National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-04-05
TIE ACCEPTED OFFERING.

4 TIE ACCEPTED OFFERING.
N the evening was pretty warm, so | sat
n my cabin with my window and door
n pen. was reading by the light of a wax
candle put in sWivel-stand but, al
slough was interested in the subject,
4 f5aId not help being aware, in sort OF
dreamy way, of the sounds which reached
cy ear from time to time. There was
'e harsh grinding and rafting of the
steam winch at work discharging the
a cargo; the cries and curses of the coarse
Il men at work the striking of the bells
4 On board; the tapping of the water at
-ae wharf; the sounds Of the great ferry
oats which crossed from East Boston to
Boston proper. ] was beginning to feel
red and was thinking of turning in for
tie nigh when the lamp that hung in the
passage revealed the Il yure OF the second
mate,' a great rough, sulky looking fel
| low, with as warm a heart AS ever beat in
human breast. oh" said !, come in; sit
down and spin me that long promised
y.rn Of yours Take cigarette = it's the
u thing | smoke; I'll keep you com
muy." So saying, produced two of the
..te weeds, and we commenced slowly to
eAhale.
Well, Sawbones," he began, Il was
the doctor), 81 hate palavar; so here goes.
was once mate Of coolie-ship. ! am
hot going to speak of the coolie trade at
tbs time; but its about the coolies that
story is. I'm not going to enter into
nne or place but suffice it that our ship
Was q good one, and that we were on q
roIage with a right heavy load of coolies
We were very tightly packed, can tell
you, and no mistake. Well, we had the
tackies on deck pretty much, and We
did all we could to ventiate and purify
Mem and as yet We had had no disorder
amone them-all was going pretty well.
The skipper was much engaged below
he was one OF the kind that believe in
keeping the steam up-high you
Alow, In fact, | had command; the old
man never nterfered Doctor, boys are
h tie greatest nuisance and torment that
you can have, ahoat or ashore-no mis-
n ko. We had two boys. They were lit
lie dwartish chits, bat as cunning and
tricky as Young apes. 1t took us all our
n time to look after those boys. Sometimes
uey tought-sometimes they leagued in
mischief; but if they were out of sight,
you might be sure they were doing no
good. George was the name Of one,
Harry that of the other. The whole of
iae ship was against them, and they against
me whole ship. 1t was a game, and the
tile wretches played well, OF course,
iey were tbrashed from time to time,
ilt that seemed to act only as a stimulsnt.
Well, one day the coolies got up
,'est atfair-at least, it was great affair
10 item, poor creatures. They were to
give sort Of offering to their god-or at
east one of them. They wanted to be in
HIS good books, You see, and so they made
LIN this gift. | don't know all that was
IN .he bundle, but think there was rice,
and Sn0w that there was money. The
Offering was fixed in the truck of the
nHn-mast-the truck, you know, is the
rgtton affair at the very point of the mast.
We'll, it was fastened up during the day,
sud the sign was, that if the god came in
The night and took away the bundle, he
vas well pleased, and meant to bless their
'oyage. 1t was fastened all right, and
hey set a watch of their own to keep
sht eye to the bundle, so that they might
See the god swoop down and carry it
away. There was also group of coolies
at the shrouds to see that there was
no unhallowed interference by the ships
people.
Well, evening shaded into night, and
deuced dark night it was too-heavy
masses of cloud scudding across sombre
| hoI u,aotbAr k,,t nathan thraat
eAlhg, you know. | was on watch, feel |
lAs rather anxious as to how the night |
might turn ont. Our doctor, a native, |
'ame to my side lie was very intelli- |
gent fellow, can tell you, and well edu-
Gated. He didn't believe in the god com
,ng down and taking away the bundle
Sut he wasn't fool to express his mind
oeiore the coolies. They are rather dan
serous cattle at times. You read now
a'u again of their rising in mutiny, killing |
c'e officers and crew, aye, even setting
-'e 10 the ship, and playing the deuce
-eherally. Coolies are not to be trified
"Rh' especially when there is q great
IoWd of them. OF course, they are ig-
n'Fant and supersttious, and such are al
"a!s dangerous. Life with such people
al discount, and no mistake. Well, the |
1}e'or and | we're devising plans for ven
.-aII'ng the ship by kiDdlng fires, ETC., and
uie watch passed. When eight bells
tuck at midnight, Il turned in as soon as
vas relieved. 1t seemed scarcely a min
-, --t before heard eight bells strike again,
~ ~ was forced to know that it was four
:. ''2ck IN the morning, and time for me
oe on deck to take my watch. The
egohd said that the wind had mot risen |
u sner than when went below, but that
ae night had been intensely dark. 1t was
=, az The time he spoke. commenced to
-.e 70 and fro-wishing heartily that my
-.cA was overland, as time passed, |
1c.hg the gradual diffusion Of the IN
Ian IAN light Of early morning.
'ladenly, my blood was fairly frozen