The Shasta courier., 1868-06-27
:. You win bel shot for desertion. then I

heard your sailors talking about it in the fore.
castle !''
Ship aho-o-oyl" came rough hail from
the sloop--" lie to at once ~
We all looked toward the sloop to behold a
sergeant perched upon the rail, peering keen
ly at the young convict The latter instantly
stopped and ran into the steerage. :. But il
was too late. The keen-eyed sergeant with
whom, it afterward was ascertained, the lad
bad frequently conversed, recognized him al
once.
The captain seemed to reflect moment,
then to decide not to obey the order from the
sloop! He was father, and the youth was
his only son; the old man acted natural
enough for one as rough and untutored as he
Instead, then, of obeying the order, he just
''cracked on" all the canvas he could carry
sending his craft booming along at the rate
of twelve knots.
The sergeant aboardsthe sloop evidently
was resolute fellow, who would fight
long and hard before allowing his prey to be
carried off. He lowered boat-a long cut
| ter, manned it with twenty stout fellows and
pulled after the ship. The latter he knew
must soon tack. in order to weather rocky
point projecting far into the bay ahead. Sc
he kept his men pulling, until be heard the
cry on board the Walrus of 81 tacks and
sheets !" and the yards began to come round
He then ordered his men to stop pulling and
lay quietly waiting-his bowsman holding
boat hook ready for graphing the
ship should come near enough for him to gel
alongside.
| This soon took place; but the boat-hook
was chopped in twain by blow from a
hatchet in the hand of my chum, Hal Trevor
reckless. daring young fellow, always al
home in peril of every description.
The sergeant, with an oath, pulled pistol
from his belt, took aim and fired The bul.
let whistled close enough to Hal to Craze his
neck, but he minded it no more then if it had
been straw tickling him. boldly smoking
his pipe he watched the boat as it receded
astern.
Bang went musket from the cutter, and
the bullet passed through the leg of my best
white pants, grieving. me exceedingly, as they
were the only good unpatched had in the
world.
When we tackled again. the persevering ser
geant contrived to board US. He searched
the vessel thoroughly, but to my inexpressi
BILE delight was unable to find the convict.
"Come, you know where he is p he said
to the captain, 'and it will go hard with
you if you do not tell |"
The skipper denied any knowledge of the
convict's whereabouts. As he spoke, a little
Portuguese sailor edged up to the sergeant
and whispered in his ear, when the officer
running to the forehold and searching among
the slabs of bone discovered the fugitivel
Just as the soldier was about pulling him
out. the young man sprung up and dealt be-
tween his-the sergeant's-ey a blow that
Knocked him fat upon his back.
He then rushed on deck, and springing
overheard, went dawn, apparently like a
shot
A boat was lowered, but the convict could
not be found. The sergeant returned to the
sloop and the sad-hearted father bracing for
ward his yards, kept on his way.
We were well out to sea and was at the
wheel, when hearing an exclamation from
the captain, looked up to behold the convict
whom we had all thought drowned. alive and
well in his fathers arms
Explanations ensued. The young man on
springing overheard. had swan under the
water to the stern, where, by means of a
dangling rope, he had drawn himself through
the cabin windows intosthe state-room.
The convict, as afterward ascertained, was
not guilty of the crime imputed to him a
pretended friend of his having set fire to the
house and contrived matters so that the cir
cumstances should be against the captains
son. The latter now is married, l believe tc
an estimable young lady, who makes him a
good wife, and who loves to hear him tell
how he escaped the guard at Botany Bay.