Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-11-14

phraseology regarding the proper Navigation
of the unruly animal One ancient salt adj
yised me to huff another ITO put her helm
hard down, y while a third told me to 'haul
aft the spanker, wear ship and run for the
cahoosen The climax was reached when a
invial mariner raised the whalemans heart
stirring CRY, There she blowsv'
The bows bred in Eastport were In sense
half sailors. without having ever been to sea
The atmosphere and sentiment Of a sea life
penetrated every family and permeated every
life None of US were in the ~stricteSt sense
.s~oreenhorns" 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 Of the sea dis
cipline. and that from the moment the fore
mast hand went over the vessels side be was
the slave of the officers.
knew this full well. Indeed, / was afraid
of Sam Pell 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
Ifelt in his present treatment of me q fore
taste of what was in store during the voyage.
He might not beat me, but an officer who is
down on a sailor can make his life uncom-
Portable in a hundred ways; and felt that
Pen was down Oh me"
Mr.. PeIl on this occasion had, it seemed to
me, heaped the cup Of indignity upon me to
OVERLOOKING. That is, from my point of
view. From that of a 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 q 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 a lunatic.
Ilet go the pigs legs and walked toward
the gang plank
Go hack to your dutyy' roared Pel-
AL Passport was looking at me. In
theatrical parlance, | had the whole stage
TO myself. said nothing and stepped upon
she gang plank.
Go back to your duty, " again roared Pell.
He stepped betwaeen me and the ss1ngwGy
and .1mId his hand on my shoulder. brushed
it OF contemptuouSly. He grabbed my hair
and swung me half round | struck him in
the face. Mr.. Pel 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 a pretty hard
blow. 1t was new 10 his experience to be
struck by a foremost hand. he was as much
aStonished as angered.
That whelp there" said he, ''refuses duty
and has struck me
What! Refuse duty and strike an officer
before the ships clear of the dockF crlei the
captain. Holder, take your chest and traps
ashore. You can't go on this ship
II don't want to- was my reply.
"No words back. young man, 50 long as
you're on this deck" replied the captain.
Mr.. Pell, see that this mans things are put
on the wharf directly
| walked ashore and my luggage soon fol-
lowed me.
So l left the Ann Mary Ann, in full view
Of my townSpeople. l did not remain upon
the wharf. | walked and kept on walking.
| knew not. cared rot, whittier. | LETT the
village and went into the forest, with which
PASSPORT Is thickly surrounded. l found
myself going past the two beautiful lakes
our skating ponds in wintcr-then over a
salt water creek crossed 10y a bit of bridge.
Mile after mile so | travelled on, reckless,
angry. ashamed, discouraged, despairing,
fitting from mood TO mood, from resolution
to resolution. Oh. if | could but live III these
woods-live on w~alnutS, bark. leaves, any
thing-Sleep under the trees without dlScom-
fort. that | were not fettered and a slave to
a house, a table. three meals a day and the
thousand necessities with which man has
burdened himself. That | were as indie
pendent of these people about me as were the
ducks | startled from the salt water ponds
near the beach.
found myself upon a high point OF land
at the harbor'S entrauce-full six miles FROM
the wharf in my uunOtel wanderingS and
turning. l must have travelled twelvel
looked up. The Ann Mary Ann was before
me, about half q mile distant in the main
channel. with every sail Sc: that would draw,
and "a the watch "bowSed away" on the main
tack | heard coming over the water the strains
Of the old SEA song with which | was familiar:
"Oh. the bully huat'S a comm,
Don't you hear her sails n
The Ann Mary Ann was a pretty sight in
her cloud of white canvas, and the life. ami
nation and joyouSncSS apparent ON board
might have mOckrl me, but for a thought
which suddenly flashed upon me. | said
aloud 10 the departing vessel: III be there
before You, my fine fellows and / knew l
should.
Rut howl