Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-03-15

down so we luffed up and stood away
on another tack, and went down to take
look at the two whalers; and some
how, now we'd shipped in the Mary
Ann, both on us wished we was in the
Cetacean.
"She was ripper, | tell you; and
Capt'in Ned had the name of a lucky
skipper-though, for that matter, so
had old Tom. Arter awhile we took a
setten by lot of spars, and before we
knowed it we was fast asleep. I don't
know how long we slept, but when /
woke up it was dark as pitch, and |
sung out to Ralph Racket.
'Shipmate, ahoy! l can't get my
bearings. Whereaway are we nowT
"'Dunno,' says Ralph; but if we
amt board ship, I'm a Kanaka.'
I'VE felt round little, and made
out we were in the run Of ship, and a
mighty big one, too; and, calculating
there was no help for it, we went to
sleep again. Pretty soon scuttle
opened, and rough sea voice sung
out:
Grouse, you sleeper. Away you
go ON deck
"We tumbIed up, and the mint we
touched the deck, / knowed we was on
the Cetacean, and there was Capt'in
Ned with grin on him as wide as the
main-hatch. The land lay like blue
cloud over the rail, and the Cetaccan
was bowling along before an eight
knot breeze under all canvass.
"Well, lads says Capt'in Ned, 4
knowed you'd ship with me when you
come to think it over.
81 said we'd signed articles with the
skipper Of the Mary Ann.
81 reckon you amt got the grog out'n
your upper deck yet, Tom,' he says.
Bring them articles, Mr.. Carey
"The first mate brought the articles,
and there we was, in black and white,
down as harpooners, with little better
lay than we got in tAs Mary Ann. .
1--WE were after bowheads and made
for Bafin's Bay. 'Taint no use to tell
you about the voyage, but we had good
winds and were on the sailing grounds
early. We didn't meet a ship for over
week; but one day we made out a
sail, and as she rose, Capt'in Ned could
make out patch in the foresel that
told him it were the Mary Ann.
"'You want to look out for that lub-
by, you two,' he says to me and Ralph.
Like enough he'll want to kick up a
row and claim you
"But Capt'in Tom didn't do it
nothin' Of the kind. He came aboard
and took his grog with Capt'in Ned,
was pleasant as could be, and arter that
we cruised in company for over a week,
and had good luck among the bow
heads.
"But one day Capt'in Ned took
boat and went aboard the Mary Ann.
He didn't take me nor Ralph, accause
he knew Capt'in Tom had the right to
US, and he didn't know what he might
do if we went on board. They had
bout over the grog in the cabin, and
it was almost dark when Capt'in Ned
come on deck, and the Mary Ann had
made sail and was standing away from
the Cetacean, and the boats crew
Capt'in Ned brought was bobbing in
her wake, pulling like devils, but losing
ground all the time
"What do you want, you old shark ?
roared Capt'in Ned What's got into
your
"'I want my men, says Capt'in Tom.
When I goes ag'n a law of the
church and play game Of keerds for
two men, / want them men. You hear
my bazoo2'
"'I won't give 'em up
"Then I'll take you in the place of
one of them. Stand by there to set
stunsels; set stunsels allow and aloft,
Mr. Price. The Mary Ann can run
away from the Cetacean every day in
the week, and you know it, Capt'in
Ned
"Capt'in Ned raved and danced, but
it want no use, and he had to write a
note to the first mate and sent it by his
crew, telling them to put our kits OH
board and send us to the Mary Ann.
We wasn't very sorry, cause we'd been
shanghaed aboard, and we was ready
to go.
"'Glad to see you, boys says Capt'in
Tom. ''Twasn't your fault, know,
so you can have your rating. Go to
the first mate and get your stations
$50 Capt'in Ned climbed over the
rail into the boat and went back to the
Cetacean, swearing vengeance. But
them old chaps couldn't bear no malice,
and when we met in port, after we fill
ed up, they had glorious time togeth-
er; but all the capt'ins had the laugh
on Capt'n Ned. And when we struck
Nantuket ag'in, the first thing I did
was to give Benny, the crimp, a pair