Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1866-01-06
a Ruman Bamed.

charged from the ship Cumberland. His
nautical nose led him back 10 the water.
lie shipped in Gillian vessel, bound
to the SlndRich Islands. The craft was
beautiful trim little brig--with ma sts
that were round and taporing like the up
lifted arms OF a belle, and a bow as gracs.
fully moulded as the bosom of o sWan.-
Her well proportlonod hull seemed scarce.
ly to touch the water when, with swelling
sails, she gided along her course like a
white winged bird IS it skins along the
grass of the pairic, There were fourteen
men in the forecastle, besides himself, as
dirty and dlsagrcea6le a set as, had ever
encountered. Seven Of them were Chill.
ians and the rest were Kanakas. They
would swear and wrangle from morning
ill night, making SO much noise that Tom
Iound it impossible to sleep in the daytime
when it was his watch below.
On certain occasion he demonstrated, =,
with one, big, burly fellow, with a mon.
strous head, and with shoulders like those
OF giant, started to his feet, and craw-
iOg knife; ordered the complainant to
lie down again.
'Mo will cut your throat if you make
objection !! he added brandlshlng his
weapon with threatening air, as-Ao wit.
messed the angry flash that cleaned in
| Toms eyes,
The Bullying manner Of the giant quick
! ly reused the ire of the American, and,
obeying sudden impulse, be dashed the
knife from the grasp OF the owner with a
blow upon his wrist. Looping from his
! bunk almost at the same moment, he threw
himself upon the person of the burly
ChiIian with force which sent him heav-
lily backwards. As ho lel, to the de,k his
temple came ia contact with an oak chest,
and he lost all CONSEQUENCES.
When bis couutrymcu beheld his mo
tionle,s figure, they ievollcd perfect tor
rent of yells and execratlon5 against the
American and hardly had he regainec
his feet when they rushed towards him il
body, with the Intention of ayengnt
their ship.mate.
Tom, however picked handspiko from
the wingipg deck, anG sit about with
will, coutrived TO keep his antagonists a
bay.
Noverl heless, he would soon have bcel
ovorpowered had it not been for the in
tarferrcuce Of the captain and his mates
who, attracted by the uproar, arrived up
on tue spot at the very moment when tw
of the men had succeeded in wrepchp
, the handspike from the grasp Of the youu
sailor.
As Tom was the best seaman in tt
brig, aud rs ie rationS were required
the foretopmast shrouds, the officers too
D the part OF our hero, and ordered th
f Chilans 10 disperse. The men obeyed rt
+ luctautly, casting many dark gances VI
on Tom, aud breathiog low, muttcre
threats aud eXecratons against him.
l In the meantime, the giant, having gt
v covered his senses, had risen TO his fec
. aud commenced to wash his head in col
water. Although he did not say a woi
. to uawser, nor even look towards hin
y there was Il certain expression in his eyt
y which warned the American 10 be on h
# cuard. lie believed that bis late antag
, List would adopt some secret plan Of II
yenge, he would await on opportunity
: attack him while he was uDprepared /
:, defcuce-to strike him from behind or
the dark.
d AS day after day passed away, bo,
!, ever, and the Chllians did not attempt
- interfere with him, Tom came to the co
o' clusion that he had been mistaken, and
u natural consequence he became le
ut waichiul.
is One morning while the vessel was wit
I Il L., NIL 81 Lao, l. Z
le she was brought to a stand still by def
A. calm,
,u The surface of the sea was like pt
IN ished mirror. Not ripple upon the v
y. ter, not cloud iu the sky. The su
or heat was intense. The pitch started fr'
mt The deck planks, and the melted tar Gil
encd upon the shrouds The men who b
been in the habit of going bare footed W
compelled to wear shoes on this occasl
ur otherwise the heated plauks would hi
he blistcrad the soles of their feet.
~ Presently the captain and his ma
Y, were seen TO make preparations for swl
ming. In short time they were div
OF from the bulwarks, or rolling about Iu
of rautly in the water.
The ruon decided to follow their eNa
,o4 ple. Tom liawser was hG excellent di
Le aud good swimmer. Mounting to
he fore top.sal yard he ran into the west
he end, and sprang into the sea.
,co The giant seemed to have formed
nv same resolution, and followed his CO
i aui IN boldly, He was a good svinn
,sc aud nad Tom watched him clos,ly,
.r- would have perceived that he did not
ion ert himself as much as be might b
md done, but seemed we'll satisfied that
70 American should take the lead
70 The distance between the two men
ned their vessel became greater every nom,
ft The hull of the brig, AS the AmerI
,od coald percsiver when he thre" an oc
Je- sional glance behind him, seemed to Sc
obs lower in the water every moment.
law arms and legs achcd with his ezorlion'
r. He felt that his strength was gradu
rcd passing away. But his resolution sto
CHI refused sympathy with these warning
ox- approaching weakness. The porpoise'
bo blowing in his wake still continued