Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-10-20
CoNoUERING A sEA-DOG.


fearfully disturbed "by love in the breakers.
CONOUERING A SEA-DOG.
Some years ago, when the old ship Light
heart was new and staunch, and when I had
command Of her, there happened on board an
incident over which | have laughed many a
I time when memory has brought it back to
me. l loaded at Mobile with cotton and ran
to Liverpool Among my crew was man
named Rannot-Sam, we always called him.
lie was one of the largest formed men l ever
| saw, and came from somewhere in New Eng
land. He stood six feet and five inches in
his bare feet, and was stout and bulky in pro-
portion. He had one fault, and that was an
inordinate pride of strength. He was not
| quarrelsome, nor had he a revengeful point
| in his character, and yet he was continually
Fostering the crew. Hardly day passed
| that he did not give one or more of them
bodily pain by his freaks. He would catch a
poor fellow by the legs and swing him over
his head, at the imminent risk of smashing
his brains out against the mast or bulwarks,
and then would laugh at the poor mans
fright. Sometimes he would sieze man by
the arms and lay him upon the deck, and in
no very easy manner either 1t was of no
use for the men to demonstrate, for he would
OF course forbade Sam from doing such
things; but he could notremember my orders
longer than over one night. The love of
fun" as he called it, was fixed too strongly
upon him, and it could not be taken out of
him. He did not realize how unpleasant his
pranks were, nor did he know that the rest of
the crew had grown to dislike him. They had
adopted many expedients to cure him, but
they all failed and though he had often been
made the butt of practical jokes-such as sud-
den drenching of cold sea-water while he
slept, and other things equally unpleasant
yet he always paid his tormenters off with
interest. He was, in fact the worst practi-
cal joker | ever saw, and not a whit did he
care, so long as he exhibited his herculean
strength, and broke no bones.
When my ship arrived at Mobile, on the
return voyage, another cargo of cotton was
ready for me, and was ordered to load and
be eff as quickly as possible. But no sooner
was the ship cleared than my men-all but
Sam Rannot-came and informed me that
they could not go with me again unless Sam
was discharged
| was not prepared for this. At heavy
work Sam was worth any other three men on
board, and always willing and ready. Yet
knew how the crew suffered from his thought
less pranks, and could not blame Them
told the men to come to me on the following
day and would give them an audience. e
At first thought of promising them that |
would see that the old sea-dog did not annoy
them any more; bat soon convinced myself
that that would be of no use-Sam would cut
up his capers when l would not see him, and
the men would not report him every time he
hurt them. But soon new idea entered nv
head had brother who owned a large
cotton plantation on the Chickasaw His
place was not over fifteen miles from Mobile,
and he ahad just the man l wanted-or his
usual clothing. His arms were like iron, and
his breast and shoulders like great bundle
OF wire done up in raw ox-hide. inc
bantered my brother to let me have Cato
| for one or two voyages.
| Take him in welcome" said he: " he's
| getting too important here"
WHATS he Rgly?" l asked.
| ooh, no-just the other way. He's too
| good natured altogether. He sets very
Sancho in the other boys. I've made too
much of him."
| But will he work ?"
eyes"
| So l got Cato for twelve dollars month as
/ long as wanted him, with the privilege. of
| having him for one cruise only for nothing.
But took him " for better or for worse" and
agreed TO pay Tor his services.
On the next day went on board the ship,
| and, when the men came to me for my answer,
| | asked them if they would sail with Sam if |
| would produce quiet, inoffensive man who
could handle him, and take said man to sea
| with me.
| They said they would '-< ..
| knew they would: they would have gone
| with me for nothing, for the sake of seeing
| Sam RannOt c0DOuern6- told tbar, bo Sboul1
be, and enioined them to secresy, which they
| promised. @-- --1 80 IS - s. '~
When Cato learned that he was going to
| sea with me, he was beside himself with ioy :;
| and when came to tell him what | wanted of
him, he laughed till the tears rolled down his
| black cheeks
On the very day of sailing brought Cato
| on board. At first the men exhibited some
signs of dislike; but when they found what
jolly, good-hearted old fellow he was thew
gave him their hands. Sam Rannot winked
prodigiously when he saw the new man. and
more than once he whispered to those near
him: s-
"There'll be fun afore long" .s.s~
On the third day out we had everything
snug and trim, save clearing and covering the
long boat, and now the crew could find time
to snooze by daylight. 1t was in the after.
noon, the wind was from the southwark and
westward, and we were bowling along at the
rate OF about six knots. Cato sat upon the
comblngs of the main hatch, and Sam was
slowly approaching him, not very unlike a
dog sometimes approaches c smaller animal
which it never before saw -
"Say, blacky, get up" ordered Sam, with
grin, at the same time looking around to
see if the rest of the crew were ready to en-
jow tie sport.