see him II was not quite shutdown
sae- had the hatch taken of and Jumped
Gown upon the boxes alone. A little way for
a#la I saw space where Jack might easily
lave gone down, and 10 this point | crawIed
gu mg hands and knees / called out there
aat could get no answer A short distance fur
taer was a wide space, which had entirely for
gotten, but which now remembered had been
eft open, on account of break in the flooring
q the hold, which would let ANYTHING that
might have been stored there rest directly
1poh the thin planhing of the ship To this