The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1888-03-24
JAMES OTIS
The Story of One Of the Boy He
roes Of TO.

1t was the year of our Lord l77S. All
England was ringing with reports of
her rebellious colonial offspring; the
incipient republic was in q state Of fer
ment and of preparation for val. The
first American gunboats had just been
launched and proudly sailed about the
New England coast, which British
cruisers kept in constant alarm.
On the deck of one of these cruisers,
rs leaving Newport it moved through
the blue ocean waters toward New
London, = crowd had gathered about
q burly, middle-aged man in captains
uniform and a slight young fellow of
perhaps twenty.
"Well, well, my little man! So we
have caught you again." said the Cap
tain, clapning him oil the shoulder.
Gas you've run away twice before, per-
haps you think to give us the slip a
third time; but with volley of oaths,
''you never were more mistaken.
Swear to show allegiance to your right
full sovereign or-die for a traitor!'
The eyes which looked back at him
were as uniiinching as the Captains
own. For generations the Otis our
age had held its name even in deadly
peril. and this relative and namesake
of James Otis, the eloquent pleader for
independence, could meet his end as
beloved one of his race.
II am an independent citizen Of Con-
Aecticut. and W no allegiance to a
tyrant," he said proudly.
The Captain burst into a laugh, in
which his men joined.
''This scion of liberty crows loud
small good will be such Haunting,
though. for in six months all these in
dependent citizens will be creeping
back to Mother England's knees like
90 many whipped children"
The scornful laugh had brought a
flush to the youths face. and now he
said with heat:
"More probably Mother England
will discover hat her children have
come of age beyond dispute, and will
go home with the whipping reversed"
Come, come, enough of parley.
You shall swing from yonder yardarm
in fifteen minutes, my young braggart,
II you will not fight under our colors.
viii you fight with us? Yes or nor
There was no relenting in the cap
tain's voice, no touch of pity on all
those staring faces. Death or lifep All,
small wonder if in such a stress brave
hearts shrink, and yielding to the fear
of doom are branded by those who
have never met like trials as towards
and traitors!
Speak, the captain commanded.
And the prisoner answered firmly:
'.No.'
The captains face grew dark with
wrath that this stripping should stand
before him and defy his fate, and the
thought that much might be done If
such pluck was but enlisted for royalty
only ~roughened his tone as it rang
Over the deck.
'.In the name OF the king l con-
denim you as a rebel! Up with the
rope, men,
And as the men went off with ~alacrity
he began a measured stride up and
down the deck, watching as they ex.
ccuted his bidding.
James Otis folded his arms and gazed
over the sparkling white-crested swells
to where New London's shores lay fair
in the distance. Only . few more
moments sight Of a world which
seemed doubly beautiful now that he
should so soon leave it for ever. Death!
And such an ignominous one! To fall
fighting for his country - ali, that
would be noble! but to hang at ..
yard-arm like any criminal. The
purposes Of his young manhood
rose up before him like
knocking ghosts Of what might have
been. He thought of the farm on q
Connecticut hillside where his child
hood bad been spent, the old red house
with its two guarding button.wood
trees. Perhaps even now his mother
was thinking that her son might o o
be home. or his father was going down
to the Office in expectation Of "a letter
from Jamie" The recalling Of this
boyish name brought a blur to his eye
and a weakening for one instant Of his
resolution. But, no! far better that
they should never learn his fate than
that he should return to them a traitor
~ his country.
Nc could hear the men laughing and
Joking as they knotted the hempen
0ord.