Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1878-06-08
A WHARF RAT.

how to escape the massacres of want, ne
Rlect aud disease in great cities; and we
Ind him small boy IL years old, living
where he may, eating what he can get
his hand against everything Chat will sell
at ajunk s;Ore), and every ones against
him. A human rata thing to hide it
self in dark places. and thing to be
chased and worried when IL ventured in
to the light.
The levee which Dick infests is that of
New Orleans; down by the foot of
Jackson street. where the English steam
ers lie, is his happy hunting ground, and
on the day when we make his acquaint-
ance, it is not very productive. The
how Dick is discovered hiding between
two bales of cotton Is the query. He is
kicked, pushed. dragged, joStled back
ward and forward by the stevedore's
men,, like ragged shuttlecock. every one
has curse and blow tor the Rat"
with whom things are going hard, when
"Oh, how shameful to beat that poor
boy sop' exclaimed a soft voice with a
ring of genuine indignation in it.
The speaker is lady, clad in crisp,
cool muslin-a lady beautiful in face and
fefm.
sOh! y she exclaimed, chow shameful
to treat that poor child sol Do, please.
Captain Gilbert make them let him
alone"
Captain Gilbert, whose guest she is,
and who leads her up the stage, shouts
''Halloa! quit that! Let the boy go,
and get on with your work."
Dick-who,unable to dodge his tormen-
tors, has emulated the example of a
hedgehog, and made himself as nearly
spherical as possible against cotton
bale-does not rise. The foe has not suf
fieiently retreated, but he keeps bright
lookout from the corner of one eye, so as
to be ready for jump.
'They have hurt him. said the lady.
1sHe can't get up, poor little fellow" and,
before anyone can interfere, she trips
down the stage and bends over the
Rat" who is so taken aback by the ap-
partition that he forgets to jump and rolls
over straight. His plighu-when it APP
pears that no bones are brOken-makes
the lady smile. He has been kicked into
a coal heap, and is black. He has been
cuffed against lot of oil cakes, and is
russell brown. He is fluffy all over with
cotton waste. His mouth is open and
his eyes are wild with astonishment. He
had never been so near to a lady before
and don't know what will be done with
him.
Come, get up" says the captain.
"there's nothing the matter with you."
"Can you rise ?" asks the lady, aad
she touches him with the most wonder
full thing Dick ever saw-her handi The
creamy glove upon it, the simmer q
Lace and the glitter of gold at the wrist
and the soft white flesh beyond; never
had he felt such touch before, or bCel
spoken to in such tone
ssOh, amt in for it now ?" he muses.
and then looks up into the lady S face.
There was no chance for a bolt now
The lady, the gentleman who came with
her, the captain of the steamer, and its
chief officer formed semi-circle in trout
behind was the bale OF cotton against
which he had rolled himself for protec
ton. He sits up, drinking i'm that Strange
expression which at once scares, puzzles
and pleases bin, till sort of faint
feeling makes him close his eyes.
''He's going to faint" says the lady. 81
knew he was hurt. Oh, see how he i;
bleeding"
He is bleeding badly. Big drops are
trickling fast down his ragged sleeve,
which will soak no more. These come
from an ugly tear (caused by a nail in
the wharf planking) just above the ell
bow. OH his arm.
"DOn't look, Mrs. Ashton" says the
captain; "Pll have him attended to. Ho.
quarter-masteri come and carry this
boy on board, and give my compliments
TO the doctor, and ask him to plaster up
this cut"
Dick has TO power to resist. He is
carried on board muttering, "come, /
amt done anything to yOu.n
A cold lunch is served under the avn
ing on the main deck. Two other ladies
with their escorts arrive, but the meal is
delayed by the appearance OF some of the
crew. bearing square, heavy boxes, which
jingle as they are lowered through a
trap door in the deck, partly under the
lunch table.
Mexican dolla:s," explains the cap
tain.
'What lot of money" the lady re-
marked.
mot so much as you suppose. but .
tidy sum. Each box contains $4,000, and
there are fourteen of them-eh, Mr.
MansfieId?" This to the officer in charge
WHO confirms the count.
They bave got to their first glass OF
champagne when the doctor Joins them
''All right. and clean for once in his
life, but weak" is the medical report Oh
the Rat.
poor child!" signs the lady, "what
ought he to take?"
Il should prescribe something to eat, >
the doctor replies, helping himself to q
slice of tongue.
Captain. should like to give him
some dinner"
1t is unnecessary to say who speaks
end the skipper would indeed haye been
a stern man If he could have resisted the
pleading of those kind brown eyes. The
quartermaster is summoned, and appears
leading Dick. 1t has begun to dawn up
on MN that he Is not going to be abused
Nv nat is your name, little boy? 2" asks
'.Dick.-
"Are you hungry, Dick?'
Rather"
'Only rasher?" in tone of disappoint-
RATHER explains the captain. sin
that tongue, means very.
Ine lady takes the plate and fills II
with cold chicken, stuffing, salad. bread
and what not; adds knife and fork and
hands it to Dick. ~ - anu
snooiu keep some of that for To-
morrow, IT 1 were you," observed the
doctor.
Then you'd be a fool" Dick replied
with scott. ''The big fellows on the
ievee would take it tore you'd gone two
blocks Tomorrow amt here, but the
grub is, andso I'm going to get outside
1t while can"
There is general laugh at this philos.
opny. Dick gets ''outside his grub'' with
ous further comment, and is walking off