The Red Cloud chief., 1885-05-29
TIED TO THE MAST.
h Cruel Captain and tho Poor Lit:
Cabin 10y.


She Cruel Captain and tho Poor Little
Cabin 10y.
'Tell rs q story. papa" chorused
half Il dozen voices. ''Wo must have 8
story"
''Oh, you've heard all my yarns
already" answered Captain Martin
gale. laughing. III you want a story
this gentleman VIII tell you one"
This gentleman was a tall. broad
chc,tel man. with a thick black beard.
which was fast turning gray. who had
come IN Just before dinner and had
been warmly welcomed by the Captain
A very grim fellow he looked as he sat
in the great oaken chair. with the fire
light PLAYING iitfully on his dark.
bearded. weaiher-beatcn face.
lam to tel you u story?' asked
ihc visitor, in a deep. hoar.e voice.
quite as piratical as his appearance.
''Well. then. listen: There was once a
POOR boy who had no father or mother,
no friends and no home except the wet.
dirty f~Orccast.e o! y trading schooner.
He had to go about barefoot in the cold
and rain. with nothing on but an old
ragged flannel shirt and . pair Of sail
cloth trousers; and instead of landing
on beautiful islands and digging up
buried treasures. and having . good
time all round. like the folks in the
story-books. he got kicked and cuifei
from morning till night, and sometimes
had a sound thrashing with . ropes
end into the bargain. All the sailors
we're very cross and ugly to him. but the
worst Of all was the captain himself. He
had been badly treated himself when q
boy. and SD (as some men willy he took
a delight in i~ll-treating somebody else
in the same way. Many a time did he
send the poor little fellow alof. when
the ship was rolling and the wind
blowing hard. and more than once he
beat him 30 cruelty hat the poor lad
almost tainted with tho pain"
wicked wretch cried Bob. indig-
Il hope he got drowned or
eaten M by savageS"
Or taken for ; slave himself and well
thrashed every day." suggested Dick.
"Oh. no.. Bob" said little Helen. who
sitting on = low stool i her faith
er's feet; Il hope he was sorry for being
so cruel and got very good
The strange guest stopped and lifted
the little girl into his lap and kissed her.
Helen nestled close to him and looked
wonder;ngly up in his face. for. ~ he
bent his head toward her. something
her forehead in the darkness
that felt very much like a tear.
''Well," resumed the speaker. after
. short pause. 1.-The schooner heading
eastward across the Indian Ocean, came
ut last among the Maldivc Isles. where
L i always very dangerous sailing. The
coral islands. which lie in great rings or
rolls all around. like SO many strings
Df beads. are 50 low and fat that eve
the DAYTIME it's not easy to avoid
aground upon them; but ut
night YOU might rs well try to walk
q room full of stools without
.umbling over n OF them.
'sN course. the Captain had to BE-
on deck looking out. ami that
iidn't make his temper any the sweet
r. as YOU NAV think. So that very
evening. when the CABIN boy had dis |
him in sofac way. what does he
10 but tell the men to sling him up into
he r yyiny and tie him hand and foot |
the mast !
But the towards were Don paid for
heir cruelty. They were SO busy Tor
nenting the poor lad that none Of them
lad noticed how the sky was darkening
windward; and all At nee a sIuall
.sme down upon them as suddenly rs
he GU; Of 3 whip. In . moment the
all around WAS Ike \ boiling pot.
md crash went the ship over on her
and both the masts went by the
,oard (feil down into the sea, thai is).
arriving the boy with them
1T was jus, a well for poor Harry
hat he had been tied TO the mast. other
wise the sea would have sweet him away
Ike 3 straw. Even as il was he was
lmost s,iied by the bursting OF the
raves over his head He was stu
into the darkness 10 sry II be
ould see anything Of the ship. when
here = . tremendous crash and .
cry. and then dead silence.
The vessel bad been dashed u,on
oral reef aud stove IN. and the sea.
ever. lad s~ep: away every
on hoard
.'But storms IN those parts Pass sw.y
sqrickly as they come: and !: was
"a; louy before the ses teg:n tn 60
own. the clouds roTicA sway. snd the
noon broke forth IN all Ms glory. Then
larry. finding that the rope which ted
is arms had been . good deal strained
the shock that carried away she
asst, managed to free one hand asi
nbind the other ann and his feet. Just
hen . face rose from the wafer within
lev yards % him and Harry recog.
lied his eaemy. the cruel Captain
There be ~ the man Who had
based, Starved and beaten hin. diving.
e jast about . die, Almost within
1ach q sa1ety. ThoagA hasSly swiee
+ On lAgfA divt1e4 Ai0 hon tAsi