The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1873-07-18

We nj uShSNSo every WoIu oA y, cScu
without the paper for his look, and his
voice, and the way he spoke, was
enough to show that there waren't
ha'horth o lying in his whole skin.
But the mate didn't seem to swaller
the yarn at all. He only shrugged his
shoulders with kind O. grin, as much
as to say, "I'm too old bird to be
caught with that kind of chaff;" and
then he says to him, "Look here, my
lad, that's all very fine, but won't do
here some O. these men o mine are in
the secret, and mean to have it out of
'em. Now, you inst point out the man
as slowed you away and fed you, this
very minute il you don't it will be the
worse for you"
The boy looked up in his bright, fear
less way-it did my heart good to look
at him, the brave little chap and says
quite quietly, "I've told you tho truth
Il amt got any more to say"
The mate says nothin', but looks at
him for a minute as if he'd seen clean
through him, and then he faced round
!. to the men, lookin' blacker than ever.
Reeve a rope to the yard" he sings
out, loud enough to raise the dead.
"Smart, now p
wv The men all looked at each other, as
much as to say, "What on earth's a
comm now?" But aboard ship, of
course, when you are told to do thing
ou've got to dc it. Sofhe rope was
ropeina n jiffy. -, xAA
"Now, my lad, " said the mate, in a
| hard. square kind o. voice, that made
every worl sound like fttm' stone into
| a wall, "you see that ere rope? Well,
IN give yoa ten minutes to confess -
he took ont his watch and held it in his
hand-'handr if you don't tell the truth
afore the times up, I'll hand you like q
dog I" 80
The crew all stared at one another, as
if they couldn't believe their ears. ]
didn't believe mine, I can tell ye. And
then a low growl wentamong 'em, like
n wild beast wakin' out of a nap.
"Silence, there p shouts the mate,
in a voice like fierce nor'easter.
Stand by the run for'ard % And with
his own hand he puts the moose round
the boys neck. The little fellow never
hinched bit, but there were some
among the sailors-big, strong chaps as
could ha' felled an ox-as shook like
leaves in the wind. As for me, be-
thought myself of my little curly-haired
lad at home, and how it would be if any
one was to go for to hang him, and at
| the very thought ont 1 tingled all over,
and my fingers clinched themselves as il
they were grippin' somebody's throat.
1 clutched hold O handspike, and
held it behind my back, all ready.
"Tom," whispers the chief engineer
to me, "d'ye think he really means to
do it ?"
81 don't know" says /, through my
teeth, "but if he does he shall go first,
if l swings for it !"
I've been.in many an ugly scrape Ill
my time, but never felt 'arf as bad as
1 did then. Every minute seemed as
| long as a dozen, and the tick of the
mates watch, reglar, picked my carr
like n pin. The men were very quiet,
but there was a precious ugly look on
some O. their faces, and / noticed
that three or four on 'em KEEP edgin
for'ard to where the mate was standin'.
in a way that meant mischief. AS fol
me, I'd made up my mind that if he did
go for to hand the poor little chap, Pd
kill him on the spot, and take my chance
"Eight minutes" says the mate, his
great deep voice breakin' upon the 81
lence like the toll of n funeral bell. "I
you got anything to confess, my lad
you'd best out with it, for your time il
nearly up"
"Tve told you the truth, answers the
boy, very pale, but as firm as ever
"May / say my prayers, please?"
The mate nodded. and down goes th'
poor little chap ON his knees-with tina
Internal rope about his neck all the time
and puts up his poor little hands t.
pray. 1 couldn't make ont what hs
said-fact my head was in stitch whir
that I'd hardly ha' know'd my owl
name-but I'll be bound God heard it
every word. Then he ups on his fee
again, and puts his hands behind him
and says TO the mate quite quietly
"Tm ready" 4.l-s ga. r..f 'is a.i
And thcn,. sir, the mates hard, grin
face broke up p-all at once, like I've seel
ice in the Baltic, He snatched up th'
bow in his arms and kissed him, an,
burst out cryin' like a child, and
think there varen,t one of us as didns'
do the very same thing. know did
myself for one.
2 sGod bless; you, my boy, , says he
!. smoothin' the child's hair with his great
hard hand. "You are true English
man, every inch of you : you wouldn'
tell lie to save your life. Well, If 81
be yer father cast you off, III be ye
+ father from this day forth, and If Ieye
forget you, then may God forget me.
And he kept his word, too. Whel
We got to Halifax, he found out tn
little un's aunt, and give her lump
money to make him comfortable, an,