The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-08-11
THE CAPTAINS PLEDGE.

| one evening party or old snlp4maS-
tiers met at social supper. After the
cloth was removed and theswine began
Ito circulate freel u some of the older cap
fainsf commenced spinning yarns about
Hheirsown adventures ut sea. Among the
number was captain. Suffer, as fine man
land as good "a sailor as ever trod deck
1t Yves observed tllat he drank nothing
but water; and whensit came his turn to
entertain the company with story he
began as follows
Well, shipmates, to show you why I
don't and can't drink withyou, so you
won't take my refusal as a mark of cold.
ness or disrespect will give you a chap
ter from the Story Of my eafly sailor life.9
1t lis a very important chapter. too; for
on the incident I am about to relate the
whole of my subsequent manhood was
built. s''''9
i I was very young when first went to
fsea, and at the age of fourteen I consider
led myself quite sailor. When I was
Eighteen was shipped on board an East
Indiaman fora long voyage There were
I six of us on board of about the same age.
and had about the same duties to perform.
The ship-the old Lady D,intop-was a
L
portion, there being fifty-two all told.
We boys, as we were called. messed to-
gether, and in all other respects were sep
lerate from the rest of the crew, just as
much as the officers were. Our csptain
was 4 noble hearted, honorable man, kind
and generous, but very strict9a' 10 aaa1
I Now we boys had learned, in the course
1of our travels, to'drink our grog as we'll
las any sailors. When we could get on
ishore we would invaribly indulge in our
lcups, and not unfre quently would we
icome off in state anything but sober. !
said we, but there was one of our number
who could not be induced to toucha drop
lof anything intoxicating. His name was
1John Small. atts 81 9s1F3 9as o. & ga@S's !.
I Now Jack. Small not ao1ly entirelyre-
/ Trained from drinking himself, but he
fused sometimes to ask us to let the stuff
alone, He gave up that Sob, however,
for we made such sport of him that he
was glad to let us alone. But our captain
Ihad sharp eyes, and it was not long be
fore he began to show Jack favors which
he did not show to u.s. He would often
take him on shore tospend the night with
him, and such things as that, while we
Il &
ALL He learned faster than we did-he
was better sailor and learned more of
navigation. Itgot so at length that Jack
was called upon to take the deck some
times, when officers were busy; and he
used to work out the reckoning at noon
as regularly as did the captain. Yet
Jack was in our mess, end he was a con-
slant eyesore We saw that helw reach
ling rapidly ahead of us in every useful
particular, and yet we wouldn't open our
aIeyes. We were envious of his good for
tune as we called it, and used to seize
every opportunity to tease him. But he
never got angry in return. He sometimes
would laugh at us, and at others he would
feelingly chide us that we would remain
silent for a while. 1 V,'A@ s-t5 - 3te
At length the idea entered our heads
that Jack should drink with us. VIZ
talked the matter over in the mess, .wher
Jack was absent, and we mutually
pledged each other that we would make
him drink at the first opportunity. After
this determination was taken we treated
Jack more kindly, and he was happier
ri than he had been for some time. W.
!, were on our homeward bound passage, by
;, the way of Brazil, and our ship stopped
!. at Rio Janeiro, where we were to remain
If q week or SO. One pleasant morning VIZ
n six youngsters received permission to g
y ION shore and spend the whole day anG
= accordingly we rugged up in our bes
IS togs and were carried to the landing.
srl Now was our chance and we put on
d heads together to see how it should b.
ldone Jacks very first desire, as soon a
~ RI,
= inc the various things of interest in tn
d city. He wanted to visit the churche
d and such like places, and to please hin
q we agreed to go with him if he would g
- and take dinner with US. He agreed t
10 this at once, and we thought we had hin
Z sure We planned that after dinner wa
= eaten we would have some light, swee
y wine brought on, and that we would con
=. trive to get rum enough into what b
drank todpset him for nothing on earl
n would please us more than to get Jacl
D. drunk, and carry him on board in Una
IT condition Then we fancied the captain
pr favoritism would be at an end, and tina
: he would no longer look upon our riva
q with more preference than upon our
8 selves. 80 elR y #'t4 sss,es3f3
t, Dinner-time at length. It was cap
y ital dinner, and we came toit with sharp
d ened appetltes. But when the wine wa
It brought in. Jack not only refused to tast
n it, but declined to remain in our company
D. We cried out against him as a mean stin
gy fellow, who thought himself too COCO
Of to associate with us, and accused MIN, q
blast, of trying to step over our heads OF
= THE ship, and all the unpleasant thing
8 we could think of to make the poor fel
t, low unhappy. At first he seemed inclin
il ed to. leave us and return to the shil
Q alone; but suddenly In quiet tone, h'