Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-06-27


curiously enough. Pepper and Pepper,
as far as such things are possible on
shiphoard, were inseparable. They
slept in one of the double berths, were
always the first In the rigging, and side
by side on the footropes in shortening
sail; or, in heavy weather, IL Pepper
was steering and another hand was
wanted, Pepper was generally sent to
the lee wheel.
What the poor, half clad fellows for
ard must have suffered on that passage,
when we of the afterguard, with an
abundance of warm clothing, could not
begin to keep comfortable, can hardly
be put into words
Doctor Maddox, Mr.. Andrews and
myself sent every rag we could spare
TO the forecastle, but many a night /
have seen Smith, who was worse off
than any of the rest, standing at the
wheel In a piercing nor'wester in his
water-soaked suit of broadcioth, the
long, double-breasted frock coat but
toned tightly about him, its folds
actually frozen stiff, while the crown
OF his tall hat, from which the brim
had long since departed, was pulled
downed over his ears like an extin-
guisher.
Like most winter passages, gale sue
ceeded gale, with Sleet and snow, iced
up rigging, stlffened sails and slippery
Z deck-load, forming a combination of
misery in the shape of hardship and
suffering which the mind of tie ordi-
nary landsman can conceive.
Ii WAS not until two or three days
before sighting Cape Clear that the
weather moderated to a marked de-
gree, and even then We could carry
nothing above topsails-
Pepper and Pepper had not spoken
| together for some days. The men
had heard them quarreling together IN
an undertone while lying in their berth
in the watch below, and a moment or
two later Pepper WAS pitched uncere-
moniOusly to the floor, his head strik-
! Ing the corner of a sea-chest in the
| fall, making An ugly cut on the fore
/ head.
At the sight OF the blood, Peppers
anger cooled in moment, and IN
every way possible he tried to atone for
his sudden ebullition of passion, but
without avail.
Pepper sullenly refused every at
/ tempt at reconciliation, selected an
other berth, and in various ways made
It PLAIN that his fOrmsT friendship had
changed to enmIty.
As Is customary on shipboard, in reef
| ing or slowing the heavy mainsail or
| foreSail, the strongest and most active
men are stationed IN the quarter of the
yard on either side of the second mate,
who Is in the sings of the yard, in
order to more readily pick up the
''brunt" or heaviest part of the sail.
We had hauled the bark's head up
u - 1T
sight on the following day, when the
wind suddenly shifted 10 the eastward,
and began TO blow rs only il can IN the
chops of the channel
Wen, we could do nothing but lay
to till the gale abated or the wind
changed; so another shortening sail
Job was in order. The courses were
hauled up, mainsaIl slowed, and all
hands were on the fOreyard battling
with the Stating foresail, which was as
stiff with ice as bit OF half-inch
board.
Pepper was next TO Mr.. Andrews
and Pepper was beside him. After
nearly half an hours hard fighting, the
icy canvas was secured. the "bFuut"
bundled up, and Pepper, standing on
one arm OF the yard-truss, with his
knees pressed against the sail, was
hauling the gasket tight with both
hands, when it suddenly parted, and
he fell backward TO the deck below,
striking in such way that his neck
WAS broken instantly
The body was carried into the car
penter's shop and laid on the floor, and
by midnight the bark, under lower top
sails and fore-staysail, was hove to in
as ugly a sea as can be imagined.
al ~ oh
on the point of kicking off my boots
and laying down on the cabin lounge
/ for an hours dozs, when some one
/ tapped at the outer door.
Come IMP 1 shouted, Grossly.
And in obedience to the summons,
Jerry Pepper entered, his one available
/ eye steadfastly refusing to meet my
own.
swell, what IS 1t, Jerry?" l asked,
impatiently, as he stood twisting his
/ soaked sou'wester hat between his fin
/ gers, his gaze directed on the door.
''Cap'n," said he, in a dull, monoto-
nous voice, occasionally moistening his
dry lips with his tongue In a furtIve
way. Jim Pepper, what met with the
accident, was a chum o. mine this last
/ three year. \ couple % days or so
ago, we had some words. 1 don't
mind tellIn' you it began about a girl
down to Nassau that We both took a
IIkin' to. But that amt neither here
nor there. I'D give the whole world,
if had 1t, to bring Jim to life ag'in,
and have him say he forgive me"
Here Jerry stopped, with a face as
pale as ashes. and gave quick, nerv-
| Gus glance over his shoulder Then
drawing a long breath, he bent his
eyes on the floor, and went on:
| Maybe 1t sounds kind % fool talk,
/ but I'd like for to do what little there
is left to do for Jim rather'n any of
| the others should. He was like own
! brother to me, sir''-and Jerry's voice
was hard and husky-''and I'd take il
as big favor If you'd gimme the can
vas and lemme me sew poor Jim up
ready for launchin' overheard TO NOR
| rer.n
Well, there was no particular reason
| why | should refuse the request The
mate and myself had seen at glanc,
that the sailors neck was broken, and
death had ensued simultaneously; and
as some one had to perform the last
services, it might as well be Jerry as
any other of the sailors.
So, calling Mr. Andrews, l told him
to hunt out sufficient sail-cloth ant
give it to Pepper, who, after receiving
il. took his palm. needle, twIne ant
lantern into the carpenters shop, pulled
to the door, and began his unpleasant
duty.
Toward daybreak the gale abated
and the wind backed into the NORTH
and west again
at eight bells We rugged the grating
and committed Peppers body to the
deep in the usual manner. -.
But IN his hurry or agitation III:
shipInate had mIscalculated the weigh
of the old iron at his feet, an 4, TO onl
horror; the shroudsd form, after slnA
ing short distance, reappeared, stAnu'
ing perfectly erect IN the water.
A sort of eddy current, caused by TN
oark's lee drift, drew it near the YES
sells side, and as it rose slowly TO th'
summit of n cresting wave. seeming
almost to look down on our deck