Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-04-11
A Ten-Year-Old Named Peru.

!
was ten-year-old named Peru"
"Named what?"
The old tar deliberately knocked
the ashes from his clay pipe, and, hav-
ing performed that maneuver with the
calmness and dignity becoming a
boatswain's mate, he glanced coolly at
his interrogation.
Named Peru"
"How came i'm name Peru ?"
"Well, boys, it's like this: 1t was
back in 'S9, and down yere on the
south Pacific with the flagship Mar
ion. l was the spryest man in the
gigs crew in them days, and pulled
for old Admiral Lane. Well, one
evening in April the admiral wanted
to go ashore, and they sung out for
the gigs crew, and in shake or so
we were alongside the quay in Callao
The boats crew were left In the gig,
and, I'll boun' they was all snoozin
when the old admiral stepped in and
piped sorter quick like.
Cast Off there, boys, and pull for
the ship
"And there he was with the tiller
ropes in his hands, with q basket Of
bottles handy, and crouched down be-
tween his feet like scared hound was
one er the cutest chips of er lubber
you ever lay eyes on.
IL heard the admiral say presently:
Whats your name, nigger?' and
the little shaver piped back, sorter
trembling:
"'Peru, senor.'
After that he was Peru.
"Them wasn't the days when a lub-
ber could boast about like he owned
the ship, nor yit the time when cow.
ard folks was in demand, but some
how or other they all liked the little
shaver. He would tremble if the
wind blowed, but he was SO humble
like and handy that they all had
kind word for Peru. The admiral
had little gal along with him, an
orphan, and she was mighty pretty
one. Maybe the admiral didn't love
that little gal O. his'n. Bless my soul
they warn't anything good enough
for her, and if anybody besides the
admiral knowed it, that feller was lit
tie Peru. When skies was good that
little gal would come on deck, and
little Peru was as happy as king,
and the old admiral would Just smoke
his big pipe and pace the quarter
deck and look as if he didn't care
it rained or showed. You
never seed a prettier picture in the
book than them little shaw
srs made way back in '39.
"Well, one night the storm came
IN sudden like, an you can shiver my
Yankee timbers, if it warn't storm.
Royal and to'gallants was down, and
.opsails to the las reef, but the old
hip pitched and rolled an heaved
ike you never seed. / lowed as how
ne an Davy Jones would be ship
mates if that thing didn't stop before
ong, with the masts swinging and
,rackin'. The water rolled over her
lows and swept the decks clean as a
shistle-chicken coops, kegs, spars
md all. There was the old admiral
With his arms wrapped in the rigging
,ear an sheltered like by the mast,
n Peru with his big eyes shinin' an
tickin' like leech alongside the ad-
niral. 1t was wuss an wuss, aud
ong bout four bells, when it was get
in dark already, heard the little
al say:
Papa? Where is papa?'
"She must er got scared down in ,
he cabin, an there she war at the
abin ladder. Just as she started fur
he admiral the ship give one big long
lrch, an the green seas rolled aft
Ike er flash er lightning.
81 heard one little scream, an seem
Ike | can sorter member white face ,
the water rolled past, an then it
'as over The little gal was gone.
IN the admiral ? 1t beats me to ,
ear woman cry, but l never want
see such agony again. He was ,
razy, an if me an Tom Bowen and
Id Ben Towns hadn't er grabbed i'm =
ne Marion wouldn't er had no admir-
!, sure. 1t was so quick.
Little Peru? There was one old 7
racked life preserver strapped there
the mizzenmast what l used for a
lllow ever since we left Frisco. An
ore you could wink the life preserver
as gone and Peru was gone. Right =
verboard and the waves like the hills.
jes shuddered all over. I"
"The ship was put aback and the
feboat lowered an manned. They q
new that little Essie was gone, and :
cru was gone, an not a man flinched
she dropped into the foam.