Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-03-22


He waved his hand, bawling: "Put your
helm down-you're forging aheadn' and so
saying dismountcd.
Immediately cast the tiller adrift, put it
hard over and secured it, then jumped on ia
the bulwarks again to watch them. She
was Yankee beyond doubt; | had rather met
my own countrymen; but, next to British,
would have chosen an American ship to meet
Somehow, despite the Frenchman, felt my
self to have boon alone throughout my adj
venture, and so sore was the effect of that
solitude upon my spirits that it seemed twenty
years since | had seen ship and since had
held communion with my own species. | was
terribly aGitated, and shook in every limb
Life must have been precious always, but
never before had il appeared so precious as
now, while | gazed at that homely ship,
with her maintopsail to the mast, swinging
stately upon the swell the faces of the sea-
men plain, the smoke of her galley fire
breaking from the chimney, the sounds of
groaning blocks and creaking parrals steal
ing from her. Such fountain OF joy broke
out of my heart that my whole being was
flooded with it, and had that mood lasted l
believe should have exposed the treasure in
the run, and invited all the men of the whaler
to share in it with me.
should be astounded by such an appearance
as my ship exhibited! One of the several
boats which hung at her davits was lowered,
the oars flashed, and presently she was near
enough to be hit with biscuit; but when
there the master, as l supposed him to be,
who was steering, sang out, "'Nast row.
ing!' the boat came to a stand, ard her peo-
pie to man stared ct me with their chins
upon their shoulders as if had been a fiend.
/ II was plain as a pikestaf that they were
frightened, and that the superstitions of the
forecastle We're hard ct work in them while
they viewed me- They looked queer COM
pany; two were negroes, the Others pale
faced, bearded man, wrapped up in clothes to
the aspect Of scarecrows. The fellow who
steerod had a face as long as wet hammock
and it was heightened yet to the eye by
beard like goats hanging at the extremity
of his chin.
He stood up-a tall, lanll figure, with legs
like a pair of compassionate hailed me
afresh; but the high swell, regular as the
swing of a pendulum, interposed its brow
between him and me, so that at one moment
he was sharply lined figure against the sky
of the horizon, and the next he and his boat
and crew were sheer gone out Of sight. and
this made an exchange of sentences slow and
troublesome.
Say, master" he sung out, "what dye
say the schooner's name isl"
1.-The Boca del Dragon replied.
"And who are you matey:"
can English sailor, who has been cast
away on an island OF icc," l answered, talk
ing very shortly, that the replies might fol-
low the questions before the swell sank him.
CAY, ay,n says he, "that's very well, but
when was you cast away, bullyF'
l gave him the date
"fhat's not month ago" cried he
cts long enough, whatever the time, VI
said l.
Here the crew fell a-talsing, turning from
one another to stare at me, and the negroes
eyes showed rs big as saucers in the dsmay
of their regard
''See here, master" sung out the long
man, 'if You han't been cast away more'n a
month, how come you clothed as men went
dressed a century sin, hcyt'
The reason Of their misgivings flashed
upon me. 1t was not so much the schooner
as my appearance, The truth vas, my
clothes having been wetted had ever since
been wearing such thick garments as I met
with in the cabin, keeping my legs warn
with jacl; boots, ard had become SO used t.
the garh that forgot had it on. You vii
/ Judge, then, that | must have presented &
figure very nicely calculated to excite til,
wonder and apprehension of a body of mor
whose superstiliOus instincts were already
sufficiently iiutterod by the appearance o.
the schooner, when tell you that, in add
ton to the jock boots and a great fur can
my costume was formed Of a red plusl
waistcoat laced with silver, purple hrcochcs
a coat of frieze with yellow braiding az,
huge cuff, and the cloak that had takcl
from the body Of Mendoa.
Captain" cried |, "il so he you are tn,
captain, in the name Of God and numani;,
come aboard, Sirm Here had 70 wait til
be rcappearol My sto"y is an extraordi
nary one. You have nothing to fear an
Il plain English sailor my ship was TN
! Laughing Mary, bound in ballast from Cal
, lao 10 the cape Here had 10 wait again
{ "Pray, sir, come aboard; there is nothing t,
! to fear am alone, in grievols distress anC
) in want of help Pray cone sr!n
There was So littic of the goblin in this az
peal that 1t resolved him. TIC crew hung II
{ the wind but he addressed them percmpto
| rlly. | heard him damn them for Il set O
ours, and tell them that if they put hin
aboard they might lie Off i'll he was read,
. to return, where they would be safe, as th
, devil could not swim; and presently the
bucllled TO their oars again, and the boa
came alongside. The long man, watchin.
, his chance, spraug with great agility in,
+ the chains and stepped on deck. ran up {,
, him and seized his hand with both mine