The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1886-12-08

viSed me to ''luf,' another ITO put her helm
hard down, while third told me TO ''haul
aft the spanker, wear ship and run for the
caboose.h The climax was reached when a
jovia1 mariner raised the whaleman's heart
stirring cry. There she blows"
The boys bred in Eastport were In a sense
half sailors, without having ever been to sea-
The atmosphere and sentiment of sea life
penetrated every family and permeated every
life. None Of US were in the strictest sense
''greenhorns." We came to know the
ropes sometimes earlier than we could read.
Our principal sport was that of going aloft
on the ships as they lay al the wharf We
knew also of the strictness Ct the sea dis
cipline, and that from the moment the fore
mast hand went over the vessels side he was
the slave of the officers.
knew this full well Indeed, was afraid
of Sam Peu. had heard stories of his hard
ness and cruelty to sailors. He was one OF
your ''knOck down and drag out" mates, and
he reveled in this reputation.
felt in his present treatment OF me fore
taste of what was in store during the voyage
he might not beat me, but an officer who is
down on sailor can make his life uncom-
Portable in hundred ways; and | felt that
Pell was down on me-.
Mr.. Pell on this occasion had, 1t seemed TO
me, heaped the cup of indignity upon me to
overlooking That is, from my point of
|, view. From that of 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 place to order, mine to
obey was in temper-not the temper Of
cool bravery, which, having counted all
costs, determines what to do and adheres to
such determination. Mine was the temper
of hInatic
Ilet go the pigs legs and waiked toward
the gang plank.
go back to your duty |" roared PeI.
All Eastport was looking at me In
theatrical parlance, | had the whole stage
TO myself l said nothing and slapped upon
the gang plank.
Go back to your duty again roared PelL
He stepped between me and the gangNay
and laid his hand on my shoulder. brushed
it off contemptuously. He grabbed my hair
and swung me half roHnd | struck him in
the face. Mr. PeH knocked me down At
that moment Capt. Lauring came out OF the
cabin.
What's all this abOutF he demanded, as
his eyes fell on the situation then presenting
itself
Mr.. Pell had been struck = pretty hard
| blow. It was new to his experience to be
! struck by fore1nast hand He was as much
! astonished as angered.
''That whelp there, said he. refuses duty
and has struck me"
! ''Whatl Refuse duty and strike an Officer
| before the ships clear Of the dockF cried ths
captain Holder take your chest and trap
! ashore Won can't 90 ON this ship
81 don't want to-" was my reply.
'No words back young man, so long q
you're on this deck" replied the captain
/ 'eMr. Pell, see that this mans things are pu
/ on the wharf directly"
walked ashore and my luggage soon fol
lowed me-
SO left the Ann Mary Ann, in full vieV
of nv towlspeople | did not remain upol
the wharf | walked and kept on walking
/ | knew not. cared not, whittier. left tn
village and went into the forest, with whic
Eastport is thickly surrounded l foun
myself going past the two beautiful lakes
our skating ponds in winter-then over
salt water creek crossed by bit of bridge
Mile after mile so | Travelled on, reckless
angry, ashamed, discouraged, despairins
fitting from mood to mood. from FeSolutio
to resolution Oh. il | could but live in thes
woods-live on walnuts. bark, leaves, any
thing-sleep under the trees without discon
fort, that 1 were not fettered and slave
a house, a table, three meals a day and th
thousand necessities with which man be
burdened himself That I were as ind
pendent of these people about me as were th
ducks | startled from the salt water pond
near the beach.
found myself upon high point OF Ian
at the harbor's entrance-full six miles froI
the wharf lin my unnoted Vanderings an
turning / must have Travelled twelve9
looked up. The Ann Mary Am was befol
me, abont half mile distant in the mai
channel, with every sail set that would draw
and as the watch ''bowsed away on the mai
tack heard coming over the water the stTaiI
of the old sea song with which was familiar
"Oh, the bully boats comm,
Don't you hear her sails humniin'.'
The Ann Mary Ann was pretty sight
her cloud of white canvas, and the life, an
nation and joyousness apparent on boar
might have Knocked me, but for thougl
which suddenly flashed upon me. | sal
aloud to the departing vessel: I'll be thel
before you, my fine fellows. and | knew
should
But howl