The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-10-18

ocean entitled us. But even in this re-
spect our captain pretended to differ
from us. When we could get on shore
we would invariably indulge in our
cups, and not infrequently would we
come off, or be brought off, in state
anything but sober. say 'we,' but
there was one of our number who could
not be induced to touch drop of any
thing intoxicating. His name was John
Small, and he belonged In one of the
back towns Of New Jersey.
"Now Jack Small not only refrained
entirely from drinking himself, but he
used sometimes to ask us to let the stuff
alone. He gave that job up, however,
for we made such sport of him that he
was glad to let US alone. But our cap
tain had sharp eyes, and it was not long
before he begun to show Jack Small
favors which he did not show to us. He
would often take Jack on shore with
him to spend the night, and such things
as that, while we were kept on board
the ship. Of course this created sort
OF envy on our part, and it ended in a
decided i'll will toward poor Jack.
"Now, in truth, Jack was one of the
best fellows in tho world. He was kind,
ob!iging, honest, always willing to lend
as true friend IA ever lived-only he
No-that wasn't nll. He learned faster
than we did-he was better sailor and
had learned more of navigation. But
this we tried to lay to the captains pay
ing him the most attention, though we
knew better at the time, for we had the
privilege of learning just as much as
we had mind to. The truth of the
matter was, we five loved the idea of
being cid salts better than we did
anything else, and we spent more time
i'll watching for opportunities to have q
spree than we did in learning to perfect
"u cse:ves in the profession we had
chostn II.
"It even got so, at length, that Jack
Snlall was called upon to take the dock
| sometimes, when the officers were busy,
| and he used to work cut the reckoning
ut noon as regularly as did the captain.
Y Jack vas in our mess, q he was
constant eyesore. We saw that he was
reaching rapidly ahead of us in every
us full pat ticnlar, and yet We wouldn't
open our eyes. We were envious of his
good fortune. as we called it, and used
to seize every opportunity to tease and
run him. But he never got angry in re-
turn. He sometimes would laugh at us,
and at others he would so feelingly
ch;de us that we would remain silent for
awhile.
cat length the idea entered our
heads that Jack should drink with us.
We talked the matter over in the mess
when Jack was absent, and we mutually
pledged each other that we woulI made
him drink at the first opportunity. AZ
tor this determination was taken, we
tr.ated Jack more kindly, and he was
happier than he had been for some time.
Once more we laughed and joked with
him in the mess, and he in return helped
US in our navigation. We we're on our
homeward bound passage, by the way
OF Brazil, and onr ship stopped at Rio
Jaueiro, where we were to remain O
W. ok or 80. One pleasant morning we
six youngsters received permission to
go on shore and spend the whole day;
and accordingly we rugged up in our
best toga and were carried to the land
ing.
Now was our chance, and we put
our heads together to see how it should
be done. jacks very first desire, as
soon as he got on shore, was to go up
and examine the various things of inter
churches and such like places, and to
please him we agreed to go with him, if
he would 60 and take dinner with us.
He agreed to this at once, and We
thought we had him sure. We planned
that after dinner was eaten we would
have some light sweet wine brought on,
and that we would contrive to get rum
enough into what he drank tu upset
him, for nothing on earth could please
us more than to set Jack Small drunk,
aud carry him on board in that shape.
for then we fancied the captain's favorit-
ism would be at an end, and that he
would no longer look upon our rival
with more preference than upon our
selves. We had the matter all arranged,
and in the meantime we paid Jack all
the attention In our pOwer-so much so
that he at length signified willing
ness to go anywhere to please us, pro-
vided we would not go to any bad place.
"Dinner time came, and a most capi-
tal dinner we had. We had selected one
of the best hotels. The eatables were
dispatched with becoming gusto, and
then the dishes were rem we'd, and at a
sign from me the wine was brought on.
"Ah what have you here q asked
Jack, betraying some uneasiness at the
appearance of the glasses and bottles.
"Only little new wine, 1 replied,
as carelessly as I could. Mere Juice
of the grape
''' But it's wine, nevertheless pur-
sued he.
"'lt isn't wine,' cried Sam Pratt,
who was one of the hardest nuts old
Nepture ever cracked.
:" No. chimed in Tim Black, another
of about the same stamp. 'lt's only u
little simple Juice. Come, boys, fill up.
"The glasses were accordingly filed,
Sam Pratt performing that duty, and he