The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-02-23
THE DAILY STAR
Rocked BY THE BELLOWS.

"A GOOD many years ago coipihahueu
the clipper ship Typhon, in the trade
from London to China. One summer we
had a splendid voyage, without striking
Gkysails or sternsails all the way to the
Cape, and we were bowling across the
Indian Ocean, thousand miles east of
the Mauritius, before we met any heavy
weather.
/ had number of passengers aboard,
snd several ladies, who found the time
passing pretty slowly, but they were all
easy to manage except one party. This
was composed of three young men-two
Of them brothers, and the sons of the
head of our house, Grant, Perk-
kins and Company. The two young
Grants, like many other rich mems sons,
were very conceited-the more, perhaps,
because they'd never done a stroke of
work in their lives.
Their companion was an army officer,
IN years leave, Of the name of Ramsey,
q noble young fellow as l ever saw, but
full of high spirits. He was man of
great strength and agility, and could
beat any sailor on the ship climbing.
You must know that it's an old sea Gus
tom that the first time q landsman goes
up the rigging, any Of the Sailors can go
after him, and if they catch him they
can tie him there unless he pays "the
footing" as they term it. But none of
our fellows could catch Ramsey. have
known him scamper up the shrouds like
a monkey, and defy them all to catch
him, when the whole ships company
would come swarming after him. He
went up the mizzen-mast, one time, and
they thought they had him sure, but the
active fellow, seeing that every backstay
was occupied by the enemy, slid down
the mizzen-royal-stay to the main, and
then up again, down the main-royal-stay
to the foretop-gallant-crosstrees, and SO
down the jib-stay to the end of the jlb-
boom. and ran in, laughing.
The two Grants were always setting
Ramsey up to mischief of some kind, and
especially when the ladies were on deck.
Asneer at his not daring to do such a
thing would always send Ramsey to do
It. One day, however, they pressed him
too far, and the result was, had to stop
all skylarking in the rigging.
1t had begun to blow pretty stiff
breeze at last, rapidly becoming a gale,
when we had to send down our sternsails
and skysails, and it was SO much as the
ship could bear to keep her royals spread.
We were all gathered on the poop-deck,
watching the flying fish and dolphins
when Charley Grant, the elder Of my
two pests, observed:
"Captain, do you think you've got a
man who would go up above the royal
yards to-dayw
"Any one in the ship would, if 1 Or
dered him, young gentleman" I said.
"But l would send only old sailors to-
day. 1t takes man who knows how to
hold on to surf royals on day like
this"
"Bah, Captain" said Tom Grant, the
other brother, sneeringly. "It's not half
as bad as you make out. There's Ram
sey, who never was at sea in his life, and
I'll bet he can 90 up to the main truck,
In typhoon, leaving alone a breeze like
this"
"You sailors are a set of old grannies,
anyhow" chimed in Charley. "Pll bet
Ramsey can 60 up the main truck to-
day"
'Indeed, and Ramsey isn't going@to
break his neck for you," retorted the
young officer, laughing good-naturedly.
tim tired of amusing you lazy people
down on deck"
"Quite right, Mr.. Ramsey" said l,
warmly. "You're splendid gymnast,
but l don't like to see you -risking your
life for nothing. When l send the men
up, it's on duty, and if they lose their
lives it can't be helped"
"Bahp' sneered the ill-conditioned
Tom, "Ramsey's turning prudent"
"Well, suppose am. Isn't it time?'
asked Ramsey.
"Too prudent by half" said Charley.
fHe dare not CO."
81 dare go anywhere" said Ramsey,
flushing; "but l don't care to go. G.
you"
'Tm not a famous gymnast," said
Charley, sneering. '1 see you're only a
fine weather one, too, for all your blow
Ing"
Well, you see, words went on, till
young Ramsey was fool enough to de-
clare that not only would he go up the
royals, but that he would shin up the
sky-poles above, perfectly bare of rigging
rs they were, and take seat on the
main-truck. I knew him to be perfect
gymnast, or / would have ordered him
not u do it; but ] never thought that he
would go higher than the royals, for the
vessel was pitching and tossing so, that
lexpected he would see the impossibilil
ty Of the. feat when he got to the royal
yard.
Ramsey threw off his coat and began
20 ascend the weather-rigging; several of
The ladies clapping their hands to him,
while only one was silent. This was Miss
Emily Perkins, daughter of one of our
house who was going to Canton to see
her father. noticed that she was very
pale as he went higher: and two or three
times was on the point of calling Mr.
Ramsey back; but he seemed to 60 up SC
confidently that lost much of my own
fears. ...,. .,