Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-25
A SINGULAR ESCAPE.

Ny twin brother Tom and myself took to
the sea at about the same tinein 1872, al
though we did not sail In the same vessel
There is feeling among sailors that 1t is not
well for brothers to sail together. 1t is bad
sign, people say-a sign that one or the other
will die on the voyage OF course this is
mere nonsense, but then, aside from all SD
perstition, we felt that, should any misfort-
une happen to either Of US while together,
it would be a dreadful thing to the other;
and SO we thought 1t best to keep apart.
During the next three years each of US
went number Of voyages, and it happened
that we were mover once at home together In
all that time. Whenever I arrived back,
Tom would be, perhaps, in Cronstadt or
Trieste; and whenever Tom was at home !
might be doubling the Cape of Good Hope
or unloading a cargo Of -four in Rio Janeiro.
Yet we had @ great desire TO meet, for we
were Us strongly attached to each other as
brothers generally are, and l think even
more so. Mother would tell each of Us how
the other was looking, and what he had said
and done while at home-and this was all
knew Of Tom, or that Tom knew of me. She
said that he had grown, as l had, and that
he was now stout boy, whom all the people
he sailed with appeared toike. Poor mother!
suppose she was proud of us both, though
always In anxiety for us.
Finally, at nineteen, | arrived home from
the Mediterranean with q full determination
to see Tom once more before again setting
foot on a ships deck. He was in the West
Indies, and his vessel was expected back In a
month or two. Mother was greatly pleased
to think that both her boys were 60 be at
home at the same time, after SO long sepa-
ration.
The brig to which he belonged was called
the Columbia, and at last she was reported
to be down the harbor low glad 1 feltl
and saw mother wipe away tears Of joy
with the corner Of her apron.
But when the vessel came up to the wharf
l could not sec Tom anywhere about the deck
had dreadful uisgiving that something
evil had happened; and my fears were not
without reason. Two Of her crew had been
impressed on board a British man-of-war-
and one of them was Tom.
need not tell you what house was ours
1t seemed as if death itself could hardly have
been worse than what had taken place. 1t
was torture TO US night and day.
Nevertheless, after some weeks l prepared
for sea again. ] must go, of course, for it
was In the way Of my profession. | shipped,
by preference, for the island Of Barbados;
for, although reason told me how shadowy
such q hope must be, could not resist the
feeling that there it might be possible to learn
something of Tom.
Our brig, the Amelia, arrived out in due
time, and from the moment we entered the
port / was all eyes and ears. knew that
Tom had been taken on board the Poictiers,
seventy-four guns; but although there were
several men-of- war anchored In the harbor,
she was not, as learned, among them.
But one day we saw a big ship coming in.
Oh, how she doomed upl And when she
came to an anchor her yards were almost in
stantly black with men. Her sails were all
furled at one and the same time, and then she
lay swinging at her chain, although too far
OFF for us to distinguish the faces of those on
board.
Somehow had the feeling that this was
Toms ship; and sure enough, upon question
ing harbor boatInan, we were told that the
vessel was the Poictiers
1t was Sunday, SO that we had our ensign
flying, and / knew that this would attract
Toms attention provided hestill remained on
board the ship.
thought 1t likely, too, that he might rec
og1ize the Amelia, as / knew that he had
once sailed in her himself he would see the
Stars and Stripes displayed from a vessel be-
longing TO his native town, yet all the while
be helpless to escape.
] almost wished that /, too, could be with
him on board tho English ship. 1t seemed TO
me that toge- Der we should be able TO con-
cert some pan of escape, as two heads are
better than one. But l little thought how
very soon my half wish was to be fulfilled.
In short time boat put of from the
seventy-four, pulling directly for our vessel.
We well knew what that meant. His ma
jesty's ship was In want of men-and she
would have them, tool
The officer who came on board Of us said
that be was in search of English sailors, and
was happy to perceive that our captain had
at least two such among his crew-indicating
as he spoke one Of my shipmates and myself.
"They are Americans" said the captain,
land have projections, as all my men have.
They can produce
''Never mind the producing" was the an
swer. Here, you fellows, set up your dun
mage at once and step into that boatr" And
his armed crew drew close about US as If 10
enforce the command.
Ny shipmate was very pale, and l could
not wonder at it; but as for myself, felt
that I was more than half willing 10 go-I
did so want to see Toni
4 ring of marines, with fixed bayonetS, soon
hustled US into the boat, and In few minutes
Ne were standing on the wide, sweeping deck
of the seventy-four. What ship she was
N comparison TO the little craft we had just
leftl Beside the Amelia she was castle COM
pared with a cottage.
/ had Just time 10 observe this and to set
put from under the noses Of the officer and
his marines when stout young sailor sprang
forward and grasped my hand
"Oh, JohnI" he cried. sis IL possible that
you have got here, tool I'm sorry and glad
both at once"
No matter what ! said in reply. / had
found Tom, and even there, on the deck of
that floating prison, felt for the moment
almost happy.
In less than week tie old Poictiers took
us out to sea. We stood 10 the northward,
and the next day fell in with French pri-
vateer. The mountains on the island of
Martinique were in sight at that time, and
how Tom and / did wish for wings to fy