The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1865-03-01

ment there was slight stir among the sail
ors, who were silenly waiting for orders.
"Whars the matter there :" inquired The
captain.
: "Captain," replied sailor, this lil,le
monkey of cabin boy is asking TO swim
TO the shore with string around his body
to draw the cabIe after him he is obstinate
as little mule ~ and he pushed jacques
10 the midst of the circle. The boy stood
turning hi hat round and round in his
hands, without daring to utter a word.
Nonsense such child can't go," said
the captain roughly.
But Jacques was not of a character 10 be
easily discouraged. "Captain,p said he
timidly, s'you don't wish TO expose the lives
of good sailor like these it does not matter
what becomes of lilie monkey OF cabin
boy, as the boatswain calls me. Give me
| ball o! siroug string which will unroll as
| get m fasen one end around my body, and
! | will promise you that within an hour the
rope will 5e well fastened on the shore, or
will perish in the attempt"
| "Does he know how 10 swim |" asked
| the captain.
! "As swiftly and as easily as an eel" re-
| piled one of tbs crew.
could swim up he Seine from Havre
to Paris" said little jacques. The captain
hesilaleI, but the lives of all on board were
at stake aud he yielded.
Jacques haslened 10 prepare ior his terti-
BILE undertaking. Then he turned aad SOFT
! ly approached the captain. Captain"
said he, 'as may be lost may AK you TO
take charge of something Tor me p
"Cenainly, my boy" said the captain.
who almost repenled of having yielded 10
| his enIreslies.
"Here then, captain" replied Jacques
/ holding out two Eve franc pieces, wrapped
in piece of rag II am eaten BY the Por-
/ poises, and you get safe 20 land, be so kind
as to give this 10 my mother, who lives on
! the unay at Havre and will son tell her
! that thought of her, and that / love her
! very much, as we'll as all my brothers and
sisters Z"
.'Be easy about that, my boy. If you die
! for Us, and we escape, your mother shall
never want for anything
"Oh, then | will willingly try 10 save
you" cried Jacques, Fastening 10 The other
side Of The vessel where all was prepared
for the enterprise
The captain thoughi Tor a moment. "We
Ought not allow this lad % sacrifice himself
for Us in his way" said he at length.
musi forbid IT."
sYss. yes" said some of the sailors
round him ii s disgracefu 10 Us all that
this cabin BOY shonld sci Us an example OF
courage; and il would be a sad thing IT the
brave child should die for old men like us
who have lived our time. Let us stop him.
They rushed TO the side OF the vessel, but
it was TOO late. They found there only the
sailor who had aided jacques in his Prepar-
iions. and who was unroiling the cord that
was fastened TO the bedy CT the young he
roic boy
They leaned over The side of The vessel to
see what was going to happen, and lew
quietly wiped away tear which would no'
be restrained.
At first nothing was seen bit waves OF
wtils foam, mountains of water which
seemed 10 rise as high as the mast, aud
then fell down with a laundering roar
Soon the practced eye of some of the sail
ors perceived a little black point rising
above the waves, and then again, distance
prevented them from disting uishing ii at
all. They anxious y watched the cord. and
tried to guess by its quicker or slower
movement, the faie Of him who was uuroll-
ing it.
Sometimes the cord was unrolled rapidly;
"Oh, what brave fellow" they said, "see
how quickly he swims ~ AT olher times
the nnroIling ofIhe ball OF string stopped
suddenly: Poor bey," they said, she
has been drowned or dashed against the
rocks ~
This an xieiy lasted more than an hour,
The ball of string continued 10 be aunrollod
but at unequal periods A, length il slip
ped slowly over the side of the vessel, and
often fell as if slackened. They thonght
Jacques must have much difficulty in get
ting through the surt on the coast 'fPer-
haps il is the body of the boy that the sea
way,' said some of the sailors. The cap
tain was deeply greyed that he bad per-
mitied the child 10 make the attempt, and
notwithstanding the desperate situation in
which they were, all the crew seemed 10
be thinking more of The boy than OF them
selves.
All at once violent pull was given TO
the cord This was soon followed by a
second, then a third. 1t was the signal
agreed upon TO tell them that jacques had
reached The shore. A shout of Joy was
heari on the shiP. They fastened 10 fas-
ten a rope on he cord, which was drawn
on shore as fast as they could let il out, and
was firmly fastened by some of The people
who had come to the help OF The liuIe cab
in boy. By means of this rope many of The