Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-08-05
AN OLD TAR'S TALE.

western Australia, | was ashore;
and / see a nice-lookin' young fell
low, about twenty-four years old,
eyein' me pretty sharp, He was at
work on chain-gang. Watchin ;
his chance he said to me: Are you
mate of that whaler 2
YES" says /.
"Then, says he, Has the priest
said anything to you about me 2
NO" says [.
"'Well, he's agoin to, says he, and
passed on quick.
"The priest follered right along,
and asked me if I'd ever seen that
young man before.
Never to my knowledge says |.
"Then he told me it was Jack
Brown, Fenian prisoner; that he
had been confined in Dartmoor pris.
on in England for seven months and
then sent to Australia for life; that
he had been there goin' on II months,
and wanted to get off. And the up
shot of it was the priest offered me
$500 to get him off.
e Il told him | didn't want his
money. If he had been Il thief or
murderer l wouldn't have tried to
help him any way; but | couldn't
make out that he'd committed any
crime; so the priest and l, we fixed
it the next day, when my ship got
under way l should pick him up in
the yawl-and did.
sit beat all how quick everybody
on board took to that fellow-he
was so pleasant and such u hand
some young chap.
"Well come August we had to put
in to Rodriques for water. 1t was
that or die of thirst. That's not far
from Mauritius in the Indian ocean.
BY this time the news of Jack
escape had got ahead of us, and was
known all over the world. 1t was
just before sunset when boat from
shore came alongside, and her Off
GERS boarded us.
"Jack was standin' just as near
me as be to you, when the officer
up and says to me: Have you got
man aboard by the name of -
II kind of thought a minute-it
seemed as if twas an hour-and
then says, No, says | very quiet,
we did have a fellow aboard by the
name of Brown, but he died two
months ago, at Java
"ue looked at me minute; then,
says he, We'll, you've got some
ticket-of-leave men aboard, haven't
you p
II was mighty glad he asked me
that, for | thought it would take up
his attention and give me a little
time to think.
81 can't say as to that, says l.
"'Wen,' says he, 'call your men
up forrard, and Wen soon find out
"'No,' says l; i don't want moth
in to do with that kind of business.
You can look for yourselves, if you
like
$50 he and his gang went forrard
and hauled out the stowaways, aud
put them aboard their boat, and
pulled ashore, appearin' to be salts
fed.
"As soon as they were gone, Jack,
half crazy, says to me; My God, it's
all up with me. They'll come back
for me, but I'll never be taken alive.
Il knew he meant what he said,
for the priest had told me he'd tried
to commit suicide, and if he couldn I
escape had determined to kin him
self | called him down; told him
30 90 below and keep out of sight,
Ind I'd try to think up something
but says !, you shan't be taken as
long as 7 can stand by YOU
81 kn,w W very well that as soon as
tley got ashore those ticket-of-leave
rnen would blow on him, and really
didn't know what to do. Things
i Hooked black.
"By this time it got to be dark
aad sat down by myself to think
TAen l remembered a kind of locker
upstairs, where the steward some
times KEEP the dishes he wasn't usin
1t was shet by pushin' one Of the
stairs right over it. knew they q
never find him there. Then I went