Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-03-27

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1cauyht the brute at last.
with the vigor and regularity Of a piston rod,
setting up at the same time a squealing that
rose far above the rest Of the clamor and di-
rected every eye upon myself. Mr.. Pell, l
think, enjoyed this, and to prolong it took no
notice Of me and sent no one to my assist
ance, though a short time previous he had
found time and opportunity every few min
utes to give additional directions regarding
this marine boar chase.
In the midst Of this ridiculous situation my
eye fell on Blanche Seton, standing by a
wharf post, a little apart from the crowd.
Her face wore an expression of sadness.
There was sone laughing and guffawing
among the crowd, and occasionally mock
directions were cried out to me in nautical
phraseology regarding tho proper navigation
Of tho unruly animal. Ono ancient salt ad-
vised me to fluff, - another sto put her helm
hard down." while u third told me to :haul
aft the spanker, wear ship and run for the
caboose." The climax was reached when a
jovial mariner raised the whaleman's heart
stirring cry, ''There she blows!r
Tho boys bred in Passport were in q sense
half sailors, without having ever been to sea.
Tic atmosphere and sentiment of a sea life
penetrated every family and permeated every
life. None of us were in the ~strictest sense
''greenhorns." We came to "know tho
ropes" sometimes earlier than we could read.
Our principal sport was that of going aloft
Oh the ships as they lay at the wharf. We
knew also of the strictness of the sea dis
cipline, and that from the moment tho fore
mast hand went over the vessels side he was
the slave of the officers.
know this full well. Indeed, 1 was afraid
OF Sam PelL. l had heard stories of his hard
ness and cruelty to suilors. He was one of
your 'knock down and drag out" mates, and
he reveled i'll this reputation.
/ felt in his present treatment of me a fore
taste of what was in store during the voyage.
tie might not beat Inc, but an officer who is
down on" a sailor can make his life uncom-
Pell was s'down ON me-"
MI. Pell on this occasion had, it seemed to
me-, heaped the cup Of indignity upon me to
Overlooking. Tint is, from my point Of
| view. From that Of u sailor and an officer
the case was entirely different. As to mari
time law, CUSTOM usage, all the right lay on
his side. 1t was His placetto order, mine to
obey. I was in IL temper-not the temper Of
cool bravery, which, having counted all
costs, determines what to do and adheres to
such determination. Mine was the tempe,
| of Il lunntic.
llet go the pigs legs INC walked toward
the gang plank.
"Go back to your duty!" roured Pell.
All Eastport was looking at me. IL
theatrical parlance, | had the whole stage
to myself. said nothing and stepped upou
the gang plank.
"Go back to your duty" again roared Pell
lie stepped between HE and the gangwa,
and laid his hand on my shoulder. ! brushed
it of contemptuously. He grabbed my hal,
and swung me half round. l struck him il
the face. Mr.. Pell knocked me- down. Al
that moment Capt. Lauring came out of til,
cabin.
Whats all this about" he demanded, a
his eyes fell IN the situation then presenting
itself.
Mr.. Pe)l had l,een struck a pretty hart
blow. It wa new to his experience to b
struck by a foremost hand. He was as muc
astonished as angcred.
''That whelp there said he, '~refuses dut
and has struck me-"
"What! Refuse duty and strike an office
before the ships clear Of the dock?" criel I'll
captain. "Holder, take your chest and tral
ashore. You can't go on this ship"
II don't want to" was my reply.
mo words back, young man, SO long {
you're o. this deck" replied the captain
"Mr. Pell, see that this mans things are p,
OIL the wharf directly"
I walked ashore and my luggage soon fo
lowed NE.
So I left the Ann Mary Ann, in full vie
Of my townspeople. l did not remain upo
the wharf. I walked and kept OH walking
l knew not, cared not, whittier. l left IL
village and went into the forest, with whic
Eastport is thickly surrounded. l foun
myself going past the two beautiful lakes
u skating ponds iu winter-tlen over
salt water creek crossed by a bit of bridg
Mile after mile so l Travelled on, RECKLESS
angry, ashamed, discouraged, ~despairinl
fitting from mood to mood. from resolutio
to resolution. Oh, if I could hut live i'll thes
~woods-lilc on %Mplnn!s, las.k, leaves, M,
thing-sleep under the trees without discon
fort, that l were not fettcred and u slave
II house, a table, three meals q day and Il
thousand necessities with which man hi
burdened himself. That l were as ind
pcnueut VI tueae ptcpLc op''ue Le IL Sie =
ducks I startled from the salt water pom
near the beach.
found myself upon II high point OF la'
at the harbor's entrance--fun six miles fro
the. wharf lin my unnoted wandcrinss a,
turning, I must have Travelled twclve.)
looked up. The Ann Mary Ann was befo
me, about half a mile distant i'll the ma
channel, with every sail set that would dra
and as the watch ''bowsed away on the ma
tack l heard coming over the water the strai
Of tile old sea song with which l was faniilia
ooh, the bully boats a comin',
81 Don't you hear her sails Il l'umnin'."
The Ann Mary Ann was a pretty sight
= her cloud Of white canvas, and the life, a
nation and joyousness apparent Oh boa
might have Knocked HE, but for a thong
is which suddenly flashed upon me. l $:
aloud to the departing vessel: III be thu
l. before you, my tine fellows" ami | knew
l. Should.
al But how!
,o (C0at;nauI a"ri M"ek.)
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