The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1892-06-02

turn lost his balance, and the two
rolled down to leeward and brought up
in heap amid coil of ropes,
Furious with modification and rage
the mate picked himself up; and Civ
ing Bill kick, roared: $50 on deck,
| you lubber!''
Bill did not wait another biddinp
| but crawled up the hatchway white as
sheet and shaking all over. The first
person he met there was Capt. Drew,
who was waiting to get sight of the
sun for the midday observation
Capt. Drew saw at glance that the
boy was runaway. whats your
name? Who are you, anyway" he
asked, in a voice the reverse of pleas
ant.
"siy names William Blake. l ran
away from home, sir, because my STEP
father was always a-licking of me-"
| well, you've came to the wrong
place to better yourself, I'll tell you
thatl I've a good mind to chuck you
overheard, you young scapegrace.
What business have you got to come
aboard this ship and take the bread out
of our mouths, bound as we are on a
v'yge round the Horn?"
''Mr JONES'" added the captain,
turning to the mate, "tr;ce him up and
give the youngster dose of the rope s
end to give him an appetite. Then
royal Wen teach him to play such
tricks again aboard ship"
Capt. Drew was bully on his
quarter deck, like too many who have
command at sea, But he also had a
T soft place in his heart, being no worse
than other men in that position. Mrs.
Drew and her little girl had watched
this brutal scene with keen interest.
Perhaps they remembered little
Tommy, who had passed away from
their side. a year before. Little Grace
stepped up to her father and, pulling
his coat, whispered: please, let the
poor boy have some breakfast, papa.
He looks so sick and hungry, and
mother says she don't believe he meant
any harm
Capt. Drew exclaimed: "Go away,
} my child; you and your mother
. shouldn't meddle in ship affairs" then
half ashamed of his unmanly conduct
he took the child's plump little hand
! and, turning to Bill, said: $50 forward
/ to the galley and tell the cook to give
you some grub. You deserve sound
thrashing; but if you'll do your duty
; around here I'll let you off this time
But no snirking, mind, or you'll fare
worse next time"
! AS he turned to go aft the captain
, met his wife's gaze: there was CRATE
: ful look in her face, as if to say
: THANK you for remembering that yor
| are man and father, and not {
coarse bully"
t "Pshaw! muttered he, whats the
= use of trying to keep up discipline on +;
: ship when there are women on board.
. Then he gave the pet dog an impatien
{ shove with his foot and proceeded t.
: scan the horizon through his sextant
Capt. Drew had a good deal of human
l nature in his makeup.
: Bill soon found that getting a star
3 in the forecastle was rather worse thar
being thrashed b. his stepfather. HI
=, had to stand lots of rough chaff, hazin2
4 and horseplay from the rough men wh'
/ when they saw him manfully take holt
1 with will and intelligence, ever th'
0 first to spring into the rigging and rec
4 and furl with the best of them; for h
e was large of his age and full of pluck
Thus matters passed on without un
: usual incident until the ship got off tn
: pitch of Cape Horn. 1t was mast,
! weather, thick. and puffy, and abou
the gray of morning, when the lool1ou
: suddenly and fiercely shouted: ''Sai
no, right aboard of us on the lee bow!
l All hands sprang on deck, to see
large ship plunging for them on tn
starboard tack. The Golden Fleece
was headed at once into the wind, bu
it was too late, for she was struck jus
aft of the forerigging, the sharp irol
stem of the other vessel, which provet
to be an English clipper, cutting int
her side like a knife going throug1
cheese The Golden Fleece .imme
diately began to sink. The two vessel
remained locked together moment
but when the stranger backed off tn
"Golden Fleece went down with
sudden lurch.
In that brief interval her crey
swarmed pellmell over the stranger
bowsprit, leaving Capt. Drew alone t
| look after his wife and child. II
could not possibly have saved both
at that awful moment aid had no
come from an unexpected quarter
Bill rushed to the aft cabin. regardless
of his own life, and snatched up littl
Grace.
Look out for the lady, sir" he erie
to the captain, land I'll take care O
1 the child"
a Then holding Grace on his left arr
while she clasped her tiny hand
q around his neck, he sprapg up th
shrouds of the sinking ship and clam
/ bered over the bowsprit of the othe
E vessel, followed by Capt. Drew carry
D ing his fainting wife.
/ The next moment nothing was ~ b
/ seen of the Golden Fleece" but he
vanishing mastheads as she disaT
r peared under the seas that foamed owe
: her grave.
After, 6ndinp that his own sh in ha