The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-10-04

Orcnk every bone IN your BODY. Did
| you come aboard TO play young gentle
manl"
That was the beginning. had been
shipped, not as cabin boy. for there
was no place for one, but as n ships
dog, g boy who must come and go at every
body's call, and VINO could be kicked
and cuiIcd by everybody. According
to the novelist, / should have found n
stanch friend in the fo'castle. n Jack
Eolt or Ben Brace, who would take me
-nder his wing and offer to fight the
! whole ship iu my behalf, but nothing of
the kind happened. Most Of the crew
were Dagocs. and no one showed me the
slightest pity. When we had been out
four days | began to feel very anxious
about the safety of the ship. The plan
was, as | overheard it, to take to the
boats, aud it suddenly occurred to me
that they would refuse to take me with
them. | suppose | got this idea from
the men telling me that | was no good,
and that ! ought to be flung overheard,
and other expressions intended to upset
me. You Gun Judge how green | was
by what followed. I was in McCoy's
watch, and on the night of the fourth
day, us he seemed TO soften up bit
when giving me an order, made bold
to say:
Mr.. Mccoy. when you get ready to
have the ship go down, you won't leave
me to drown, will youl'
"W-whatl" he gasped, as he stag
ge"cd back like one shot
In ten minutes he had it all out Of me,
and he stood before me palc.faced aud
trembling. When he had made sure
that had not said anything to any of
the crew, he took M aft and locked me
up in a statcroOm designed for the super
cargo. Next morning | was taken to
the cabin and questioned by the Cap
tain and mltc and returned to my prison.
They were not harsh with mc. but on
the contrary. promised tuat should go
in the Captains owa boat, and that
need not work any more. ] was made
cabin boy, and was warned. that if |
dropped one single word to any person
should he flung to the sharks at once
They could trust me. simple Simon
that | was, cared only to save myself
when the hour came. ! could not real.
izc that the scuttlng of a ship was any.
thing more than sharp trick. For all
| knew, it was practised every day in
the year.
One day when we hud been out about
two weeks, as near rs | can remember, |
was sent TO help the second mate look
for something wanted from the lazarette.
Iii, name was Eldcrson. and he was the
only one aboard who had friendly look.
lie had spoken to me kindly two or
three times, and felt that he was "a
friend. We were scarcely alone when
he took from his pocket II box of sulphur
matche iishlinc and several hooks,
and large pocket knife. lie handed
them to me and said:
"Ben. take these and stow them away
in your pocket, and on your life say
nothing to any one! BE sure to keep
them about you
lie turned from me as il he did not
want to be questioned, and l pocketed
the articles without u word. | was in u
state of wonder, hewever, and nothing
was made plain until the next day. At
10 o'clock in the forenoon the ship was
hove to about mile from small .jgland,
boat ordered lowered, and then all
hands were called aft. When they had
ssemJled the Chaplain said:
"Men, discovered two days ago tha,
this boy was II lcper. He has got it bad,
and is to be pitied. My duty in the
case is plain. lie must he marooned. VI
aye, aye, sir" chorused the crew.
81 shall fit him out and set him ashore
here" he continued, "and you are my
witnesses that it is Il step necessary foi
the safety of all"
There was ready assent, and before
1 fully understood what was going on
1 was in the boat with Mccoy and being
pulled toward the island by two sailors.
Even when | knew that ! was to be left
| did not raise an objection. supposed
the island to be inhabited, perhaps there
was city there, and | was not sorry foi
T. the change. We ran in so close that
could wade ashore, and the mate handod
r ne several bundles which the men sup
posed contained food, clothing and con
vicnCcs. As soon rs | had everythI" 9
ont of the boat the three gave me cur
good by, and sat down on the sand and
watched them return. The bort wa
hoistcd up, the Albatross made sail, anC
l was mlrooned upon an uninhabited
island This fact was not fully rcali, cd
y until toward Nght and | was so smpl,
| that it was several hours before / haC
e figured it out why had been set ashore
a | was in pos, cssion of the plot to scuttlC
= AhS SUI iU' anu llll't Dt SOl liu VI. liz
J captain had called me leper to Justify
his action with the crew, and it wa
a planned that | should not live long
: ashore. When came to undo the bun
1 dies | found them to be composed o
empty bottles, oakum and bits of can
c vass. There was not Il particle of foot
l not an article of clothing nothing
I but rubbish. 1t was then realized tn,
C kindness of the second mate. lie mus
T, have overheard them plotting to maroon
, me, and he went as far as it was safe 70
o him TO 90.
When, at about noon, / rose up an,
o understood my position, ! felt that tn
a first thing to do was to explore my island
, lam writing of the year 1852. At tina
o time many Of the islands in the Carib
!. hean Sea had not been charted o
c named. | was, rs | afterward ascer
a tanned, on a key or isle to the north o
Trinidad, and up to twelve years ago
J. was down on the charts rs Little Coco.
1t was about three miles long by on
o and half wide, aud fairly wooded
g There were various birds, troops @
4