The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-02-05
.Remember, this must be dead secret be-

into the cabin, and finding the captain awake
told him what he had overheard.
"That man Johnson! Are you not mis-
taken?" demanded the captain. why John
sen seems quite gentleman. Must have
been somebody else" #e~-s.-.a
ayes, sir" replied the mate; "But what &C.
cret should any body have with that Mauley,
which all the crew kept clear OF in broad day.
light? Whispering with him in the dark
that's the pint, sir. Baldwin swears that tho
feller's murderer, SIR"
s'I'll have no plotting and whispering in the
dark on board my ship" cried the captain,
suddenly and unaccountably breaking forth
into tower of passion. -. --
"NowI recollect that this johnson has
once or twice showed a rebellious temper
when Mr.. Pease has ordered him to scrape
topmast or slush them down, or tar rigging;
but thought it was only because he'd never
IF we don't look out he'll be engaged in
dirtier work than slushing topmasts or tar
ring down riggin'," said the mate. s zH5 g
Cutting our Threats, eh?" ...... .-, -.
otis unaccountable, sir, this plotting and
having secrets with that Mauley; IFS 80
ny begun aboard the Glote. ~. ..-....
"Thats true," answered the captain; give
great mind to put them both in irons"
''Mebby we'd better wait little and see,"
| returned the mate; 'and I'll keep sharp
lookout on both on 'em.' .s-I..:5 -.
head threateningly, and the mate went on
deck 10 stand out the remainder of his
| watch.
Before morning there was "gale of wind"
Sail was shortened, and we lay to under close
reefed main.top and storm staysai. But, in
spite of wind or weather, the first mate was
observed all day running bullets in the cooks
caboose, greatly to the surprise of the crew,
some of whom asked:
Have there been any pirates heard of on
| this coast?'
In the meantime there was something
about this johnson, especially his voice,
which reminded me of somebody had seen
before. I noticed that the captain looked
sharply at him, and observed all his move
ments attentively, as if he, also, had some
conversation with Mauley, and the mates
surmises. All those matters were related to
me afterward, in a house ''where tin pot
stands for an hour-glass and rum runs for
sand"
Up to this time Johnson's ignorance of sea-
manship had been regarded with much len
iency, and the mates had taken some pains
to instruct him; but after his consultation
with Mauley, under cover of the darkness. q
suspicion was harbored by the captain and
mates that his awkwardness IN handling
marline-spike and rolling topgallentsail
was assumed, and that he pretended to be
green hand only to divert attention from his
schemes
Accordingly, when johnson made mis-
take, or buugled in the performance of any
duty, the Off :els or the captain reprimanded
him sharply. He showed surprise at this
change in their department toward him and
at length he manifested feelings of resent
ment.
Il do the best I can, and am only working
my passage.home" said he; 'Iexpect no pay"
"Do you answer back, you rascal" cried the
:, captain, who had overheard the words of
johnson, which were addressed to the mate.
"Mr. Russell, can't you preserve better order
, among your men"'
II am no rascal" said johnson, THROWN g
down the rope which he had been trying to
splice, and confronting the captain.
Several of the crew-Mauley among them
j.. were standing near johnson at that moment,
and all but Mauley turned pale. The latter
looked steadfasuy at the captain.
n "You, too, suppose" said the captain, BE-
! tween his teeth, and with acountenance turn
! ing pale and red by turns.
+ Mauley fell back, but johnson smiled con.
+ temptously at the captains boiling wrath.
- Have you not heard,' said the latter to
y Johnson, "That only few months before you
!. came on board I triced hand up in the rig;
ging and gave him two dozen lashes for only
o looking at me as you are doing now:''
\ "Neyer heard Of it until now," answered
- johnson, COMPRISING his lips and shaking
,, his head. ut is useful piece of information.
'The mans fool" said the captain, turning
!
~ feed him on bread and water for the present.
- johnson submitted quietly to be hand
cutfed, and was fed on hard bread and wate1
for several days, by which time we approached
Cape Horn, and his services were needed in
working the ship. He was set at liberty. Hi.
- orderly conduct puzzled the officers, who
began to be curious about his antecedentF
g He told them that he fell down from Jupite,
- at the same time with the great goddess Diana
# of the Ephesians.
- He's crazy" said the mates to each other
e Soon after limited to him that believed ht
y was the same man whom l had seen one even
a ing, in far different rig, among the hills il
~ the rear of Valparaiso.
g "What if you did? You don't know m,
name, suppose:" demanded he, rather i'm
# patiently.
~ Nothing important occurred after W,
= doubled the Cape until we reached thu
"a equinoctrial line when our captain knocked
- the cook down with handspike for some
|. trifing ofense.
= Captain Bunker, you'll be sorry for that
e remarked johnson, who Was standing near a
- the time.
- "pll serve you the same way, you mutlaou
~ rascal!" cried the captain, with flashing ewes
- But he didn't. He ordered the mates to pu
r. johnson in irons again, and to diet him a
a. before. ~
n side the bar on fine afternoon in July. Th
as anchor was scarcely down when the owner c
~ ~ the Endymion stepped on board. Seem
r. johnson sitting on the windlass, the merchar
~ gave an exclamation of surprise, rushe
IN toward him, and grasping his manacled hant
~ cried:
ID "Why, Edward, my son, what does thi
=; =; mean?'
49, so, this is trihe, father" replied the so
#. of the owner (known among US by tn nam
y of Johnson); This is nothing compared wit
in knocking down men with handspikes seizin
ad them up in the rigging and fogging them fo
or looking at the captain, with many other pleas
N ant performances of the like nature"
ad 1T is trne, then, what I have heard" sal
49, the merchant, turning to the captain, VIII
Il was at his side, and seemed bewildered b
as what he had seen and heard; "Is it true, Cal
he tain Bunker, that you are a cruel tyrant tt
ward your crew."
"A "I-I-I didn't know that this young gentle
AN man was your son, sir" stammered the cal
mr. tain, as he fastened to knock the irons fror
q the wrists of the young man.
in "He did not intend that you should kno
o.. it." replied the owner. "You knew, pr,
- sumo, that son of mine had been sever,
~ years with a merchant of Valparaiso TIL
"a is he. When the time came for him to retur
Al, proposed to him, by letter, that he Shout
no work his passage in the Endymion, for ha
a,f' heard strange stories about your cruelty I