Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-04-17

yarn ao all he only shrugged his shOul-
ders with a kind O grin, as much as to
say: I'm too old a bird to be caught
with that kind O chaff )" and then he
Asays to him ''Look here, nv lad,
that sal. verk fire, bat itswsa't do,here
Asoipe OF these men O mine are in the
secret, and | mean to have it out of
EN-. Now, you just point out heman
as slowed you away and fed you, this
very minute; if you don't, it'll be the
worse tor you
The hoy looked up in his bright,
fearless way, Git did my heart good to
look at him, the brave little chap, } and
says quite quitely ''I've told you
the truth; | amt got no more to say. ;,
The mate says nothin', but looks at
him Tor minute as though he'd seen
clear through him and then he faced
around to the men, lookin blacker than
ever ''Reeye rope to the yard ="
he sings out loud enough to raise the
dead smart nowl -
The men all looked at each other as
much as to say: What on earth s a
comm now!" But aboard ship, O.
course, when you're told to do thing,
you've got to do it so the rope was
rove into jiffy.
''Now, my lad" says the mate in a
hard square kind O voice, that made
every word seem like fttin' stone IN
to wall, you see that ERE rope !!
Wen, IL give you ten minutes 10 con-
Tess, he took out his watch and held
1t III his hand) land if you don't tell
the truth afore that time, Ill hang YOU
like a dog !"
The crew all stared at one another
as if they couldn't believe their ears
| { | couldn' believe mine | can tell ye, }
and then low growl went among EN-
like wild beasts a-wakin out of a nap.
''Silence there - shouts the mate,
IN voice like the roar of nor easter.
-''otand by to run for ard - and with
his own hands he put the moose around
the boys s neck. The little feller never
flnched bit; but there were some
an.ons the sailors (big, chaps,
as could ha' felled ox) as shook like
leaves in the wind. AS for me, | be-
thought myself o my little curIy-head-
ed at home, and how it I'D be if any
one was to go for to hang him; an at
the very thought ont | tingled all over,
and my fingers cluched themselves as if
they were a-grippin' somebody s throat.
l cIutchea hold o a handspike, and
held it behind my back all ready.
"Tom, whispers the chief engineer
to me, dye think he really means to
DO it -
Il don't know" says / through my
teeth ; but if he does, he shall 20 fust
ifi swings for it 20
I've been in many an ugly scrape in
my life. but never felt alt as bad as [
did then. Every mint seemed as long
as dozen; and the tick O the mate 5
watch reg lar pricked my ears like pin.
The men were very qniet, but there was
a precious ugly look on some of their
faces aud | noticed that three or four
on m KEEP edgin' for ard to the place
where the mate was standin' in way
that meant mischief. As for ne, |
made up my mind that if he dtd 90 for
to hang the poor little chap, Ia Kill
him on the spot, and take my chance.
''Eight minutes - says the mate,
his great deep voice breaking in upon
the silence like the toll Of a funeral bell
If you We got anything 10 confess, you'd
better out with it, for yer times near
ly up
I've told you the TRUTH answers
the boy, very pale, but firm as ever
May | say my prayers, please %
The mate nodded, and down goes the
little chap on his knees (with that in
fernal rope about his neck all the time, } |
and puts up his poor little hands to
pray. | couldn> make out what he
said (fact, my head was in stitch
a whirl that I'd ha' hardly knowed my
name, J but I'll be bound God heard it,
every word. Then he ups on his feet
again, and puts his hands behind him.
and says to the mate quite quietly ;
II III ready
And then, sir, the mates hard grim
face broke up all to once, like I've seed
the ice in the Baltic He snatched up
the boy in his arms and kissed him,
and burst out a-cryin' like a child ;
and | think there warn't one Of us as
didn't do the same. [ know | did for /
one.
'.God bless you, my boy - says he,
smoothin' the child's hair with his
great hard hand you're true Eng
lishman, every inch of you; you
wouldn't tell lie to save your life
Well, if so be as yer fathers cast yer
off, III be yer father from this day
forth aud then if ever forget you,
then may God forget me -
And he KEEP his word, too. When
we got to Halifax he found out the lit
tie un's aunt. and Civ her lump o
money to meke him comfortable, and
now he goes to see the youngster every
voyage, as reg lar as can be: and to
see the pair of 'em together--t the little
chap 80 fond O him, and not bearin' a
bit O grudge-it's bout as pretty
sight as | ever seed.
Remember always that goodness