The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-02-08
A BRAVE COWARD.
In the Face of Danger and Death
He Proved Himself a Man.


He was the man who came last to
ship as canaan aboard the Warrior, as
she lay in the harbor. A fine two mast
ed schooner was the vessel, and Captain
Scudder was properly proud of her as
she lay alongside the wharf receiving
cargo and passengers, She was to sail
with twenty souls upon h-er-seventeen
men, two women and a lady's maid. At
the last moment the captain decided to
augment his crew by one man more.
Ere he made a move to engage one, he
heard a mans voice saying:
please tell me where the captain
tsp
He turned and faced the speaker, who
was a tall, gaunt fellow of thirty years
or thereabout, with such difidence of
manner as required some courage in
him to look the captain ~squarely in the
face, when the latter grufgy said:
Pm the captain"
The man stood still in an awkward
attitude under the captains stern gaze
as if unable to find speech before 50
fierce a glance. He dropped his dull gray
eyes to the deck and dotted his now
shapeless hat, and spoke, after a gulp,
in a low voice that slightly trembled:
IF you please, may ] work my passage
out?'
The captain was moved by this speech
to a faint facial demonstration of anuse-
ment. A pretty sailor this big. shame
faced man would makei The captain
studied the applicants appearance in de-
tail. A homely fellow he was, with an
unhealthy brown hue to his skin, a fore
head into which some lines of sorrow
had been wrought, rowing eyes that met
ones glance with a slightly startled look,
a haggard face without whiskers, a re-
ceding chin, bent shoulders and a grace
less way of wearing his faded and fray
ed attire. Red hands and long wrists
protruded from the two short sleeves of
his wornout blouse.
what do you know about sailing?"
asked the captain in a tone of ridicule.
"Not much, sir. I've worked with
fishermen, and / know a little about
handling a smack"
81 reckon we don't need you. Ever
been on a schooner before at ALL"
Gotten as a passenger, sir. / know
I'm not a seaman, but Ill do anything.
| want to get back to my people,"
"You look strong enough; but why do
you hang your head like that? One
would think you were a coward"
81 am" said the man, in a low voice.
"What! and you admit ity"
Eyes. Why not? I've fought hard
against it, but ! can't help it. / make
up my mind to be brave enough, but
when the time comes for it I'm afraid"
The captain had never met such a
character as this before, and he was in
terested. A few other loungers on the
wharf stopped to overhear the converse
ton, their attention first being attracted
by the g~reattheight Of the man.
"Afraid of WHAT" asked the captain.
81 don't know. OF death, l suppose.
This is how it is: I came from home
with a comrades. l go back alone. One
day when we were out in o little sloop a
storm came up, and in q sudden lurch of
the boat my partner was knocked over
board by the boom. IN half a minute
the boat was several fathoms away from
him. He couldn't swim"
"Why didn't you throw him a liner"
asked a b~ystander.
Because | was afraid for my own
towards lifel ! didn't dare to let go
the tiller for a moment. l stood there
stupid with fear, afraid to leave the tiller
for an instant, afraid of death. | felt
like a man paralyzed. AS the boat rose
and fell on the waves | watched my
friend struggle in the sea. l saw him
throw up his arms; ! saw his face white
with terror; l heard him cry out Save
mer and then he must have read what
was in my scared face, for he shouted
.Coward! and sent me a look Of hate as
the waters covered him up. l don't
know how made land, but | got in safe
after six hours of tossing, when the gale
fell. I'd give my life, if l only could, to
know that l wasn't q coward, but when
tho time comes to show it l haven't the
power. You don't know the shame of
it, sir, but you would if you could see
that look on my comrades face, and if
his last cry rang In your ears day and
night. Cowardice is upon me like a
curse. It's the blight of my life, SIR"
Such evident shame and grief were
upon the mans face that all who heard,
including the captain, were moved to
some pity Of his state, and SO much Curl
osity had he excited in the captains
mind that he was employed for the voy-
age.
When the Warrior hoisted sail al hour
later she had twenty-one souls aboard.
The captain classified them thus: Seven
teen men, two ladies, a maid and a COW
ard.
The Warrior had good winds at the
start of her voyage. But n night a
wind rose and at daylight there "a a
heavy gale. Whitecaps danced wildly
upon the waters of the sound. The per-
turbation Of the sea was becoming fright
full. The vessel was driving straight on
to a rocky coast. The passengers, pale
with dread of the coming catastrophe,
LL IA 1-