The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-10-16
CAPTAIN AND PILOT.

.Please, captain, win you give me
berth? I'll work my passage"
Capt. Patterson turned upon the speaker
a look of sharp impatience. He was con-
stantly being bothered with similar re-
quests, coming it may be from pumpkins
tired of the farm, or from school boys am
bitious to become gay sea rovers. and the
customary gruf refusal was on the tip of
his tongue when something in the appear
ance and expression of this applicant
caused him to hesitate.
He did not seem to be Of the usual sort.
He was q boy of about Is years of age.
frank and pleasing if not precisely hand
some of countenance; sturdy and well de-
veloped of figure, and comfortably though
plainly clad. He had, moreover, a bright
manly air that impressed the old mariner
favorably. So postponing the refusal. and
scrutiniZing the lad from head to foot, he
said somewhat CURLY:
Work your passage, en-? What do you
know about q vessel?"
"Oh, good DEAL" replied the boy, con-
fdentiy yet respectfully. 1--WE been on
board of one most all my life"
you have, indeed" returned the cap
tain IN more gracious tones Then YOU
ought to know the ropes Just jump
aboard and tell US something about your
SELF
With the ease born Of long practice the
boy swung himself on to the after deck,
and at the captains invitation took a seat
beside him on the poop. He then told his
story.
His name was Dick Hayes, and he hailed
from one of the fishing hemlets whose
white cottages dot the northern coast of
Nova Scotia. From childhood his father
had taken him with him to the fishing
grounds in his stanch pinkey, and he had
been trained to help to the best of his
ability. He had also made several trips to
the banks in larger craft. A couple of
months previously he had to remain ashore
because of an illness. The Merry Jane
went to the banks without him and never
returned. A fearful storm had beset her
Stanch and sturdy though she was she
vanished with all on board, and poor Dick
found himself an orphan (his mother hav-
ing died many years previously, and
possessed of little more than the clothes
on his back. Taking an aversion to the
occupation which had cost his father his
life, and feeling free to indulge the ambition
long cherished of seeing the world, he de-
termined to 60 on to St. John, where he
would seek employment upon one of the
large ships which carry timber over the
ocean TO Great Britain. He accordingly
had made his way across the province TO
Parrsboro, and there to his great joy found
the trim schooner Emily j., Capt. Pattcr-
son, loaded with piling, and almost ready
to start for the very place he had in view
He wound up his simple story with an
earnest request that he might be permitted
to go in the schooner.
While listening to the lid Capt Patter-
son quite changed his mind, and as soon as
he had done speaking hegave him hearty
slap on the back by way Of showing his
sympathy, and exclaimed in the kindliest
tone:
Certainly, my boy, you're right welcome
to berth and if the piling sells well ]
won't grudge you few dollars for your
help. Have you any things to bring on
boarde"
Dick blushed, and pointed to a small
bundle lying on the wharf "That is all ]
have in the world" said he simply.
$50 much the less to worry about, .
laughed the captain. Bring it aboard and
come and have bitof supper" With joy
full alacrity Dick, who had eaten nothing
since morning, followed Capt. Patterson Il
the cabin, and ate heartily of the substan
tial fare placed before him.
The following morning the schooner SCI
her sails, and with a favoring breeze glidec
out into the muddy waters of the Mina
basin. Besides the captain and himsel
Dick was surprised to find only one othe,
person aboard, to wit, the mate, grizzlet
old sailor who seemed in no hurry to b.
friendly But Capt Patterson explained
that he intended to call at Ratchford har
Dor for the two men who constituted hi
crew and who had their homes there Ii
the meantime Dick must needs do his bes
to fill the vacancy, and he soon SHOWED
himself so active and expert a sailor as t.
make the captain very glad that he hat
taken him on board.
AS they tackled toward Ratchford han
Dor there came a sudden and most unwel
come change in both wind and weather
The former swung round to the northeas
and the latter grew thick and threatening
Capt. Patterson began tofeel anxious. TIL
Emily j. was quite too large a vessel to b
handled readily by two men and u boy i
any sort of blow, and it promised to b
hard job getting her into the harbor
All through that afternoon the schoone
beat about the basin, and it was CROWN
dusk before she neared her destination
Meanwhile the wind steadily heghtene
and she became more ana more difficult t
manage. AT length matters reached
crisis when she unexpectedly iibed; til
main boom, breaking away from the gu.
swung swiftly across the after deck, al
unfortunately encouptering the mate in ii
path swept him off into the water q
though he had been fiy.
Dick was the first to see the accident
and he cried to the captain, who was stee
ing:
1.-THE mates overheard! Hard dow
with the tiller, sir. and bring her to I'll
wind quickr'
The captain instantly obcyed, and tt
sails tapped fercely as the wind went 0,
of them. Dropping the tiller the capital
sprang to the mainmast.
"Llet go the boat while down with Il
mainsail, T" he shouted TO Dick.
The boat hung on davits az the sterl
end SO promptly did Dick obey that ST
was tossing in the schooner's wake befol
the captain had the sail down.
"Well done, Dick he cried, springin
into the boat ''Now take the tiller an
keep her head in the wind till get back
Then of he rowed in search of the impc
fled mate. leaving the boy in sole char.
of the vessel
Grasping the tiller firmly Dick set hin
self to obey the captains orders, and hl
the wind continued to blow steadily fro
the same quarter ell no doubt would ha'
gone well. But hardly did the boat dan
away over the waves into the deepenin
dusk than the wind veered round as su
denly as before, the jib and foresail BELLE
out, the schooner careened before the bias
and Dick had no other alternative than