The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-05-08

as second engineer on a Liverpool steamer
bound for New York. When three day.
out the chief engineer came down and
told US a stowaway had been found on
board.
/ didn't wait 10 hear any more, but went
up on deck like a skyrocket, and there
did see sight and no mistake. Every
man Jack Of the crew, and what passengers
we had on aboard, were all in ring on
the forecastle, and in the middle stood the
first mate, lookin' as black as thunder.
Right in front Of him, lookin' a regular
mite among all them big fellows, was a lit.
tie bit o lad not ten years old-ragged az
q scarecrow, but with bright, curly hair
and bonnie little face OF his own, II II
hadn't been SO woeful thin and pale.
But, bless your soul, to see the way the
little chap held his head up, and looked
about him you ha' thought the whole
ship belonged to him. The mate was a
great, hulkin black.bearded fellow, with
look that would have frightened a horse.
and voice fit to make one Jump through
key-hole; but the young IN warn't a Sit
aieared-he stood straight up, and looked
him full in the face with them BRIGHT,
clear eyes o. hisn, for all the world "a II
he was Prince Hatred himself Folks did
say atterward lowering his voice to a
whisper) as how he coined O. better blood
nor what he ought; and, for my part, I'm
rather OF that way o. thinking myself; for
never yet seed common street Harab,
as they call them now, carry it off like
him. You might ha' heard pin drop as
the mate spoke.
"Well, you young swkelp," says he, in
his grimmiest voice, what brought you
here!"
ut was stepfather as done it." saws the
boy, In weak little voice, but as steady
as could be. Fathers dead, and mothers
married again, and my new father saws as
how he won't ha' no brats about eatin' up
his wages; and he slowed me away when
nobody warn't looking, and guy me some
grub to keep me goin' for day or mi /
got TO sea. He says Pm to 90 to Aunt
Jane, at Halifax; and here's her address. !"
And with this he slips his hand into the
breast OF his shirt, and out with scrap o.
paper, awfully dirty and crumpled up, but
with the address on it right enough.
We all believed every word on it, even
without the paper, for his look and his
voice, and the way he spoke, was enough
to show that there wasn't ha'porth O.
lynn in his whole skin. But the mate
didn't swallow the yarn at all; he only
shrugged his shoulders with a kind o.
grin, as much as to say: "I'm too old a
bird to be caught with that kind OF chatf;"
and then he says to him, "Look here, nv
lad; that's all very fine; but it won't do
here-some O. these men O. mine are in
the secret, and l mean to have It out O.
them. Now, you just point out the man
as slowed you away and fed you, this very
minute; il you don't it'll be the worse for
you"
The boy looked up in his bright fearless
way it did my heart good to look at him,
the brave little chap!-and says, quite
quietly, 1--WE told you the truth; amt
got no more to say
The mate says nothin', but no looks at
him for minute, as il he see clear through
him; and then he faced round to the men,
lookin' blacker than ever. "Reeve rope
to the yardl" he sings out, loud enough to
raise the dead; Smart now.n
The men all looked at each other, as
much as to say, "What on earth is coming
now?" But on board OF ship, O. course,
when you are told to do thing you've got
to doit; so the rope was rove in lily.
"Now, my lad, says the mate in a hard,
square kind OF voice, that made every
word seem like fitting stone in wall,
"you see that rope? Well, I'll give you
ten minutes to confess" and he took out
his watch and held it in his hand, land il
you don't tell the truth before the time Is
up, I'll hang you like dogl"
The crew all started at one another as II
they couldn't believe their ears-I didn't
believe mine, can tell ye-and then q
long growl went among them like wild
beast wakin' out Of nap.
"Silence there!" shouts the mate, in q
voice like the roar Of a northeastern
"Stand by to run for'ard!" and with his
own hand he put the moose around the
boys neck, The little fellow never finch
ed a bit; but there were some among the
sailors, big chaps as could ha' felled an OK
as shook like leaves in the wind. As fol
me, / bethought myself Of my curly.head
cd little lad at home, and how 1t would b.
tiffany one was to go for to hang him. AnC
at the very thought on it tingled all over
and my fingers clinched themselves as |
they were q gripplin' somebody's throat
clutched hold O. ahandspike, and held /
behind my back, all ready.
"Tom," whispers the chief engineer Il
: me, do you think he really means t.
II don't know" says l, through m,
teeth; 'tbut II he does he shall go first, !
l swing for Il"
I've been in many an ugly scrape Ii
, nv time, but never felt half as bad as
did then. Every minute seemed as LON
as dozen, and the tick OF the mate
watch regular pricked my ears like a pin
The men were very quiet, but there was
precious ugly look on some OF their faces
land / noticed that three or four on Zen
kept edging for'ard to where the mat
was standin' in way that meant mis-
chief As for me, made up my min
thatif the he did go for to hang the poo
little chap, I'd Kill him on the spot an
take my chance.
"Eirht minutes" says the mate, hi
! oreat, deep voice breakin' in upon tn
I Silence like the tone OF funeral bell. ~
!. You've got anything to confess, my lac
!. You'd best out with It, for yer times neal
Q ai'ye told you the TRUTH" answered th
: boy, very pale, but as firm as ever" INA
/ saw my prayers, pl9ase2'
THE mate nodded, and down goes til
= NOR little chap on his knees, with that il
ternai rope about his neck all the tim
and puts up his little hands to play.
couldn't make out what he said-fact m
:. head was in such whirl that hard
could have known my own name-batl'
he not M on his feet again, and puts b
hands Behind him, ang says he to Il
- mate, quite quietly, II am ready
! And then sir, the mates hard, grim ia
broke up all to once, like I've seed Il
ice In tie Raltln, He snatched up the b,
in his arms and kissed him, and burst q
a.cryIng like o child; and think tho
warn't one OF OF US as didn't do tho Sam
I,rov, I did for one, III