The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-01-11

VOICE, anu the way he spoke, was enough
to show that there wasn't a ha' 'porth O. lyin'
IN his who.s skin. But the mate didn't
swallow the yarn at ALL he only shrugged
his shoulders with kind o. grin, as much
as to say: 'I'm too old bird to be caught
with that kind of chatf;" and then he says
TO him, "LoOk here, my lad; that's all very
fine, but it won't do here-somo o. these
men o mine arc in the secret, and mean
to have ii out o them. Now, you Just
point out the man as slowed you away and
led you, this very minute; if you don't ;t'Il
be the worse for YOU"
Tho boy looked up in his bright fearless
way--it did my heart good to look al him,
the brave little chap!-and says, quite
quietly. 'Pvc told you the truth; l amt
got no more to say"
The mate says nothin, but lie looks at
him for u minute, as if no see clear through
him; and then he faced round to tho men,
lookln' blackcr than ever. "Reeve rope
to the yard!" he sings out, loud enough to
raise tho dead; ''smart now"
The men all looked at each other. "a
much as to say, "What on earth is coming
nowf" But on board Of ship, O. course.
when you are told 10 do thing you've got
10 DO it; so the rope was rove in a iiTy.
Nov, my lad, }" says tho mate in hard,
square kind of voice, that made every
word seem like fitting Il stone in wall,
you see that roper Well, IN give YOU
ten minutes to confess" aud he took out
his watch anu held it in his hand, ''and If
you don't tell tho truth before the time is
up, I'll hang you like dogl'
The crew all stared at one another as If
they couldn't believe their can-I didn't
believe mlnc l can tell yc-and then a
nj NIl-l, ~
beast wakin' out of Il nap.
''Silcnce therel" shouts the mute. in n
voice like the roar of q northeastern. fsStanL
by TO run for'ardl" aud with his own hand
he put the moose around the boys neck.
The little fellow never ninched bit; but
there were some among the sailors, biz
chaps rs could ha' fellcd an OK, as shook
like leaves in tho wind. As for me- be-
thought myself of my rurly-headcd little
lad at home, and how il would be If any
one was to go for to hang him. And ut
the very thought On it'll tinglcd all over,
and my fingers clinchcd themselves az if
they were grppin' somebody's throat.
| clutched hold O. handspikc, and held il
behind my back, all ready.
"Ionl," whispers the chief engineer to
me, ''do you think he rca ly means to do
III don't KNOW" says /, through nv
teeth; "5ut if he does he shall 20 first. if
l swing for it,"
I've been in many all ugly scrapo in my
time, but never felt half us bad as did
then. Every minute seemed az long us II
dozen, and the tick of tho mates watch
rcg'lar prickcd my ears like pIn The
men were very quiet, but there was a prc
clous ugly look on some of their faces; and
l noticed that three or four on 'em kept
| cdgng lor'ard to where the mate was stand
In In way that meant mischief. AS for
me, made up my mind that If he did.
go for to hang the poor little chap, ID kill
him on the spot and take my chances.
Eight minutes" says the mate, his
great, deep voice brcakn' in upon the 81
lence like The tone Of IL funeral bell. 'If
you We got anything to confess, my lad,
you'd best out with it, for yer times near
ly up"
"I'vc told you the TRUTH" answered the
boy, very pale, but as firm rs ever" May
| say my prayers, plcasr2'
The mate nodded, and down goes The
poor little chap on his kness, with that i'll
fcrnal rope about his neck all the time and
puts up his little hands to pray couldn't
make out what he said--fact my head was
in such whirl that / hardly could have
known my own namc-but III be bound
God heard 1t, every word. Then he got
up on his feet again. and puts his hands
behind him, and says he to the mate, quite
quietly, IL am ready"
And then SIT, the mates hard, grim face
broke up all to once, like I've seod the ice
in the Baltic. lie snatched up the boy in
his arms and kissed him; and burst out a.
crying like child and | think there
warn't one of us as didn't do the same. /
know did, for one.
'God bless you, my boy" says he,
smoothin' the chid's hair with his great
hard hand. "You're true Engllshman,
every inch of you; you wouldn't toll lie
to save your lifel Well, If 80 be as your
father cast you OFF, I'll be your father from
ths day forth, and if l ever forget you,
then may God forget me-" Aud llc kept
his word.