Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-01

determined TO run away at the first oppor-
tunitv. 1 soon found that the steward was
similarly disposed, and one dark night as
the vessel was within what we considered
about a mile of the rocks, we quietly
dropped over the bow and swan for the
beach. The steward had tied an oilskin
bag about his neck and filled it with our
little trinkets with which we hoped to bribe
someone to hide us. may as we'll confess
that the bag was one of the legs of my oil
skin breeches.
Everything promised success, but some
how the shore seemed to retreat as fast as
we advanced, and, as nv companion found
himself unable to unite the knot with
which he had fastened his precious bag to
his neck, he became exhausted and began
to shout Justify for help. l was determined
10 escape, so 1 struck out vigorously and
soon left him far behind. 1 swan until I
became thoroughly chilled and my limbs
moved painfully, for it was November and
The water was chilly, even in that latitude.
Finally 1 divested myself, piece by piece,
of nv clothing. Then 1 began to despair,
and strange ringing noises sounded in my
ears and all my past life seemed to pass
before me like a panorama. / indistinctly
heard some one shouting, and then / lost
consciousness.
When / opened nv ewes next was lying
in the bottom OF a boat, the seas breaking
over me often, half frozen, half drowned
and hardly able to realize what had hap
pened / found the ships crew had heard
the stewards cry and lowered boat, picked
him up, found out who was his companion,
and started after me. A stray moonbeam
struggled out from behind the clouds, and
the keen-eved boat steerer had caught a
oF haa I 10 he
meath the waves, and had plunged into the
water and caught me by the hair.
When we reached the ship the mate gave
US dry clothes, as our own were already ap-
proprIated by our shipnlates, although 1
afterward recovered most of mine.
Next day the Captain came on board, and
we were placed in irons. The steward was
put in the empty potato locker, while the
captain turned to me and shouted:
"You long ghost, take your bed and get
down into the blubber tub under the main
hatch.
And 1 did. 1 STAYED there till We were
out to sea again. 1 was supposed to be liv-
ing on hard tack and water, but as the steer
age bov climbed over the casks and kept me
supplied with fruit, L had no fault to find
and considered got off easily.
About this time there was an awful row
over the food every day in the forecastle,
and one of the crew named Henry and my.
self took advantage of it to play practical
Joke on the cook, who was a green Portu.
guese we had shipped at Fayal in place of q
oeserter.
There was a big, clumsy Dutchman
among the crew, and we told him the best
way to fix the cook was to wait until the
following morning, when all went in line to
the little square window in the cooks house
where each man presented his pan and re.
ceived his "whack, or allowance, of hard
tack, soaked in salt water, mixed with lit.
tie grease and warmed up, which goes BY
the euphonious title of ''lob scouse." Il
was arranged that when Hans presented hi.
pan and received his allowance he should
throw the contents in the cooks face.
''By dunder, L does it," said Hans
.ou,ly.
Later in the day the idea possessed me
that the joke might be improved upon, so
quietly informed the cook of Hans friendly
intentions, and the next morning the finale
came.
Hans arrived in his turn at the window,
received his "scouse,' and attempted tc
ornament the cooks head with the same
when TO his surprise the cook rushed out Of
the galley with huge CLUB and dealt him
such blow over the head that he fell on
deck, whereupon the cook would certainly