The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-09-15
A 1O.Year-Old Named Peru.

"I've been shipmates with many natal
born brave man, but the bravest Tn ever
shipped yet with was a 10-year-old name
Peru
"Name' whats'
The old tar deliberately knocked the ashes
| from his clay pipe and, having performed
that maneuvre with the calmness and dig
nifty becoming a boatswain smate, he glanced
| coolly at his interrogation
"Name' Peru"
Chow came i'm name Peru?'
Old Jack laid his pipe In his lap, and draw
| ing his jaekkhife and navy plug, slowly be-
gan shaving of strips of tobacco, until his
critical glance measured a pipeful. Then
crumbling the tobacco in his left hand until
it was almost powdered, he tucked the knife
back in his belt and emptied the tobacco in
to his pipe.
"Who took my matches?" asked the old
man, as he fumbled in his pocket.
light was handed him, and presently as
the smoke curled upward, Jack settled his
broad back comfortably against convenient
chest and looked thoughtfully upward.
That was his invariable way of announcing
ready, and they ell knew it.
"Let's have the yarn, Jack"
"WeIl, boys, it's like this: 1t was back in
'39, W EN- was younger an l am now, an
down we're on the South Pacific with the flag
ship, Marion. / was the spryest man in the
gigs crew in them days, an pulled for ole
Admiral Lane; long time ago it was, too
Well, one evenn' in April the Admiral wanted
| to go ashore, and they sung out for the gigs
crew, an in a shake or so we were alongside
the QUAY in Callao The boats crew was left
| in the gig and I'll boun' they was all snoozin'
wen the ole Admiral stepped in an piped
sorter quick like:
Cast off there, boys and pull for the ship"
can there he was with the tiller-ropes in
hoo 6ator ha
| crouched down between his feet like a scared
houn' was one of the cutest chips of lubber
you ever lay your eyes on"
4 heard the Admiral say presently"
"'What's your name, nigger?" and the lit
| tie shaver piped back, sorter tremblin':"
| "'Peru, senior.
"Them wasn't +" the days wen a lubber
| could boast about like he owned the ship, nor
| Wit the time wen coward folks was in demand,
but somehow or other they oil liked the little
shaver. He would trembleifthe wind blowed,
but he was so humble like an handy that
they all had kin word for the little Peru.
Jes' tell i'm an he would go, an better
shoeblack for Sunday inspection l amt seed
yit. The Admiral had little gal long with
i'm, er orphan, an she was a mighty pretty
| one. Maybe the Admiral didn't love that lit
tie gal O. his'n. Bless my soul, there warn't
anything good enough for her, and if any
body besides the Admiral knowed it,
| that felier was little Peru.
Wen skies was good that little
gal would come on deck, an little Peru was
happy as king, an the ole Admiral would
ust smoke his big pipe an pace the quarter
eek an look as if he didn't care whether 1t
aimed or showed. You never seed prettler
LECTURE in the chaplains's book than them
little shavers made way back in '3S. Peru
| he would look as trim an happy as you
please an that little gal with long hair IN a
laugh-why these yer mermaids amt no cir
| cumstance."
"Well, one might the storm came on sudden
like, an you can shiver my Yankee tmbers
if it warn't storm. Royal and to gallants
was down and topsails to the las reef, but
the old ship pitched an rolled an
heaved like you never seed. l lowed
as how me an Dayy Jones would be
shipmates if that thing didn't stop fore
long, with the mast q swayin' an creakin.
The water rolled over her bows an swept the
decks as clean as whistle chicken-coops,
kegs an all. There was the old Admiral
with his arms wrapped in the riggin' gear an
sheltered like by the mast, and Peru, with his
big eyes a shinin an stickin' like leach
alongside the Admiral. 1t was wuss and
wuss, an along bout wen it was gettln
dark already, heerd the little gal say:
Papa! Where is papa?"
cabin, an there she war at the cabin ladder
Jes' as she started fur the Admiral the ship
gave one big long lurch, an the green seas
rolled aft like fash of lightnin'."
81 heerd one little scream an seem like
can sorter remember q white face as the
water rolled past, an then it was over. The
little gal was gone. An the Admiral? 1t
beats me to see woman cry, but l never
want to see such agony again. He was crazy,
an if me an Tom Bowen an old Ben Towns
hadn'er grabbed i'm the Marion wouldn't
er had no Admiral sure. 1t was so quick.
'"Little Peru? There was an old cracked
life preserver strapped there to the mlzzen
mast wat I'd use for pillow ever since we
left Frisco. And before you could wink the
life preserver was gone and Peru was
gone. Right overheard an the waves like
the hills. l jes shuddered all over.
The ship was put aback and the llfeboat
lowered an manned. They knew that little
Essie was gone, an Peru was gone, an not a
man finched as she dropped into the foam.
81 watched the brave fellows as they pushed
of, an felt mighty solemn, boys, for they
don't git back often in a storm like that. In
little while they was lost in the dark, an
|; you couldn't hear them hail any longer.
at was awful We must have been half q
knot from where the little gal went over, an
driftin' in spite of all We could do. Them
minutes was mighty long ones, an l jest
knowed if that crew ever got back they
wouldn't bring neither Essie nor Peru, an II
would kill the Admiral. There he was with
his glasses peeking into the dark, an the
, lads watchin' an hopin.
Sudden like he threw down The glass ano
yelled:
"'Boat ahoyl'
81 thought the brave Admiral had just gon
crazy from grief an anxiousness, but listened
| an it seemed like | heerd the hail returned
It was faint an mist like, jes as they say thu
> Flying Dutchman halls you at night.
''The old Admiral clasped his Eauds an
said:
'.sThank Godl Thank God?'
"Then he put his hands to his mouth, an
yelled again:
, "Boat, ahoyp
can the answer came back faint:
l "Aye-aye-sir?'
, "And the Admiral cried an laughed, an
laughed an cried till the tears came into m.
= eyes.
pick up baby even if she could livet
D through it all, an ptied the Admiral, fu
| the disappointment would kill i'm. He neve
seemed to imagine that the little gal nigh
: not be there.
"The water was calmin' down, an tn
: wind, too, an the halls kept gettin' cleare
an clearer, till presently you could make on
> a boat pullin' for the ship. An wen We wa
r erbout a decks length off, the eoxwail
g dropped his oar an got up in the boat an
said:
: "Admiral, we've got the little gal, sir!
"And every soul on that ship cheered. !
came natural an altogether. They didn'
: need no Teller to start em over together b.
wavin' his capt jist come at once like, an
i such glad hearty cheers as l never heard tn
y like of. They tsrowed 'em rope, an the
eased up alongside an hooked on. The oil
q Admiral was there cryin' an a laughin
q and as the boat was hoisted they handle
:, him the gal The Admiral just got on hi
knees an folded her clost an kissed her agai
r an again. Let me tell you right now, lads
4 there wasn't dry eyein that ships crew.
o 'Boys, the little gal was wearin' that oil
y life preserver | was holdin the lantern, al
: maybe my hand was trembin' or mayh
e nv eve was dim, for it seemed to be sorte
g wavy like to me.
'She was leann' her head on his shoulder
an he was holdin' her hand in his. i don
|. think the Admiral could have notice
J, the life preserver TIL she tried to unlace i
" The Admiral unlaced it for her, an it SCENE
, like he was puzzlin' hard as he did SO.
"As he dropped it on the deck she said:
q '"The old Admiral didn't say nothin.
n "sWhen is Peru comm back, papaT
"The Admiral bowed his head like he we