The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-03-21

While passing around Florida Key
the new sailor, with an utter Ignorance
Of his place on shipboard. had gone Il
the after deck, where he had been dis
covered by the captain telling his littl'
daughter some old English fairy story
Habit been any of the other hands, thecap
tain would probably have gruffiy ortleret
him forward but as it was, Seaton-
that was the young Englishman's name
was literally kicked off the quarter
deck. While the schooner was lying
becalmed, in the gray Of the morning
Seaton had been discovered, nearly q
quarter Of a mile away. rowing rapidly
in the schooner's small boat toward the
shore. Another boat was lowered, and
in half an hour he was brought back on
board. The captain was in perfect
frenzy Of rage. As is usual when a
mans anger proceeds from deep-seated
personal antipathy, he seemed to forget
the main point of the sailors wrong
doing-his desertion from the ship--and
fell to berating him as thief for at
tempting to steal the boat. He shook
his fist in his face and said he ought to
kill him on the spot. Suddenly he
started back and called to one of the
men:
Foley, get out a coil of yawl rope.
I'll keel-haul the English thief y
Young Seaton had submitted to his
recapture with helpless and woe-begone
expression, and had seemed to give him.
self up to despair; but when he heard
the captains order, an expression of alb
ject terror came over his face. He knew
too we'll what it meant. While the rope
was being prepared he begged the cap
tain, in the most piteous terms, to have
him whipped or kept in irons without
food-anything rather than to be tied
and held under the water. He even
knelt and grasped the captains legs, but
was sent rolling over upon his back by a
brutal kick. After that he said nothing,
but lay upon the deck trembling like a
leaf. 1t was doubtful whether he was
fully conscious when he went over the
side. He was passed slowly under the
schooner's keel. Second after second |
was licked on the mates watch. As the |
men who were handling the rope at
tempted to make haste, they were an
yrily ordered to haul more slowly.
Three minutes had elapsed, when the
nate suggested that longer time in the
water might kill a man that was as deli
ate as the Englishman appeared to be.
With growl, the captain gave orders to
'ull up.
The poor man was brought on board,
imp and senseless, but life was evident
= not extinct, and the captain left the
eek and went into his cabin. The
sailors gathered about
heir companion, and did everything
ossible to hasten his restoration to
He was rolled over
ariel, his arms and legs rubbed, and
forwards he was wrapped in warm
lankets. 1t was hours, however, be-
IRE he could speak, and not till three :
avs had elapsed could he return to
uty. He had evidently suffered great {
ain, even after the terrible agony of q
stunning life had passed from him. He
ecame gloomy and taciturn, and said '
lat he did not think he could live long,
Id might not live to complete the trip.
e even wrote several letters, and gave
lem unsealed to one of his companions.
hey were addressed to his relatives.
Id we're written in a cheerful style, !,
wing a glowing, imaginative account :
his successes in America. He told
em that he was in fair way to make ,
oney, and from the first found friends, !.
ut that he was then about to embark in
perilous enterprise in which he should :
Their win great success or meet with
disaster and almost certain =
,ath. These letters were read to his :
lend, explaining that if he should die =
! the passage, it was his desire that =
ey should be mailed at the next port 7
e schooner should touch at. He did 7
t want any account of the manner of =
> death sent, as he did not desire to :. :,
stress his relatives, but to leave them !,
infer, after the lapse of long time, "
ut he had perished in the full flush of
pc and adventure. al
Several days had elapsed after the "
me described, and Seaton had begun 10
regain its cheerfulness. His comrades VI
ought that he would forget the terrible IN
nishment which had boon inflictad I'll