Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-18
CHAPTER Ill.

|
next morning she was showing within an easy
| pull and we then saw that she was a wreck all
| three masts gone and her thick shrouds trail
ing over the side, as though her hold was full of
serpents crawling away from her. As We
passed under her stern We read the name,
Grace Tucker, Boston She sat high upon
\ the water and seemed new ship; anyway, her
copper was new, and the vet flash OF it 10 the
| sun might have been seen for miles.
| I'VE sprang aboard, all mad for water and
| then for food. Figure our jov when tell you
we found a scuttle-butt full Of cold water,
with dpper ready at hand to drink from.
There was dead man lying in the galley; he
was half-caste, and the atmosphere was so
bad with him that two Of us tumbled him over
| the side without ado. Aft was q long deck
house; entered il to rummage for food, and
| the first thing saw was the body of q man
lying upon the deck stone dead, with live dog
| sitting alongside of him. When the dog saw
| me he crawled like dying creature on to the
mans breast and feebly showed his teeth. He
was something after the breed Of a water
| spaniel but his eyes were red, and seemed on
| fire, and felt scared somehow on seeing him
alive and though l saw how weak he was,
bad no heart to push past him lest he should
fly at me.
II called through the door to ono of nv
mates. Jackson! Jacksonn meaning that be-
tween us We should secure the dog. but had
| no sooner uttered the word jackson than the
| dog crept off the dead mans BOSOM and
\
| falls licking my shoe.
Why, Jackson, poor chap says I, patting
| him, on which he utters sort of howl and
looks up at me with his two fiery rcd eyes with
such an expression in his face that you'd have
| sworn he felt as IL ii would have done him good
to cry. There was an empty pannikin along
side one of the dead mans hands. l fetched
| some water and gave it to the dog, who drank
/ it to tho last drain, and on my saying Poor
Jackson. and pattng him again, he howed as
/ M 0h flnrn D - L.
! name to break his heart. You may hear some
| dogs howl as no did when a street organ begins
| left him to rummage for victuals, and in
| locker found some cold salt beef and tin of
white biscuit. On this l called to my mates,
| and they all came in and we fell to. The dog
| had got again on to the dead mans breast
| and wouldn't stir though / threw him piece
OF biscuit and then bit of meat The water
| had strengthened him, and he was shifting
| about as though uneasy In his mind, OCCASION
| ally uttering a low growl and cycling us
| steadily.
Likely as not we may have to stay here, >
says man named William, and il so that there
poor chap'll have to come out of it,
| Better tarn to- exclaimed another; it's
bad enough to be cast away after this here pat
tern. I'm for fresh air, shipwreck or no ship
| wreck.
"But on our approaching the body the dog
snarled and showed his teeth, and cut such
capers on the corpse's chest that we all
1
| him. At last l says, Poor Jackson! Come
| along. old Jackson. Poor old jackson batting
my leg, on which he drew up to me, and whilst
| patted him and called him jackson, he mean
with his tongue out as If his heart was ready to
burst, the others sneaked the body off.
| Il thought to see Jackson bolt out of the
cabin when he found the body WAS gone in
stead OF which, after a look around, he uttered
| long howl, then came to my feet again and
ate the biscuit and the piece Of meat out of INV
| hand.
| 1--WE were nearly q week aboard that vessel
| before VIC were taken off. Luckily, there was
| plenty to eat and drink in her, but she was
draining in water and needed constant pump
| ing. and we feared for oar lives should heavy
weather set in. That model you see there at
J the foot OF the obelisk is true copy of her.
believe she had been struck by lightning.
| One OF us, a man named Parsons, said that ne
guessed by the look of the corpses that they
| had been smote blind and had died of their
| blindness. But derelict is nearly always a
| mystery when there's nobody left alive to tell
| the story. As much mystery was it, too, why
that there dog should have answered to the
namc Of Jackson. Maybe his master was so
called. BE this as it will, you had only to call
him jackson TO bring hina TO your feet and con-
vert him into the losingest beast that ever
| wagged a tail
during the week we were aboard the wreck
| that dog never lost sight of me- He followed
at my heels like my own shadow lay down with
me, watched me as il he was human with a
powerful intelligence working out imaginations
In him. He was the first to sight the ship that
took us oil. was lying asleep on the cuddy
deck and he awoke me by licking my face.
| was vexed to be disturbed and told him to get
away. and turned over for another nap. On
| this he Hicks my face again and barked.
| Blast that dawg" says William, and he sits
up to chuck boot at the poor beast.
| Hold your hand says Now, Jackson,
! what is it? says l.
He barked again and walked to the deck
house door, looking behind him, and on my
following the first thing saw was large brig
| within half mile of us.
| We'll, to cut this. we we're taken off, and
| took good care to carry Jack son along with me,
! for by this time the love between us was some
| thing beautiful Throughout the passage home
| he lag In the ciews Of my hammock at night
and by day followed me about the deck, and,
laugh as you may sir, tell you I've seen tears
Of Joy gush into his rcd eyes when I've allowed
him to jump upon my knees and lie there and
| lick my hand. The master OF the brig wanted to
buy him from me. but said no, not for ten
times his weight in gold. IN pawn the shir,
off my back to repay you for your kindness,
| sir, says I, but Jackson and me are friends
| that must not part if we can help it,
| However. couldn't take him to sea with
me every voyage, and when got home gave
him to my sister to take charge of. ! wen,
| chiefly on coasting trips and was absent for
| sister when was ashore, never did mortal man
| from the most loving OF wives or mothers from
| the most affectionate Of fathers or brothers
! receive such welcome home as l did from
Jackson. His Joy was almost terrifying. II
came to this, that when the neighbors heard
was to return they'd assemble in body in the
door to witness Jackson's delight You would
| have thought he spring through the very roof
| When bis demonstrations were over he'd ei
| and grunt, with his eyes fixed upon me Of
though he were talking. He was the only dog
! ever met that seemed to know his bark didn
convey all that was in his mind / can assure
you II used to affect me to see him trying t.
give expression to his thoughts by utterine
sounds and mancuvering with his ears.
believe that dead sailors soul had passed into
that there dog. Hal but do, then! Never dc
| the like OF SO much intelligence walk on fouI
legs afore.
There came time when shipped as Sec
ond mate and carpenter aboard coalmar
bound to French port This gave me
chance to carry Jackson along with me, the
skipper not objecting. had now had the dos
about three and a half years-perhaps four
| he was still an active, beautiful dog, with a
lovely brown coat of hair, fine as silk and eye,
AS expressive AZ pretty girls. II came on to
blow after we had left port few hours, ant
| the weather turned thick az mud in a wine
glass. We got the vessel under easy sail; tn,
wind was a little abaft the beam. and we were
ploughing through 1t, reckoning OH 40 fathoml
OF water under our keel. when shortly after 81,
bells Of the first watch the vessel took the
ground off the Norfolk coast, the masts wen
over the side and she was wrecked In breath
beating hard. with the seas bursting over her
| There was o bit Of deck house aft and mos