Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-03-20

nephew, he said, MY poor little Dick, this
will have been a sorry voyage TO you, your
first and your last, am afraid
" But, uncle" answered Dick, az don't
want to be killed, let's hide" "That |
wouldn't do for me, boy" replied his uncle,
" even if il was possible; but hide If you can,
Dick, and God grant you may see home and
friends again" Dick gave one more look
at the approaching boat, and with bodnd |
he cleared the stairs and was below"
Down in the "hold of the vessel was
sort of cuddy where all sorts OF things were
slowed to get them out of the way. There
were ropes and sails and odd pieces of can
vass, old iron, worn-out tarpaulins, over
hauls and don't know what else. The |
sailors called it ." The old glory hole" and |
guess that was good name for it.
Into this bedlam Dick crept, shutting the
door after him. The door was made in
sort of panel, so if you did not look closely
you would not be apt to see it. Keeping a
large piece of canvass ready to throw over
him if he heard any one coming he sat and
listened and watched The confusion at
first overhead was very great, but soon
ceased, and Dick longed to know how his
dear friends were getting on he feared the
worst had happened to them, but he hardly
dared to breathe, lest he should be dscov
cred. Twice he heard footsteps so near to
his hiding-place that he hastily drew the
canvas over him, but I" the old glory hole
they didn't find at all. At last Dick heard
loud pounding where he knew the wine
casks were stored, and then great carous-
ing followed, which was kept up for long
while, but at length one sound after another
ceased until all was quiet. For some time
even then Dick hardly dared to move. At
l.oA ha ,,.1 Do DO
stocking feet he crept up the stairs, and saw
what he supposed he would see the pirates
all sleeping a drunken Sleep as they had
found the wine, and had drank of it until
they knew nothing more. | wish need not
tell you what else Dick saw, but this is a
true story, and | must tell it as it was. His
dear, kind friends had all been killed, and
were lying stiff and cold upon the deck.
And now you shall hear what our brave
Dick did. The vessel, with no one to guide
it, had gradually drifted in to within about
two miles of the Spanish shore Dick gave
one look of agony at his friends, and then
sprang to the side of the vessel He looked
anxiously at the distance between himself
and the shore, and then said, 81 CAN do it,
KNOW can. If | stay here they will kill
me when they wake up and if | can only
reach the shore perhaps the people will come
off and get these wicked men and have them
punished, and then | can save my uncle's
vessel besides; and Pm sure if die had a
great deal rather die in the water than to
have them kill me. I'll try it, III try it !"
And now Dicks knowledge of swimming
was, perhaps, to save his life. With one lit.
tie prayer to his Heavenly Father to help
him he took off everything that could weigh
him down, and with one brave plunge he
was in the water.
The sea was calm, and the water warm.
He has told this story many times in his
life since. He said, Every stroke that
brought me nearer shore gave me new
strength" He took quick and powerful
strokes until he would get little tired, when
| he would turn over on his back aud float
awhile. Then he would swim another dis
lance on one side, with one arm and one leg,
and so varying his stroke and resting on his
back occasionally, he made steady and rapid
progress, until at last, so weak and tired that
he could hardly stand he reached the shore,
and with good courage still, although ex-
hausted he climbed slowly and painfully
the rocky shore to the hut of a fisherman
that he could plainly see on the top of
the bluff.
My story is about done. The brave deed
was accomplished, and as soon as the old
| fisherman ndu maze DICK comfortable, he
went for some one who could understand his
story, for of course he could not speak a
word of Spanish. The right one was found,
and as soon as the dreadful story was known
the authorities of the town sent two boat
loads of sailors and soldiers, who set off with
a will to the vessel.
They boarded it as noiselessly as possible
and found the wicked pirates still in their
drunken sleep. They were at once heavily
ironed, and the vessel carried safely into
port where the wicked pirates met with the
punishment they so richly deserved for their
dreadful crimes.
In a pretty little Spanish graveyard the
bodies of Dicks friends and companions
found quiet resting-place. The owners of
the vessel rewarded Dick handsomely for
his bravery, and although he had had so sad
an experience on his first voyage, still he
has followed the seas " ever since, until
within very few years. He is now about
eghty-tour years old, and ii you should
happen to go to the town on the cape where
he now lives, and should tell this story in
the presence of some of the sold folks -
you would hear them say, Why bless you,
child, yes, that's Que of old Dick Thornton S
scrapes, when he was boy; come, and I'll
introduce him to you."-Goiden Rule.