The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1884-05-23
AN UNLUCKY SHOT.

"Well, here we are at last, anyhow;
and now we'll be able to get things
ship-shape bit"
So spoke the FIRST officer of the Britain
MA, as her anchor splashed into the
smooth water of Port of Spain road
stead, in the West Indian island of
trinidad; and the first smile that had
,heen seen upon his hard old face for
nearly week broke over it as he look
cd around him.
The view was certainly beautiful
enough to have drawn smile from
any man living. The first rays of sun
rise were just streaming through the
gorges Of the Maracas mountains, and
lighting up the stately palms and dark
green orange-groves that clothed them
almost to the summit.
Below them lay the broad plain,
dotted with trim, white houses, half
buried in clustering trees or green,
:eathery sugar canes, while in the fore
ground the quaint, half Spanish streets
and gardens of the town struggled
along the curving shore of the bright
blue sea.
But the finest landscape in the tropics
would have had little effect upon Mr..
John Jawley-whom the crew were
wont to call "Jawing Jack" when
there was no risk Of his hearing them
and if he smiled, it was not from any
admiration of the scenery, but simply
because he was glad to find himself
enugly at anchor again.
And well he might be- All the way
across the Gulf Of Mexico the poor old
britannia had hal the wind as dead
against her as if ESQ the boatswain
muttered savagely) somebody had got
up early every morning and turned the
wind round the wrong way" With
Lhe wind had come floods of rain, as if
that was not enough, the sea had beat
10 the skylight scuttle, and come pour
ing down below, washing half of the
passengers out of their berths and set
ting whole fleet of carpet bags and
portmanteaus afoat in the saloon.
As for the officers staterooms, they
were so completely flooded that the
purser, who was a bit of wag in his
way, had proposed to paste up notice
In the companion-way, offering hand
some reward for the discovery of pair
Of dry pants.
Altogether, the first officer had good
cause to be out of temper. First and
foremost, the captain was ill, and Mr..
oawley had to take the whole charge
of the ship himself. Then the salt
water had spoiled his new uniform,
md had damaged box of handsomely
bound books, which had just been sent
sim from home. Thirdly, he had
given his nose a tremendous knock
which had made it swell up as big as
Rpear; from all which causes combined
he looked, as the old quarter-master re-
marked with grin, "'bout as happy
as a skinned rat in a pickle-barrel."
"What on earth are these creeping
fellows on shore about?" growled Jaw
ing Jack. "They must have seen us,
and yet there's no sign Of any boats
coming off. We'd better fire our gun
and W. Ike 'em up bit. Where's that
signal gun?"
"Down in the after-hold, sir" ans,
wered sailor. "You told us to put il
there tother night, to be out of harms
way"
And did tell you to keep it there
for ever after, you lubber?" reared the
officer, turning fercely upon him
up with it. smart, or therel be {
,ow"
The gun was dung, and hoisted VI
In a twinkling, for the men knewby
experience that Jawing Jack was no
TO be trified with. But when he at
empted to load it, it proved to be hal
noked With something which, what
ever it might be, would plainly have t.
he got out before the charge could b
got in.
Again and again did Mr.. Jawle,
hrust in the hammer as fiercely as
he was stabbing an enemy, but the oh
,tru,tion would not yield.
"Whu5s been meddling with tn
gun?' Numbered he, glazing aroun
him like tiger about to spring.
There was dead silence, and all tn
sailors seemed trying hard to look as
they were somewhere else, while tn
,purser, who was always the first to b
suspected when any trick had bee
payed, prudently drew back out
siyht. knowing well, that Mr.. Jawle,
when fairly aroused, would hay
thought nothing of knocking down a
admiral on his own quarterback.
Receiving no answer, the first office
thought he might as well clear the gu
first. and find out the author of th
trick afterward.
"Hand up the powder horn, sharp!
cried he and he was instantly obeye
scraping the touch-hole clear wit
his knife, he dropped in some powde