Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1879-04-19
THE STOWAWAY.
Pathetic Story Of the Poreoastle.


bound for New York. When three days |
out the chief engineer came down and
told M n stowaway had been found on
board.
didn't wait to hear any more but
put on deck like sky-rocket; and there
did see n sight, and no mistake. Every
man Jack of the crew, and what pas
sengcrs we had aboard was all in ring
on the TO c'stlc, and in the midlo stood
the fust mate, looking as black as thnn-
der. Right in front of him, lookin' %
regular mite among all them big
fellows was little bit of u lad not ten
years old, ragged rs scare-crow, but
with bright, curly hair, and bonnie
little face Of his own, if it hadn't been
80 woful thin and pale. But bless your
soul to see the way That chap held his
head up and looked about him, you'd
have thought the whole ship belonged
to him. The mate was great hulkin',
black-bcardod fcllcr, with look that
would have frightened n horse, and
voice fit to make one jump through u
kcy-hole; but the young ono whrn't
bit afcared--hc stood straight up, and
looked him full in the face with them
bright, clear eyes Of hisn, for all the
the world as if he was Hatred himself.
Folks did say afterward Covering his
voice to wlisper) rs how no coined Of
better blood nor what he ought. As for
my part, Pm rather Of that way of think
ing myself; for / havn't yet seen com
mon street IIarab Gas they call them
now) carry it off like him. You might
have heard q pin drop as the mate
spoke.
"Well, you young whelp,' says hc in
his grimmest voice, "what brought You
here 7"
ut was my stcp-fathcr rs done it"
says the boy in weak little voice, but
rs steady ns could DO. "Fathor's dead,
and mothers married again, and my
new father says he won't have no brats
about eatin' up his wages; and he stow.
cd me away when nobody warn't lookin
and giyo me some bread to eat till we
got to seq. He says Pm to go to Aunt
Jane, ut Halifax; and here's her adj
drcss.'
And with this he slips his hand into
the breast of his shirt, and out with {
scrap of paper, awful dirty, and crum
pied up, but with the address on il
right enough.
We all believed every word on it, ever
without the paper, for his look and hi
voice, and the way he spoke was enough
to show that there warn't ha' perth o
lying in his whole skin. But the matt
didn't seem to swallow the yarn at all
he only shrugged his shoulders with {
kind of grin, as much as to say, 81 an
too old bird to be caught with tina
kind of chaif;" and then he says to him
'Look here, my lad; thats very fine
but il won't do hcre--s0me OF those mel
of mine are in the secret and mean T.
have it out of 'em. Now, you just poin
out the man as slowed you away and fc'
YOU, this very minnie; if you don't
will be the worst for You"
The boy looked up in his bright, fcal
less way Git did my heart good to loo
ut him, the brave little chap) and says
quietly, 81 have told You the truth;
amt got any more to say"
The mate says nothing, but looks a
him for minute as he looks clea
through him; and then he faces round t
the men, looking blackcr than ovcl
"Rccvo n rope to the yard" he sing
ont loud enough to raise the deat
"smart now"
The men all looked at each other, a
much rs to say, "What on earth's con
in now" Bnt aboard ship, of cours,
when you are told to do thing, yon'v
got to do it; 30 the rope WAS rove IN
jny.
"Now, my lad" says the mate, in
hard, square kind of voice, that mad
evcrp word seem like fitting stone int
wall, ''you see that ere roper Well,
will give you ten minutes to confess,
and he took out his watch and held it j
his hand "and if You don't tell til
truth aforc that times up, III hang 20
like dog"
The crew all stared at one another, ;
if they couldn't believe their ears { l di
not believe mine, can tell yc) and the
a long growl wontamong 'em like a vii
beast wakin' out of nap.
"Silence there " shouts the mate in
voice like the roar of n nOreasto
''Stand by to run forward and wit
his own hands he put the moose aronu
tho boys neck. The little fellow nev'
1inched bit; but there were son
among the sailors(big chaps as could h
fclled an ox) as shook like leaves in IL
wind. As for me, | bethought mysc
of my little curly haired lad at HON
and how it would be if any one was
60 for to hang him. And at the vel
thought tinglcd all over, and my fl
gers clinched themselves as if they we
grippin' somebody's throat. clutch'
hold of hand-spikc, and held it bctll
my back, all ready.
''Tom," whispers the chief engineer
mo, edo you think he really means
do it ~
81 don't know" says l, through II
teeth; "but if he does, he goes first,
Iswings for it
Eve been in many and an ugly scra
in nv time but I never felt half as b