Smyrna times., 1872-06-05
m SSc e/Iun e0ms
The Accepted Offering,


no evening was pretty warm, so sat in m,
caOln with my window and door ouen / wa
ieaoing Dy the hight OF wax candle. mt in .
swivel Stan1; but although | was Interested !,
nU rr'JecI' could not help being aware. in =
vi vi VI uIcamy way OF the sounds which reached
my ear IRON time TO time. There was the h,rSI
grinding and rattling Ofthe steanr-wiuch at ynrt
ulScharRlng Cargo; the cries AMI curses of tb'
IoArSe men at work; the striking of the hplls a.,
Doaru the tapping OF the water at the wharf.
tue SonnuS OF the great Terry boats which
from East Boston to Boston proper was Io
ginning TO feel tired, and was thinking of tnrn
Jug 10 Tor tue night, when the lamp that INN,
III 'he passage revealed the figure Of the secoud
mate great rough, sulky looking fellow with
az ssO warm heart as ever beat in human breast
~ saiu l. come IN, sit down, and spin me
'ia' Iong Promised yarn Of yours Take :.
cigarette It's the only thing | smoke: Tll
Keep you company" So saying, | prnduced
TWO OF the little weeds, and we cnnmsnceJ
slowly to exhale. ''"i'"e"ceu
Wen, Sawbones," he began, Il was ,b,
doctor Il hate palaver; so here goes. I was
once mate OF conlie ship | am going to
speak OF the cooIIe trade at this time but it's
aoout coolies that the story is I'm not going
" enter INTO time or place but suffice it that
our snip was a good on and WI. wer,. ~, :,
a
were pretty tightly packed, [ can tell you. and
no mistake. Well, we had the blackies On
deck pretty much. and We did ali we cunld IN
Nehtllate and purify them and a. vet we had
no Oau disorder among them-all was roinu
pretty well. ''''''-
The skipper was much engaged below he
was one OF the kind that believe in keeping the.
steam up. high pressure, you know In fact.
I had command; the old man never inrrrrrel
Doctor, boys are the greatest nuisance and tor
nent that YOU can have afoat or nshore-no
mistake. We had two bows. Thev WERE G,tIe
dwhrti,h chirs, but as cunning ami tricky .s
1peS Ii took us all our time to lonk after
nose boys. Sometimes they fought-some-
times they leagued in mischief; bu: il they
were out OF sight you might be sure thew were
doing no good. George was the name Of one
Harry that of the other The whole of the
mp was against them, and they against the
whole OF the ship. 1t was a game, and the
little wretches played it. Ofcour~e thev we're
thFaShed from Time to time, but that seemed to
act only as a stimulant
We'll, one day the coolies got m creat
atfar-at least it was great affair tn ,brm
poor creatures. They were to give a SORT of
Offering to their gOd-Or at least one of them.
They wanted to be in his good book you see
and so they made him bis gift. [ dnn't know
all that was in the bundle, but think there
was rice, and | know that there was money. |
The Offering was fixed to the truck of the main |
mast-the truck, you know, is the bottom
affair at the very point OF the mast. Well. il |
was fastened up during the day, aud the sign |
was, that 1t the god came in the night and took |
away the bundle he was we'll pleased and |
meant to bless their voyage 1t was fasteped |
all right, and they set watch OF their own to
keep tight eye to the bundle, so that they
might see the god swOOp over and carry it !
away, There was also group of coolies at tie |
shrouds to see that there was no unhallowed
interference by the ships people.
Wen, evening shaded into night and |
ueuceu dafk night 1t was, tOO-heayy masses
OF cloud scuddlng across sombre sky; not bad |
weather, but rather threatening. you know. |
was on watch, feeling rather anxious as TO how
tne night might turn out. Our doctor, a na
tive, came to my side. He was very intelli
gent fellow, | can tell you, and we'll educated.
lie didn't believe in the god coming down and
taking away the bundle, but he wasn't such
io i0ol as 10 express his mind before the coolies
j hey are rather dangerous cattle at times You
rea9 .s now and again OF their rising in mutiny,
killing the officers and crew. ave. even setting
flre to the ship, and playing the deuce gener
aiy; Coolies are not to he trifed with, espe.
clally when there Is great crowd oi them or
course they are Ignorant and superstitinus, aud
such are always dangerous. Lite with such
people IS at discount and no mistake. Well,
the doctor aud [ were devisine plans for venti
lating the ship by kinding fires etc, and so
the watch passed. When eight bells struck at
midnight, turned in as sunm as was relieved
IL seemed scarcely minute before | heard
eight bells strike again, and | was forced to
know that 1t was four clock in the morning
and again time Tor me to be on deck to take my
watch. found the ship much as had left
her. The second" said that the wind had not
risen higher than when went below. but that
Inc night had been intensely dark. IL was 80
It the time he spoke. commenced to pace to (
ind iro, wishing heartily that my watch was
,vrr, anl as time passed, noticing the grand
ILLUSION OF the uncertain light Of early morn l
ng.
Suddenly my blood was nearly frozen in my .
,eins by devilish uproar thought at first |
nat u was mutiny-then fire. While | was G
'omposlnR my mind for action the screaming '
vas renewed tentOld. Coolies streamed aud |
'rowded on deck in dozens. They were all vio- !
entity excited. but did not seem disposed TO do
my mischief Isent one of my hands to ascer-
am what was the row, before giving any COM {
nsnd, but before he returned the native doctor 4
prang to my side with CLASSY, terror-stricken e
ye add trembling limbs Mr. Topsal, says a
e, our lives are 10 dangerl What folly, what q
Who could do it? You must act very 9
rudently, Mr. Topsal, or this will be our last %
oyage., '.!i3- 'Iil]. ~ b
While was starting at the poor Mortified a