The Worthington advance., 1882-07-13
The Captains Life.

The Captains Life.
From "a Summer in the Azores" BY C.
Alice Baker.
Gone day in March, 1869, while
layin' in port off Bunburry, in Western
Austrrlia, was ashore, and I see Il
nice lookin' young fellow, about twenty
fouryears old, eyein' me pretty sharp.
He Was at work on a chain-gang. Watch
in his chance, he says to me, Are you
the mate of that whaler?'
YES" says I.
"Then; says he, Has the priest said
! anything to you about me-
'''Wcll. he's goin' to-" says I and pass
cd on quick.
,rhc priest f9llered right along, and
asked me II Ia ever seen that young
man before.
"Never, to my knowledge" says I.
''Then he told me it was "a Fcn;an
prisoner; that he had been confined in
Dartmoor prison in England for seycn
months, and then sent to Australia for
life; that he'd ben there goin' on 'leven
months, and wanted to get eff And the
upshot Of it was the priest offered me
five hundred dollars to get him oft.
Il told him | didn't want his lnorey
lfhe'l been Il thief or a murderer |
wouldn't have tried to help him anawav ::
but couldn't make out that he'd com
mltted any crime; SO the priest and |,
we fixed it that the next day, when nv
ship got under way. l should pick him
Up in the yawl-and I did.
1t beat all how quick everybody on
board took to that fellow-he was so
pleasant, and such 4 handsome young
chap:
''Wcll, come August, we had to put
into Rodrigues for water. 1t was tliat,
or die of thirst. That's not far from
Mauritius in the Indian Ocean,
'Ly this time the news OFFS escape
! had got ahead of us and was known all
over the world. It was just before sun
set when boat from shore come alone-
side, and her officer boarded us.
-Was standin just as near me as |
be to you, when the officer up and says
to me: Have you got a man aboard by
the name Off,?
II kind of thought a minute-it
seemed If twas about an hour-anu then
says No. says I, very quiet: we did
have fellow aboard by the name of
Brown, but he died two months ago at
JAVA;
'Hc looked at me minute; then saws
he, Well, you've got some ticket-of-lcayc
men aboard, havn't your
II was mi ghty glad he asked me that:
for | thought it would take up his atten-
ton and give me little :ime to think.
" ! can't say as to that says /.
Wcll,' says he, scall your men up
from forrard and wen soon find OUT
-" No, says |: I don't want notlin' to
do with that kind of business. You can
look for yourselves if you like
hauled out the stovaways, and put 'em
aboard their boat, and pulled ashore,
appcarin to be satisfied.
Gas soon as they were gone,-. half
crazy, says to me: My God! it's all up
with me! What can l do: They'll come
back for me, but I'll never be taken
alivc!'
'T knew he meant what he said: for
the priest had told me he'd tried to COM
NIT suicide, and, if he couldn't escape.
had determined to kill himself. /
calmed him down; told him to go below
and keep out of sight, and I'd trv to
think up something; but says I, you
sEla'nt be taken as long as can stand by
YOU
II knew very we'll that as soon as
they got ashore those ticket-of-le leave
men would bloW on him; and l really
didn't know what to do. Things looked
black.
SPY this time it got to dark, and I
SIT down by mytelfto think. Then re-
mcmbered kind of locker under the
stairs. where the steward sometimes KEEP
the dishes he wasn't usin'. 1t was shct
by pusthin' one of the stairs right over it
llknow they'd never find him there.
lhcn went to-and told him to 20 and
lind little griE'lStone there was on the
ship, while | KEEP the men busy forward
Nhen came back I'd stop spell and
talk with the steward; and When he
heard Inc talkin' hc must throw the
Grindstone and his hat over board, give
u shrek and then run and stow himself
in the locker.
",When come along back 1 stopped
and says to the steward, I don't know
what will happen when those fellows
come aboard Tomorrow morning. -
will never be taken alive. Hi xiii some
Of 'em and kill himself ;he threatened tc
do it in Australia
''Just then we heard a great splash
and Il scream. What's that? says I.
" It's, says the steward, hes
ulrOWn himself OVefDOaru.'
Everybody heard it. The captain was
OFT that day. rushed after, told the
otEet officers and ordered out the boats
The men felt terribly. Every one of 'em
was fond OF him. We got out four boats
and swept that harbor for hours. l was
the last boat in. When / got aboard
found the second mate leanin' over the
ships side, cryin bitterly. He's gone,
poor fellow! here's his hat SAYS he; the
men have just picked it up. Wo never
Shall see him again
=, There wasn'ta wink ofsleep on board
that night. The next morning put the
tlaSat half-mast. Everybody was solemn
as death S wet hat lay on the hatch
way: They all thought he was dead.
The captain come off to see what was
the matter: told him the story-how
we heard the splash, got out the boats
and picked UPS hat. Riyhtin the
midst OF it the officers from Rolris,es
come aboard to claim their man. we
told .em the story and show ed 'em the
wet hat. They never offered to search
the vessel; They sec how bad the men
off: ~
''Late that afternoon we got our water
all aboard and bore away to sea. Iwai:-
ed till we was almost out O. sight O. land ::
then says to the captain: L guess ri
60 below and get cigar I went and
hauled the step away; and there was-.
all III heap: [ can see that fellows
face right before me now, white as chalk.
eyes as black as night. He looked like
a wild man.
"'What now?' says he trembling all
"fCome out of that says I.