Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-05-06
The Cruise of the Antioch,
ny CYRUS MARTIN, JR.

ny CYRUS MARTIN, JR.
Bless your dear heart you don't want
TO 10 TO sea :" They always said this to
little Jack, but the small boy, who rejoiced
that his home, at least, had flavor Of the
sea about it, was not bit pleased that old
Keller should so chuck bin under the chin
when he said it. As if were a hateful
little girl" said Jack. angrily. 1t was a
rambling, tumble.down old town by the sea
where be lived. Jacks father, and uncles,
and grandfather, and, for all | know, his
grandiather's father and grandfather had
been sailors, captains, mates, and general
ploughers Of the sea. As the youngster
idled along the beach, watching the fishing
boats putting of for their short voyages, or
gazed with great longing out into the
misty blue, where sky and water meet, the
sailor-men would shake their heads and say,
4" His father and grandfather were drowned
at sea soil be be-" For Jack wanted to
90 to sea more than anything else.
And this is how he went; As he lay on
his cot one night, his mother, who had al
ways said that it would break her heart if
he went to sea, came to him and told him
that the good ship Antioch" was going
to sail 10 an hour, and that he might 20 il
he wished She put up bundle Of things
10 bandanna handkerchief. There was
sheet of gingerbread, a four bladed knife
a ball Of rope-yarn, box Of dominoes, a
pair Of blankets, pocket Bible, fine-
tooth comb, and jar Of mince Jelly, OF
which last Jack was very fond You may
be sure she added mothers blessing aud
thus supplied, Jack sailed out Of the harbor
on the stanch ship, " Antioch !" and the
last thing he saw was old Keller sweeping
of Tilden's wharf, just as the sun rose. He
was at sea at last.
The ship was bound to the North Sea,
and Jack, who soon grew familiar with all
the ways and manners Of sailor life, became
the hero of the Antioch. When the cap
tain's baby girl fell overheard, who but
Jack leaped from the main truck, and, gal
lantly Selling the little maid by the waist,
swan to the ship with her 1t was Jack
who put gunpowder in the sailors lobscouse,
when they were not looking, and laughed
until the tears ran down his cheeks as they
tried 10 vain to eat it, and swore that the
cook was poisoning them. When they
were lying in Snerdavik, on the SHORTHAND
Sea, Jack made great name for himself by
his whale exploit. He saw a monstrous
"bight whale come blowing past the An.
tiocb, with a harpoon sticking in his head
At one bound, he hoped from the ships
rail to the back Of the astonished whale
seized the lanyard, or rope attached to the
harpoon, and, waving his hat in return for
the cheers from the feet in the harbor
steered his captive up the ford, and drove
him ashore, just below the Jotsen Skalder
where the huge creature was cut up and
made into excellent oil.
Passing into the Arctic circle the Anti.
och was locked fast among the icebergs OF
that frosty region. Time hung heavily on
their hands, but Jack was, as usual, the
life of the crew. The songs he sang, the
games he cut up on the ice, and the adven-
lures he had among the polar bears would
astonlsh you very much. lie had now
grown to DO quite man, for he had been
gone from home many years. He did not
once bear from his mother aud though he
did not notice it then, he thought afterwards
that il was very queer.
But Waiting on the ice with white bears
wild fun as it was-could not always
last. The ship was melted out of her
frosty prison by the long summer day for
in those parts the sun never sets for nearly
six mouths; then it is night all the rest o.
the year. The Antioch was soon driving
down tropical coast where the shore wal
lined with the most delicious fruits an,
flowers Mangos, BANANAS, pine-apples ant
fragrant nuts loaded the branches, and bril-
liant flowers Of unknown kinds swept dow
the waters edge, and swung dreamily in tn
crystal tide. But 10 the tropics, you know
storms are sudden aud waters are dark too
While Jack gazed with longing on tn
charming sights on the shore, the blacl
clouds rolled up, the sea rose like mad
hunted creature, and the binding glare o
the lightning smote his eyes. His stomac
reeled and he felt deathly sick he seize,
the rigging to keep from being washe
overheard. On the ship drove hurriedl
toward the black lodes from which til
lovely flowers had now gone. The captai
seized ropes end, aud cutting him acros
the bare legs, bawled-" Lay aloft there
you lubber or I'll break every bone i
your body" Terrified by such sudde
change in the captains manner, } ack, burst
ing into tears shouted, Mother. mother !
We'll, my darling" said she, coming int
his chamber, "you must not lie on you
back you'll surely have bad dreams
you do" Jack, very much astonished, an
still trembling with dread of Captain Tar
buckets ropes end, sat up in his littl
white bed. The cruise of the Antioch wa
over