The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-03-20
THE RED JACKET.

1t was 8 queer scene That our crew
presented, as we caroused, when our
schooner lay careened, in the cool
ground floor of the Hacienda de la
Rosaca, which we had turned into a
public house for the nonce. The Ha-
ciendero was so overjoyed at our having
run our 80 slaves safe into Cuban waters
that he gave US the key of the cellars,
and registering time had we. Fierce
ly mustached Caspardo Chaco took his
turn at spinning a yarn. He had been
drinking deep, and, glass in hand, he
began the following, in mysterious
tone, which he deepened into doleful
strain as he progressed:
"Joseph Bolton, see you," said the
old chool-teacher to one pupil of Is,
whom he detected linking the nose of q
sleeping schoolmate.
Joseph Bolton, though admonished by
the teacher, was soon after guilty of
blowing paper wadding through quill,
point blank at the head of the school
monitor, and it did not so happen at the
time that Providence favored those who
sported the heaviest artillery On the
contrary, the teacher bounced upon the
young cannonier, dragged him from his
seat, and Joseph was soon separated
from his brethren and placed in durance
vile, and must say that was no great
punishment. He was up into a close
coekloft, where there were sundry old
letters, manuscripts; he was complete
ly sheltered from the eyes of the master,
and could amuse himself in any way he
thought proper. He opened the scuttle
without difficulty, and let in the pleasant
beams of summer afternoon, while
the aperture was so low that when he
stood upright his head and shoulders
were above the roof. Joseph amused
himself by rolling little paper balls
down the slated roof, for while, and
then he paused to examine the various
objects which came within range of his
vision.
The school-hou stood on the brow
of hill, and the view from the open
scuttle was extensive. The top-masts
of vessels lying about the wharfs of
Bristol Harbor-for there were no
steam ferries then-were distinctly visi-
BILE. Sailors could be seen at work on
the rigging, on the yards, or engaged
in scraping down the top-masts and
top-gallants. The masts of large brig,
which seemed very near, engaged his
attention; but he had not looked at
them long before he was summoned to
descend from his lofty quarters, as the
teacher was about to dismiss the school.
When he came down into the school
room he was observed to be very pale,
and he trembled excessively can we'll
remember how he looked-the pallor of
his cheeks, and the wildness of his eyes.
Some of the boys said he was scared,
and one or two called him coward.
When Joseph arrived near mans estate
he took fancy to 90 to sea. He made
a voyage to India in ship belonging to
a firm much celebrated in those DAYS.
Our hero seems to have been followed
by his usual bad fortune-that of civ.
ing offense to his superiors. They had
not yet reached the Cape of Good Hope
when Joseph was condemned to be
f1ogged before all hands. He had given
mortal offense to the first mate of the
ship, who insisted that it would be i'm
possible for him to preserve discipline
among the crew if young Bolton was
not punished.
Bolton was rather a favorite of the
captain, but he could not resist the inn
petuous vengeance of the mate, and he
gave orders accordingly that the youth
should be seized up in the rigging. The
crew. We're assembled TO witness the
punishment, the younger portion look
ing on with curiosity, and the old sail