, 1874-02-08
A SAILORS YARN.

Well, mate, you've asked me to spin you yarn:
| I'm not much Of hand, for never could larn,
| Like book-rcat1ing folks, to polish tale:
I'm nearer to home when shorten sail,
Or climb by the ropes to the gallant-crosstrees,
As We scud fore the wind or roll in the seas.
| What matters it, thought Each has trada'
| So I'll hover say no to social com1adc.
| TITS two-scorc years, with scaror two
| Thrown in, so that twill Come nearer true
I {You see I'm not scared ite juJbera I'se known
Who would think it q crime their ages to own);
Since signed for Foyags to the African coast,
The time was . year, or two at the most.
! shipped as "ordinary," I was then stxteen,-
Rather young, but since ten sailor I'd been.
Our ship was new one Just la7nched on the ware;
Our Captain an old salt, We hailed him as Dave;
And the crew that he mustered were '' oId~tlmers
then,
Except and another young fellow called Ben.
Now, mate, sou know, whcu two boys are thrown
Together 'mong crowd Of old tars, and alone,
They're sure to be friendly, and always will chun
And share with each other their bacc2 and rum.
We wcre ont from port Just three months to day,
When we dropped the anchor in rock-bound hay,
And lay III shore till It happened dark,
When We shipped our cargo aboard the bark.
Three hundred a"mans,-as wretchcd = lot
As ever SLAYER bartered or caught,
Not one Of the crowd but had grim despair
Plain Ia his faca; it WAS written there.
We were sailing again before the night
HID It's veil uplifted by the hand OF light;
And our cargo was slowed below fn the hold,
Lite hogs in q pen, or sheep III = fold.
Twas tho first saw OF the devilisA trade
And tell you, mate, It made me nfrni1
OF Colts jus! vengeance. WAS young at the time,
And my heart was appalled, by the vil1ainous crime.
We sailed seven days with favorfng wind,
And had left the land many Leagues behind
Just after MY watch, in my hammock lay
Taking my comfort, Wills smoking clay,
When Ben came In with face pale
As ghost, felon who'd just broke jail,
And, Whispering. said in accents low,
:" Tie 5erer's 6rote out 'n1on9 tie cro,cd beloul"
Oh, mattel my heart with fright give leap,
And the blood in my veins with terror did creep.
had heard men before tell with quivering lip
OF the horrors that reign in 4 ferer~struck ship.
went On deck the Captain was there
Aud the rest Of the crew were lingering near.
He approached and said, You know how catches:
We must look to ourselves batten the hatchass"
Some murmured littlo; but what could va dot
He was the Captain, and VIC were the crew;
The Captain ia 1neddled with by any Of the men.
So WIS battencd the matches, and prisoned the crew
OF wretches below-n totfnless sh1oud.
Oh! TIL never forget their fierce cries Of doom,
~ s{1ut them up in their horrible tomb.
Ere the day went by, there were three Of us Eick,
Aud two before morn,-it catches you quick.
Then the Captain he spoke to the rest, and awore
He'd he bIowed if he'd stick to the ship any more.
They lowered the two boats, and left us that day.
Helpless and raving, in our hanmocks we lay:
Not 1 friend WAS By to comfort or cheer,
And the plash Of the waves ali We could hear,
We drifted along for two weeks or more,
With never sight Of friendly shore,
nor ever glance Of . passing sail,
Nor ever sound OF q welcome hail.
There we're three Of US left when ship went past
And SAW the signal hung to the mast:
Just sared in time from terrible fate,
And they scuttled the ship with the human freight
CHICAGO. JAMES LAvAL11S.