The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1869-01-08

! and activity, seemed pleased at the rar
2 Incident of visitor entering their dooI
] Billy was at first shy and awkward, but
{ finding himself treated with cordia
frankness, he, in the course Of the even
ing, when the children were in bed, an
ibis wife busy milking the cows, thus &C
costed bis old commander, Captain,
: hope you don't mean to shoot me 70
my desertionP by no means, say
Captain, pleasantly; there would B,
little use in shooting ghost, or a mar
with as many lives as cat Bill
smiled rather a melancholy smile.
Sab, Captain, you have not fOrgoI
the ghost, l see; but it is q long time
to remember an old score, and hope
you'll forgive me-
i 'On one condition | Will, replied
Captain R., chat you will tell me
honestly how you managed to make al
Imy sailors Believe they saw you, nigbt
after night on board the ship, as vel
as on shore m
They did see me- rejoined Billy in
his usual sepulchral voice.
"Then their seeing you jump over
board was all deceptionF
BY no means, sir; did jump over
board, but then 1 climbed back sgain
shortly after
i The deuce you did-explaiu.'
! 4 will, SIR, as well as | am able.
was many years amongst the Sand.
wieh- islanders, where the vessel in
which was cabin boy was wrecked a
long time ago; and can pass whole
hours, I believe days, in the water, with
out being fatigued, except for want Of
sleep. | have also got some other hab-
its, such as a great dislike to hard
work, and liking for going where /
will and doing just what please. The
discipline Of the man-of war did not suit
me at all, and ! grew tired after a few
days. To pass the time and make fun
with the sailors, l told them all sorts
Of yarns about myself ana my sdven-
lures, and played many pranks to make
them believe l wss sort of wizard.
The punishment you gave me, though
! own | deserved, made me resolve to
desert as soon as an opportunity offered.
| had an old shipmate with me whom
| could trust and we planned the
whole thing together. l knew if I
deserted at Gibaralter or any of the
ports in the Mediterranean l should
almost certainly be caught and shot
of-handed as an example. | got Tom
Brown to write my will, intending to
leave my watch and chest to my mess
mate, who was TO return them to me
again at Gibaralter; but Tom played
US trick, and put bis own name in
stead of my friends in, and the trick
was not found out until afterwards,
when my friend was afraid of discov-
cry, if he made any rOut about the
matter
Who is your friend ? asked Captain
R. Ge
He is alive and in the service /, I had
rether not mention his name
60 on, said the Captain.
That night / jumped overheard
How did you get back iuto the sEipF
asked the Captain, hastily.
why, sir, the forward port-hole on
the starboard side was left open, inten-
tionally, with a bit of rope fastened to
the gun, and hanging down, 50 that
| could catch it.
The Captain struck bis forehead
with the palm Of his hand, and said
10 himself. What a set Of block heads
we Werep @ to ffu1
Pretty well for that, responded
honest Billy, though not quite so great
as might be expected The last part
Of his speech, he meant for a eunpli-
ment, but it sounded directly the con
trary. rl-a5i rso t
As soon as l was overheard, con
tinued be, 4 swan to the rope waiting
for the signal from my friend to climb
up, and hide my self in coil of cable
slowed away close 10 the bows. In
the hustle that followed it was easy
enough to do this; and nobody saw me
but my friend. Here remained ia nv
wet clothes, rather uucomfortabiy, as
you may suppose, until my provisions
were expended, and my bacey-box
empty. calculated they would last
till We arrived at GibraIter, where
could have been easier for
me than to slip out of the porthole and
swim ashore. But the plague head
winds and ealms, which l dare say You
remember, delayed the squadron sew
sral days longer than l expected, and
exhausted my stock. l shouldn't have |
minded the want Of biscuit and water,
but it was impossible to live without
The bseky. Ny friend had promised |
10 come sometimes within hail of sig |
nails Of distrss, but as be told me az |
.er~ards, he vas confined for several |
lays for picking quarrel with Tom
Brown whom he lOuged TO pay off with
! good hiding for forging the will.
4 remained in this state until was
nearly starved, when, not able to stand /
i any longer, J, one night when every
body between decks seemed fast asleep, |
'rept out Of my hole, where l lay coil
ID up in the shape Ofa cable, covered /
With piece Of old canvas, and finding
pitcher Of water, took hearty drink.
Phis was as far as dared to 90 at that
ime, but the next night ventured out
gain, and was lucky enough to get a
,Ood supply of provisions which hap
,ened to-be left by some accident, in
be way. Two or three times I heard
eareh making for Ine, and l was ter
IDLY frightened, but I believe the
earebers we're more frightened still, 4
nd afraid to look closely into the ca
lie tier. When we arrived at the Bay :
{ Algesiras, l took an opportunity Of
farming Tom a little by visiting him
the night, and bidding him good by,
fter which slipped quietly out of the
ort hole, aud my friend pulled up the K
Ope and shut the .PoFthOls after me- t
But how did you manage to escape II
ON the police at AlgesirisF 2 4 was !
n board the frigate al the time, in I
~ old hidipg-plaee,, sAnd when the =
nip was searched directly afterp alo
as op shore at that time Aud how !
id you manage at MaltaF The land l
nd was my sworn brother, and would /
Dt hayS blabbed for a thousand t
Ounds. And the cspers on the yard r
rm and top gallant the visits TO Tom '
rowu, at Syracuse, and the wonder t
1 stories told by the sailorsP L never 6