The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-05-06
for tbe CHILDREN.
A Shipmaster's Story About
FlOgging.

CliO w do ttl Olt CIdll, anu llttu oCCh iuil
as much service as she was capable of
seeing with safety. But her owners
were willing to trust valuable cargo
in her, so | would not refuse to trust
myself. We were bound to Liverpool,
and nothing unusual happened until
about the eighth day out, when we ran
foul of small iceberg. 1t was early
in the morning, before sunrise, and not
above six or eight feet of ice was above
water, it having nearly all been melted
in the warm waters of the Gulf stream.
/ did not think we had sustained much
injury, for the shock was light; but /
was very angry, and gave the lookout
severe punishment, without stopping
to inquire whether he could have seen
the berg in time to escape it.
Ny cabin-boy was named Jack Whit
ers. He was fourteen years of age, and
this was his first voyage. | had taken
him from his widowed mother, and
promised her that / would see him well
treated-that is, if he behaved himself
He was bright, quick, intelligent lad
/ soon made myself believe he had an
awful disposition. | fancied that he
was the most stubborn piece of human
ity / had ever come across. | had made
up my mind he had never been prop
erly governed, and had resolved to break
him in. / told him I'd curb his temper
before I'd done with him. In reply, he
told me might kill him if liked; and
i fogged him with the end of the miz-
zen top-gallant halliards till he could
hardly stand | asked him if he'd got
enough, and he told me / might fog
him more if | wished to. / felt strong
inclination to throw the boy overheard,
but at that moment he staggered back
against the mizzen-mast from absolute
When reasoned calmly about the boys
disposition, / was forced to acknowl-
edge that he was one of the smartest
and most intelligent and faithful lads l
had ever seen. When | asked him to
do anything he would be off like a
rocket; but when / roughly ordered
him to do it, then came the disposition
with which found fault.
One day, when it was very near noon,
/ spoke to him to bring up my quad
rant. He was looking over the quar-
ter-rail, and l knew he did not hear
me; the next time spoke ripped out
an oath, and intimated that if he did
not move I'd help him.
@ l didn't hear ye," he said, with an
independent tone.
"No words.n said |.
" l suppose can speak, he retorted,
moving slowly towards the companion
way.
''His looks, words and the slow, care
less manner in which he moved, fired
me in moment, and / grasped him by
the collar.
"Speak again to me like that, and
I'll fog you within an inch of your
life," said I.
'You can fog away" he replied,
firm as a rock.
And / did fog him. l caught up
the end of rope and beat him till
my arm fairly ached; but he never
WINGED.
How's that ?" said 1.
"There's little more life in me
you'd better fog it out,' was the reply
till he sank from my hand against the
rail- and l sent one of my other mer
for my quadrant. When it came and
had adjusted it for observation, ] foun(
that the sun had already passed thu
meridian, and that was too late This
added fuel to the fire of my madness
and, quickly selling the lad by the col
lar, led him to the main hatchway
and had the hatch taken Off | theI
thrust him down and swore / would
keep him there till his stubbornnes
was broken. The hatch was then pu
on, and 1 went into the cabin. / SUI
fered good deal that afternoon-no
with any compunctions of conscienc
for what l had done, but with my owl
temper and bitterness. 1t made mt
mad to think that could not conque
that boy-that l could not break dow
his cool, stern opposition.
{" But l will do it," said to myself
"by the heavens above me, / wi
starve him into it, or he shall die unde
the OperatiOn!"
After supper went to the hatchwa
and called out to him, but he returne
me no answer. So l closed the hate
and went away. AT ten O'Clock | wer
again, and again got no answer.
might have thought that the foggin
had taken away his senses, had NJ
some of the men assured me that the
had heard him, not an hour befor,
ldlhlllS W lllillSCll. ulu ilot tlOuDl
him again until morning. After breal
fast / went to the hatchway, and Gale
to him once more. | heard nOthin
from him nor could / see him-I ha
not seen him since / put him dow
there. called out several times, b,
he would make no reply-yet the vel
same men told me they had heard hi
talking that very morning. He SCENE
to be calling on them for help, but
would not ask for me. ! meant
break him into it. g He'll beg befo
he'll starve," thought, and so dete
mined to let him stay there. l su
posed he had crawled forward to IL
forecastle bulkhead, in order to NAL
the sailors hear him. Some of the mt
asked leave to 90 down and look
him, but l refused, and threatened
punish the first man that dared to
down.
AT noon / went again, and as he
not answer me this time, resolved tn
he should come to the hatchway al
ask for me ere / went any more. III
day passed away, and when event.
came | began to be startled. l thong
of the many good qualities the boy ha
and of his widowed mother. He h
been in the hold thirty-six hours, a
all of forty hours without food or drin
He must be too weak to cry out no