The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-03-10

| at Halifax; and here's her address,"
"And with that he slips his hand into
the breast of his shirt, and out with a
scrap O. paper, awful dirty, and crum-
| bled up, but with the address on it, right
enough.
1--WE all believed every word ont,
even without the paper; but his look
and his voice and the way he spoke was
enough to show that there warn't a
ha'porth O. lynn in his whole skin. But
the mate didn't seem to swaller the
yarn at all; he only shrugged his
shoulders with kind o grin, as much
as to say: I'm too old q bird to be
caught with that kind o chaff;' and
then he says to him, Look here, my
lad, that's all very fine, but it won't do
here-some of these men O mine are in
the secret, and mean to have it ont Of
EN-. Now you just point out the man
as slowed you away and fed you, this
very minute; if you don't it'll be the
worse for you"
The boy looked up in his bright,
fearless way, and says quite quietly:
I've told you the truth; amt got no
more to say
The mate says nuthin,' but looks at
him for q minute as if he'd see clean
through him, and then he faced round
to the men, lookin' blacker than ever.
Reeve a rope to the Yardn he sings
out, loud enough to raise the dead;
smart now
Now. nay lad. says the mate, in
hard, square kind O. voice that made
every word seem like fttin' stone into
a wall. you sec that ere rope? Well,
I'll give you ten minutes to confess Che
took out his watch and held it in his
HANDY and if you don't tell the truth
afore the times up, I'll hang you like
a dogr
1.-The crew all stared at one another
as if they couldn't believe their ears
Il didn't believe mine, l can tell ye),
and then low growl went among EN-,
like a wild beast awallin' out of nap.
"'Silence there! shouts the mate in
n voice like the roar of nor caster.
Stand by to run for ard!' and with
his own hands he put the moose about
the boys neck. The little fellow never
flinched q bit, but there were some
among the sailors, dig, strong chaps,
as could ha' felled OK as shook like
leaves in the wind. AS for me, be-
thought myself o my little curly
Ioi, lo1 of hno,o nj lo,ry - 1,,1
if any one was to go for to hang him,
and at the very thought on t tingled
all over, and my fingers clinched them
selves as if they was agrippin' some
body's throat. l clutched hold O
handspille and held it behind my back
all ready.
"'Tom.' whispers the chief engineer
to me, dye think he really means to
do it?"
az don't know says l, through my
teeth; but if he does he shall go first,
if | have to swing for itr
Eight minutesn says the mate, his
great, deep voice breakin' in upon the
silence like the toll of a funeral bell.
II ypu hS SOC 'th llllHS W COHlcSS, my
lad, you'd best out with it. for yer
times nearly up
I've told you the truth answers
the boy, very pale, but as firm as ever.
May | say my prayers please"
THE mate nodded; and down goes
the poor little chap on his knees with
that internal rope about his neck all
the time). and puts up his poor little
hands to pray. [ couldn't make out
what he said Cfact, my head was in
stitch q whirl that / hardly ha' knowed
my own name). but I'll be bound God
heardit, every word. Then he ups on
his feet again and puts his hands be-
hind him and says to the mate, quite
quietly, I'm ready!
''And then, sir, the mates hard, grim
face broke up all at once, like I've seed
the ice on the Baltic. He snatched up
the boy in his arms and kissed him, and
bust out a-cryin' like child; and |
think there warn't one of US as didn't
do the same. know did for one.
"'God bless you, my boy? says he,
smoothin' the child's hair with his
great, hard hand You're true
Englishman, every inch of you; you
wouldn't tell lie to save your life!
Well, if so be as yer fathers cast ye
off, I'll be yer father from this day forth;
and if ! ever forget you, then may God
forget mel
"And he KEEP his word, too. When
we got to Halifax he found out the little
un'S aunt and gave her lump o. money
to make him comfortable, and now he
goes to see the youngster every voyage
as reg lar as can be, and to see the pair
on 'em togethcr-7-the little chap so fond
o him, and not bearin' him a bit O
grudge its bout as pretty a sight as
ever l seed. And now, sir, akin yer
parding, it's time for me to be goin'
below; so I'll just wish yer good ght.'"
M Y. EUeaing World.
!
Origin of the Spider.
Arachne was a maiden who had at