The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-04-13

whlskey, he turned on me, and strewed
such flowers of speech, in Bowery argot
on my head, that, lax as our discipline
with the men was, was bound to pun
ish him, and accordingly ordered him
to be confined. Immediately drawing
his formidable knife, the rascal (as the
Yankees say "went for me-" was
standing on the after-hatch quite un-
armed, having left my sword and pistols
in the cuddy; and, providentially, as he
hurled himself on to me, his foot tripped
on the combings of the hatchway, and
he fell almost at my feet, the murderous
weapon aimed at my breast just grazing
my thigh. He was up again in an in
stant, with arm uplifted for o second
and more fatal stab, when n crack like
the smash of o carriage panel was heard,
and Private Felix O'Gorman dropped
with fractured skull on the deck before
blow from a handspike, welded by
Mr.. Jonas Baxter, burglar and Cuban
patriot. There was no mistaking the
mans nationality for a moment, even
before he spoke. Such corduroys (may 1
adopt the vernacular, and say "kicksees?")
were never made out of Whitechapel ;
and when he said, in drawling quiet
tone SO common to his kind, that he'd be
blessed if he'd see the captain bested by
a - Fenian, my memory flew back
over the Atlantic; was again in Re-
gent street at 4 P. NJ. on sunny after
noon in May, and the persuasive chant
of "Buy little dawg, captain 7" once
more rang in my ears. Scoundrel though
the man might be, he was an English
man, and he had saved my life and my
heart positively warmed to him as 1
gave his hand grip that made the big
knuckles crack, and swore that I'd stand
by him to the end of the war.
At my request, Colonel D'Olivarez
made the expatriated cracksman "a
sergeant-an accession of rank with
which he was hugely pleased entering
on the duties with all the glee of child
who acquires a toy drum, and rendering
mine much less lrksome by the whole
some awe he inspired among his luckless
subordinates, who feared as much as
they hated him. Do not think, how
ever, that Mr.. Baxter had any intention
of following soldering as profession.
He held the calling of arms in the most
unqualified contempt, and did not scru-
pie to enlighten me as to his real inten-
tions. In explanation of the apparently
undue familiarity with which my dash
ing white sergeant treated me, 1 should
here mention that we had been advised
to use no more authority than was neces-
sary for the suppression of mutiny while
on board ship over men who were used
to no sort of control, and who valued
human life at its lowest possible cost.
There they were, probably food for yell
low Jack or Spanish bullets, and they
knew it; and while prepared. rufians as
some of them were, to fulfill their part
of the contract, and " fight till hell froze,
and then fight on the ice," would have
mutinied to a man had we worried them
too much on the voyage.)
Mr.. Jonas Baxter, therefore, was good |
enough to express his approval of my |
being an Englishman, and to favor me
with several episodes of his extremely |
checkered career, some of which may |
possibly prove amusing to my readers. |
In justice to this child of fortune, or i'll |
fortune, should, however, mention that
with his garb and cockney accent his
likeness to the stereotyped burglar
ceased. His face was not that which has
been rendered familiar to us in the pages
of Punch as that of the gentl 4man who
performs the office of "the nasty man"
in garroting circles. On the contrary,
had Mr.. Baxter been introduced into
society clad in garments built in Savile
Row, and been hidden to hold his tongue,
no superficial observer could have dis
him from the most 6lase fire.
4uenter of the Burlington Arcade save
by the massive squareness of his lower
Jaw, and the coarseness of his firm,
sinewy hands.
But let him speak for himself.
81 saved your life, cap" quoth he
and glad am to have done it. / only
wish had had pal like you in my
business"
Feeling that compliment was i'm
olied, but being uncertain as to the
branch of commerce hitherto pursued !
'y my preserver, made bold to ask him !
o what he had hitherto devoted his ap- {
'arently indomitable energies. $
well" he replied, with reluctance ,
or which could not at once account, !
l open safes and-and houses Come ,
With me" he added. with real zeal, A" and I
ii show you as I'm no duffer." So say |
ng, he dlved 'tween-decks, myself fol- I
owing, where he opened small brass :
ound box, and disclosed to my astonished q
aze a jimmy" a small saw of exquisite
centre. bit, and guam E
lty of other tools, the names of which n
would puzzle me to recollect "These," n
Q said, "were the traps of poor Jim
>, who was hanged eighteen year |,
go at the Old Bailey. His widow, she o
ere in Short Gardens, and gave her /
200 for the lot. D the Cubansw a
e added. "In the bank at P are +
100000 dollars in gold. Let's fight r
II we get there, and then let's turn up h
atriotisn., and 90 straight for the bank" e
"But," 1 said, "the cause sacred 7
.use of Cuba, Sergeant Baxter" 4
"Oh," said he, " that's all played out" {,
No assurance on my part that my h
elings were opposed to the unlawful n
of the Spaniards' gold could . .
,rsuade Mr.. Baxter to forego the pleas r
e of mapping out programme for
IT mutual ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. To my
rprise found that he was much bet
r posted in the geography of the island n
an myself; and he was also informed 1
whether accurately or not never had in
e opportunity of determining-as to al
e strength of the garrison at P, SC
d the exact number of sentries who b.
Iarded his Ell Dorado, the bank; so
at found myself, under protest, pledg- in