Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-02-20
MY SHIPS CARPENTER.

-" We were lying in the Penarth Dock,
near Cardiff, after having completed
that most disagreeable of operations,
the taking in of large cargo of Goals,
and we're only waiting for the tide in
order to pursue our voyage to Caen. I
was pacing the deck, smoking the first
pipe of peace I had enjoyed for some
days, when I heard disturbance at the
accomodation-ladder which led from the
ship to the quay, and in few seconds
= wild uncouth- looking creature with
flashing black eyes and long matted hair
came rushing towards me, followed by
my chief officer.
"What's the row, Mr.. Robbins?" l
asked, as the stranger, painting and
breathless threw himself at my feet.
"Cant mako him out, sir-that I
can't" replied the officer. "Hes a
Dutchman of some sort or other"--jn
the eyes Of sailors all foreigner are
Dutchmen- land he comes aboard
sayin' as how he wants to be taken on
as a carpenter, COS he hears as how the
Sunderland is a-goin' to French port.
We tells him as how we're provided but
he won't take no denial, and says he
must see the cap'en."
"Well, my man." said sternly,
what is it? We don't want two car
penters-isnt that sufficient"
''Mon Dieu, Monsieur lie Capitaine,"
the poor followed returned, having re-
covered his breath, IT have come for to
60 vid you as carpenter, or any mortal
sing you like. I do not want money-no,
will work for nosing; but I you pray to
take me vid you, and, if You will listen
to mo for Won two minutes, I will tell
you w."
There was something 50 tearfully
earnest in his> manner, and he looked
such a pitable object, that I motioned
the chief officer to go away, and babe
the man say all that he wished. So he
continued: "
II am a scaramouch, Iknow-I am dir
ty, am in rags; but perhaps ven I tell
you 1eetle more, you may sink differ
emit of me. I come from Rouen, on ze
Seine; vas ship-builder dere-m me
and my brozer. We we're not rich, but
We we're comfortable, and We lived on re
Mont Sainte Catherine vid our only Sis
ter, ze pauye Jacqueline. She was fan
Gee to a lieutensnt Of re Twelvse Regi-
ment in re Caserne at Rouen, and she
vas going to be married in few weeks,
ven a friend of OURS, an English
man Monsieur le Captaine, fell in
love vid her, and he ran off vid
her, and me and my brozer has
not seen ZEN since. And dis vas
tree year ago, and ever since
me: and my brozer We have been
looking all over re world fir him, and,
If We catch him. Wy, den"-and the man
looked almost iendish as he spoke these
words, and tapped significantly a for
Misunderstanding knife which hung in
leather sheath at his waist-"vy, den We
shall kill him!" ".. ~.
"Who was he," I asked, "and what
was his name?'
Ellis name was Curtis" replied the
Frenchman--" Richard Curtis; big
man he vas-big Of six feet, and he vas
den ze captain of ship" RI.
3. This was strange, for the consignees
of my ship at Caen were Richard Cur
tbs & Co., and Dick Curtis, who answer
ed to the description given by the
Frenchman, had been an especial chum
of mine, although I had not now seen
him for some years. X -. f.tS@A.. T.
"But, my friend" I said, "surely you
are on wild-goose chase! You might
60 all over the world for years with
out meeting him.. especially as you say
he was captain" ! LII. =
Yes, dat is drue,"55 allowed the
Frenchman; but tink he has been sent
at Rouen or somewhere near again, and
I shall not rest until I find him" ~.
Dick Curtis, I knew, had been bit
of a scapegrace in his youthful days;
but + did not think he was the sort of a
fellow to run off with young French
girl who was already engaged to anoth
,er man. Still I was not. going to run
the risk of vendetta at Caen, so I
firmly told my supplicant that the ships
books were quite full and that in no
circumstances could I take him. He
burst, Frenchman-lke into torrent
of tears and protestations; but was in
flexible. and hewent away, looking the
very picture of misery.
We got off BY the evening tide, and
were making good way, with the ele-
ments in our favor. was on the
bridge alone with the pilot and the
man u at the wheel. Suddenly in
the gloom I saw o figure spring up the
bridg e-ladder, and the Frenchman stood
before me. was very angry at first,
and swore that he should be imprisoned
at Caen as 9 stowaway for I was really
q little anxious for Dick G urtis, as i had
reason TO know what revengefu1
Frencllman meant; but the man was SO
sprofusely apologetic, and so earnest in
his promises to do anything required OF
him IN order to work his passage, thatI
1relented and told him he might stay on
board. sss:.ss5
rom that moment Alexis that was
his nam became p s most devoted and