The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1864-02-20
BY ROGER srARBUcK.

THANK ye, meSsmates, and here is my
respects"
where's Moonshine 90
"Oh, golly Use comin'-I'se comm -
Scrape away, Moonshine-scrape away
at them fiddle ratlins ! -
"Aye, aye! dat de talk Here she goesl ,
"Ohl life by the galley fire
home on de rollin' deep,
Where de scatterin' water rabe,
And de winds dar rebels keep!
! Oh! life on de-" &c, DE.
/ The larboard watch, as well as a portion
of the starboard, in the bark Sea Sprite,
were evidently enjoying themselves on that
New Years Eve, although they were thou
sands Of miles from their native shores.
with furious gale ehriekIng among the
! shrouds of the vessel, and hurting the huge
waves of the stormy Atlantic against and
! over her.
| As the fiery liquor circulated among the
men, they became uproarious. The scream
ing Of Moonshine's fiddle, the stamping of
| heavy sea boots. the loud voices of the
men-singing, shouting and laughing, all
| together, created confusion of noises
which fairly drowned the hoarse notes of
the tempest without.
In one corner of the forecastle, however,
was seated lad of fourteen, who did not
mlngIe in the noisy revels OF his shipmates,
and as the rude oaths of the seamen sau-
te- his ears, an expression of pain and sad
ness fitted across his face.
"See here, boys - exclaimed tall, saw
age looking seaman, suddenly starting up
from the chest which had served him for
seat, ''here's little Jack as hasn't tasted
drop of this ere whisky. Now split me if
that isn't a lubberly piece of business for
any one as sails in the Sea Sprite. Nobody
but Jonahs refuses to drink, and l hopes
we hasn't Jonah among us. No good
luck ever comes of them Jonahe, and this
ere lad must either take his taut, or--me,
he's one of 'em.''
"Aye, aye, Bill, that's the way 20 put it.
The lad must take horn, or wei toss him
overheard to the sharks. No Jonahs in the
Sea SPrite - yelled an old sea-dog, whose
red face and flaming eyes showed that he
had imbibed deeply of the fiery liquid.
''No, no, no Jonahs in this craft chin
ed in the rest of the men.
Here, lad, here's the jug-drink 4" ex-
claimed the seaman who had been called
Bill, as he extended the vessel to Jack.
a line of fierce bloodshot eyes famed
upon the face of the boy. His lip culver
ed, but he answered firmly:
mo, sir, will net touch drop of the
foul stuff
Hear him !" roared the tars smulta-
neoasly. Hear the young lubber"
Pour it down his throat - reared the
old sailor who had spoken before.
"Aye, aJe, force it DOWN." shouted the
other tars, she must be made to drink !"
"Never! exclaimed the boy, while de
termined flash cleaned in his eye, ''never,
so help me God " and he started from his
seat as he spoke, and gazed fearIessly upon
the men who surrounded him.
a burst of coarse laughter greeted the
exclamation Of the youugs er. But with
out heeding 1t be continued:
Il would die before 1 touched drop of
your liquor. 1t carried my father to his |
grave. My mother died soon after of
broken heart. but not before she made me
promise never to taste the horrid stuff. The |
VOW l made to my dying mother shall not
be broken
Overheard with him Overheard with
the Jonah -
their rough grasp, and hurried him to the |
deck, he exclaimed fearessly:
Il have done my duty and Heaven Will !
help me -
AT the same moment q heavy sea broke
over the ships quarter-there was loud |
crash, and the next moment the voice of the /
captain rose above the din of the storm.
There goes one of our boats. Come aft |
here, some of the hands there for'ard, to
help lash the other one before that goes off !
too -
Ere the captain spoke, the savage drunk
ards had tossed the boy overheard into the
wild waves of the sea; and few now stag
gered ait to obey the orders of the skipper.
The Jonah's gone. Cap'n. 1t served
him right for sma- sma-smashin' the whisky
jug " remarked one of the sailors, while
his unsteady hands were engaged with the
lashings of the boat.
Aye, aye " muttered another; '.Davv
Jones has got him safe afore this time"
What do you mean ?" inquired the
captain, In tone of alarm.
The men proceeded to explain matters as
well as their intoxicated condition would
permit
my God What have you done - be
exclaimed in voice of mingled rage and
grief; ''you have murdered my nephew -
AT that moment the ship made furious
plunge; huge wall of water doomed up in
the darkness. and a second afterwards swept /
the bark fore aud aft.
NIL III