Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-01-01

| Fer the Bovs
George looked about among III
passengers who were beginning to com
on deck, and noticed q monstrousl,
fat man whose bulk nearly filed tn,
companion-way where he stood.
'Half dozen Of us little fellow,
will have to 60 forward, to trim tn,
boat, il he stays att" said q boyisl
voice at Georges side.
The speaker was . lad almost hesf
shorter than himself, and may be . yea
or two younger, but with q bright
honest face, which expressed q goot
deal Of quiet self-reliance and firmnes.
OF character. George, who had seen
little of the world, and who lacked self
reliance, felt drawn at once TO the own.
er Of that face.
ferceiving that he wore pretty good
clothes, and q coat which was not a
bad tit, our young poet-who was trou.
bled with painful consciousness oi
having outgrown his own garment s.
instinctively pulled down his coat.
sleeves, which, as has been said, we're
short.
"He'd better not come up on deck, T"
be replied in the same tone Of pleas.
antry. He'd go through these thin
boards like an elephant!'
The lad-whom we shall call the
Other Boy-Degan to laugh. "Once
when was on the canal, he said, ~
saw just such fat man on the deck of
q lIne-boat, As it was coming to a
bridge. Low bridget says the steers
man. 1t ,cas low bridge-very low !;
and the boat, having no freight, was
very high out of the water. The fat
man got down and lay on his back,
with his feet towards the bow. But,
gracious he reached almost as far up
into the sky when he was lying down
as when he stood up. He saw the
bridge coming, in direction that was
certain to cut him off about six inches
below his waistcoat buttons. was on
the tow-path and ! screamed, Mister |!
mister! you'll get killed. He knew
1t, but what could he do? The boat
couldn't stop, and the bridge wouldn't
go! In minute he would be crushed
like four-hundred-pound egg"
"What did he do:" said George,
"There was only one thing he could
do; for it was too late to get up and
run aft, and he couldn't crawl away.
He put up his feet! l suppose he
thought he was going TO stop the boat,
or may be push the bridge over. But
the bridge pushed him 1t WAS funny
to see his eyes stick out, and hear him
roar, Hold on. wait. stop RI
suppose he meant the horses,-as he
slid along on the deck, and finally roll
Ell of into the water. He went in like
: ~hale,-such splash He was so fat
lie couldn't sink but how he did splut-
ter and blow canal water when he came
OUT"
The Other Boy mad hardly finished
his story, when-"Bridge !'-called
the man at the helm; and both boys,
laughing heartily, got down on the
deck, with the other passengers, to
pass under.
Georges new acquaintance appear
cd 10 be familiar with life on the canal,
and had several such stories TO tell.
George in his turn became confidential.
Il used to peddle apples on the big
ditch, as we call it," he said, as they
sat on some light baggage on the deck,
and looked of at the passing scenery.
They were my uncle's apples, and l
gave him half | got for them. That
made him willing to let me have the
fruit, and halliday to myself now and
then. l would drop on to the line
boats from the bridge, and-if the
steersman wouldn't lay up for me-get
off at the next bridge, or on another
boat. l was little chap when l be-
gan,-very timid,-and it was some
time before l completely mastered the
art of getting on and Oft. You see, it
don't do to jump down on the side from
which the boat is coming, for the
bridge might knock you over before
you could take care of yourself. So
you look for a good place, where there's
no freight or passengers, and then run
TO the other side, and wait till the spot
you've picked out comes through, and
then drop down, and you're all right"
"ies, | see" said the Other Boy.
"Once l dropped down in such
hurry that left my basket of apples
on the bridge! got we'll laughed at
and, what was worse" said George,
''when l went back, half an hour later,
for the steersman wouldn't lay up,
since ! couldn't give him an apple, and
l had to jump to the first boat we met,
the pigs had eaten up all my apples,
except few which 1 found aioat with
the basket in the canal. Another time
l put my basket up on a bridge, but
couldn't get up myself. l thought l
could, though, and l hung on, jumping
and kicking in the air, while the boat
passed from under me, and there l
clung, right over the water. The boat
men only laughed at me. There was
nobody TO pull me up,-yelling did no
good,-and / couldn't very we'll hold
On till another boat came along, with
q good deck for me 10 fall on"
'What did you do?" asked the 9th.
er Boy, highly amused.
81 dropped into the water. Luckily
l could swim, and got out without
assistance. The boatmen laughed
louder than ever, when they saw me,
and that hurt my feelings
''Just like 'em they're pretty rough
fellows, the most of EN- !" said the
Other Boy, with the air of one who
knew.
ION one boat" George continued,
Il met with series Of accidents. In
the first place, getting on, was . mo-
ment late, and, instead of alightine
where l expected, jumped into the
stomach Of big Dutchman lying on
the deck, smoking bis pipe. He started
up with grunting 'Houghl hough p
very much ~ if it had been q fSt hog
l had jumped on,-and awav went I