Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-11-18
.sucH A LITTLE CHAP"
fhs BraSe Act Of Robin. Who Saved Ills
Big fr0tiier's Gifes

"SUCh n LII lie SVST'
fhs Bra%s Act Of Robin. Who Saved Ills
Blx Brother's Life.
"Whcre did you get this picture.
jack, and whose portrait is itT' in.
quired little Elsie Of her coastguard
friend.
81 picked that up in n book.shop
many years ago." returned the hottest
tar. "for thought it had n strong
look of Robin; my little brother
What, had you brother. too'" in-
auired Elsie. 81 never knew tia: be.
fore. Tell us about him-do" Whilst
Freddy chimed in with Eyes. spin us
3 yarn, Jack"
Thus bcsct. and smiling down upon
the two eager faces, Jack established
himself upon his chest, and holding the
print in his hand. ransackcd from his
memory the following incident:
"When Twas young" (Jaok's stories
generally opened in this manncr) al
had, like many another lad, craving
after the briny; and. in spite of poor
mothers rcmonstrancGs, ] went into
the merchant service. A pretty hard
time had of il. | can tell you, Master
Fred. and kicked about for many n
long year from ship to ship aud port
to port. was sixteen or more before
found myself in my native village
again. near Falmouth. my father dead
long since and my mother very i'll.
She was ovcrjoyed TO see me again.
poor soul, and OH her death-bcd com.
miitcd TO my charge my little brother
Robin, As pretty u little fellow. with
curly hair and blue eyes. as YOU ever
saw. Some months went by, but my
coin ran short. and at last | had to go
to sea again. leaving Robin in charge
Of u respectable old body rs had known
mother well. lie was to go to school,
for he was smart little lad. with more
learning in his little iingcr than in
my great hulking head. But the
wrench OF parting was very hard. l
was glad enough to get of at last and
turned in dead beat into my hammock
the first light aboard, glad it was MI
over and the little lad in safe hands. /
was awoke at last by something mor-
ing on my bed. At first ! thought it
was one of them impudent rats, OF
which there are shoals on board some
OF the wooden vessels.
81 put out my hand. and was as
founded to feel Il little soft hand thrust
into mine. while voice whispered
It's only me --RoJin, and sure enough
80 II was. Robin. who had run away
from Mrs. Yarrow's, and slipped on
board and been hiding away the whole
Of the day whilst we were going down
channel!
Here was n pretty kettle o. fish,
and though scoldcd him well he only
clung to me the more and cried. while
] turned over in my mind how best to
get him ashore again, and what the
captain would say the next morning.
But the captain was rs soft-hesrted a
man rs ever trod deck. and his wife.
who was aboard, when she saw Robin,
cred out: why, he's the very double
of our Charlie! we must keep him.
So that clinchcd matters, and Robin
stayed aboard.
"Robin took to sea.lifc very kind
~. lie became q prime favorite with
oil; the roughcst had soft word for
him, and stopped their horse-play and
evil conversation when the little inno-
cent lad was present
1--WE were sailing round one OF the
West Indian islands one evening. ana
] was looking across the ocean. when
In the stiffness ! heard sudden plunge
In the waters, and the well known cry
MAN overboard!' Leaning over the
side saw y dark speck struggling in
the distance. Without more ado !
kicked oil my shoes, took header
and made straight for the object,
which. to my horror, | found TO be the
captains wife. She was crazy with
fright, poor soul, and clung to me with
all the despair of drowning creature.
1t was comparatively easy matter to
q good swimmer TO keep alloat till help
came, and l fc't no alarm. more cs-
pecially when boat was showed oil
from tho ship to meet US.
"But when about half way towards
the boat. cry arose which curdlcd the
very blood in my veins. "A shark! a
sharkr they called out, and the row.
ers redoublcd their efforts. Sure
enough one OF these monsters OF the
deep which infest the shores OF tho
West Indies was on our track.
strained every nerve, my limbs felt all
Of sudden as IL weighted with lead. ]
knew instinctivcly the iicnd was gain
ing on us, and, burdened as l was, ex.
pected n horrible death every minute
for both OF us. Only few strokes and
we should he in safety; but how far of
the boa, seemed to my strained limbs.
All this passed through my mind, and
! saw rs in a vision little Robins white
face at the bow urging me on. whilst
the voice oi one Vi my mstes came dis