The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-04-08

aboard as was the most perfect lmps OF
mischief as ever crawled through a lub.
ber-hole. They were onto their second
voyage, which are the most villianous
time of a boys life aboard ship, and
bein' some sort of relatives of the old
man they had extra privileges. The
life they led that old cook was dreadful.
Frequent they'd git on the galley and
clap paunch mat over the funnel, so
as to fill the galley with smoke, after
havin' first fastened the doors, so as old
George as the cook was called, couldn't
git out. Frequent if the cook was aft
for any purpose, they'd put lot OF
pump taoks along on his seat, and then
watch for and enjoy the old mans wrath
when we sat down on 'cm. Old George
on his part neglected no opportunity to
git even with the boys, and many dip
per Of bilin' water he managed to chuck
over 'em. A visitation of this kind one
day struck buy Bill full in the face as
he went by the galley door, and howl
in with pain be came runnin' to the
forecast swearin' he'd be revenged.
"That evenin' in the last dog Oh
we was reachin' along on wind with
all three royals set, headin' about west
nor'west, and this here boy Bill he
comes to me and says he, Tom, ask the
"Doctor" for to Civ us a tune; he wont
do it if I ask So I says Come, "Doc-
tor" get ont the old cremona, and Civ
us tune All right says he, tsposin'
you gifts me bucket of water to cut
the beans in soak
"This bein' done, Old George brings
out his fiddle, gives the strings a screw
or two, and after an artistic flourish he
drew the bow across the strings. No
music followed, and Old Georse's face
growed nearly white az, after passing
his hand along the bow, he shouted,
What houn' grease my fiddler Jist
then he caught sight of boy Bills grin.
MIN face, and junpin' >i{br him he
caught him and afore any of us could
interfere had flung him over the rail.
Then instantly repentin' of the act he
rushed aft and went over the taffrai]
| like shot.
"Of course there was the usual excite
ment. At the cry, Man overheard the
helm wers put down. and as the ship
come in the wind the lee main braces,
main sheet and tack were LEI 20 and
she were broug bit to with the maintop-
sail to the mast. The boats was carried
onto quarter davits which was swineled
in and the boats was rested on chocks,
the falls bein' racked at the davits and
the ends cooled snug in the boat at each
end. So you see it took matter of ten
minutes for to swing the boat out and
git her into the water, and all this time
the ship, with maintopsail to the mast,
was a.forgin' ahead. I've always thought
that if they'd a-let her come all the
way round when the cook and the boy
fust went over and then braced about
the after yards. leavin' the head yards
square, we should have found 'em,
cause the drift Of the ship would have
been towards 'em sill the time. As it
were, bein' after dark, the second mate,
what had charge of the boat, got con-
fused, and likely as not pulled
away from 'em instead of to-
wards 'em. Anyhow, AFTER an
! hours unsuccessful search it was Civ
up and the boat returned to the ship
and were histed up. Even then we did
not give it up entirely, but after film
away we tackled her and reached back
and forth over the spot where the cook
and boy had gone overheard for over
two hours. We seen nothin' of 'em but
in one Of the reaches to the south lard
we come within an ace of runnin' down
q tishin' schooner as was bound to the
west'ard. As we passed her the skip
per of her hailed us and seemed to be
givin' vent to considerable indignation
cause we came so mig ii him, which
were cheeky to say the least, we havin'
been on the starboard tack and entitled
for to hold our wind, and he had no
business to try to cross our bow. Only
but that we had her right up in the wind
and deadened her entirely we'd hit
this here schooner sure.
swell, we couldn't understand what
the skipper of her said, but our old man
not to be outdone in politeness cussed
back at hia long arter we got out of
hearin'. Then we tackled went on our
way to the west'ard, all hands very
mournful on account of the loss of the
cook, for the loss of cook is next to
the Loss of the rudder. We took q fel.
Ter out of the port watch and put him
in the galley, but he wasn't no more
for to be compared with the old niger
as had gone overheard than uothin at
all. The duff that this chap turned out
next Sunday were more like lump of
putty than Christian puddin', and the
scouse that he tried to make weren't fit
Ito eat. I've no doubt he did his best,