The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-05-16

Gne snip was moving down great river,
and the sun was setting directly upon
the path over which she had come. The
thousand hues of the sky were reflected
in the water, and the level rays glanced
redly from the vessels wake as if she
sailed over sea of blood. Sho Mai
was enchanted by the picture and she
feasted her eyes upon it as she passed
aft to where the captain stood. He was
a tall, squarely-built man with face in
which stormy sort of boldness was the
leading characteristic.
"Well, young man." said he, "you are
aboard my ship, as you perceive. Now
the question is how long shall you re-
main aboard her"
81 beg Of you do not set me on shore, {"
said Sho Mai, earnestly. ~ was wish
ing with all my heart that you would
take me with you when your men
brought me on board. 1 want to go
with you to the end Of your voyage
wherever it may lead, and will work
hard to pay for my passage"
A look Of wonder overspread the
captains face and then he burst into a
loud laugh.
"Well, of all things that are extraor-
dinary!" he exclaimed. 81 thought to
see you weeping and begging me to take
you back to your loving parents, and
instead of that you are as satisfied
as if in your fathers house; and as
cool, too" and he fell to laughing
again. Then he turned to man by
his side who seemed to be an officer.
"What do you say? Shall we take the
boy with us?''
"Why not?" replied the officer. "He
is plucky fellow, and he can do no
harm here. don't begrudge him his
rice, so let's keep him aboard the junk
instead of sending him to feed the
fishes"
The thought that such fearful idea
had been in their minds sent Sho Mai's
heart into her mouth, but since she had
won the first point by courage she was
quick to see that weakness would be
fatal.
''The fish will do very we'll without
me, no doubt" she said, though her
if they don't, why, let them starve,
Lnen, or Ieeu on COWarQS.
The two men exchanged glance of
wonder and admiration, and in it Sho
Mai read the guarantee of her safety.
''Let the cook see that the young fell
low has his supper" said the captain,
''for upon the honor of my father he
deserves it,
From that day on Sho Mai was treated
with kindness by all on board. The
readiness of her wit appeared to be
source of endless delight to the bluff
captain, who spent many hours talking
with her, and would laugh immoderate-
ly at her quaint comments upon what
she saw. She was not slow to perceive
her advantage, and she studied her
words that they might fit the humor of
the man in whose hands she saw that
her fate now rested.
No work was required Of her, and she
spent all her time in listening to and
judiciously applauding the captains
wondrous stories of the sea, and in
studying the river banks as the junk
pursued her way. In particular, her
reckless disregard of the future de-
lighted the Skipper, VINO predicted for
her glorious future when she should
grow up and command vessel of her
own. In response to his questions she
teld a preposterous story of her past life,
and he seemed all the more pleased
with it because he evidently recognized
it for clever and interesting falsehood
She wondered much concerning the
nature of that cargo which the captain
had so much feared that she had seen
when the great box had fallen upon the
pier, but no word in explanation of that
occurrence could she win from any one
by such questioning as she dared to vent
ure upon.
One day the river widened before her
eyes. The banks receded till they
wholly passed from sight, and Sho Mai
knew that she was at last upon the
bosom of the ocean. They sailed north
ward before favorable winds, and under
skies cloudless by day and night. Thus
for several days, and then came an aft
ernoon when a lifeless and sullen calm
pressed heavily upon the sea. The air
grew heavy, and in it there appeared to
be strange pulsation which was not
unlike the roll of the CLASSY billows un-
der the ship. In the west the sun
dropped behind . belt of copper bordered
with lead, which rose with a slow and
terrible precision, darkening the sky
more and more. The captain and all
the sailors cast anxious looks at the
broad belt of cloud in the west, and when
the sun sank into it they lowered all the
sails but very small portion scarcely
larger than shawl.
"a great gale will soon break upon
us" said the captain. SIN all my life
upon the sea have never seen a more
threatening sky"
The cloud rose higher, and Sho Mai
watched it with curiosity, which had
much fear in it. Still, she had never
seen storm and did not know what
waves can be when they raise their
crests against vessel.
Suddenly upon the dull surface of the
cloud appeared white fieck as if
light vail, twisted and drawn out, were
flung diagonally across it. AS Sho Mai
gazed at this apparition it began to
move rapidly toward the zenith. The
great cloud sprang up higher. Under
this canopy white streak was traced
upon the water. From afar came q
whisper, then a moan, then the great
voice of the tempest crying out along
the sea: Beware! bewarew Instantly
the air was filed with fine spray which
blotted out the light; the ship reeled
under great stroke from the right arm
of the temneSt and then fed hafora tho