Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-07-06
THE STOWAWAYS.

> Suppose" suggested Tommy Hilton,
bright and early one Saturday morning, |
''that We 60 down to the dock on the
East river and see II we can't find some
ship that will take rs away to the other |
end of the world"
This proposition made favorable i'm
preston on Charley Wines, who was
also of an adventurous turn Of mind,
and 30 the two little boys decided to en-
bark without delay, and to take no bag
gage but dark lantern and large
package Of sandwiches and cake, which
they begged from the cook.
So early did they start that 1t was not
much after o'clock when they appeared
on the dock and looked about them for
vessel suitable for the proposed trip.
"Twish," said Tommy, "that there was
q good pirate ship in the harbor now
one of those long, low, rakish looking
craft such as we read about in The Pi-
rates Bride and which are always rae
ing up and down along the coast of China
on the lookout for rich merchantmen"
II don't believe there's a pirate ship
here, said Charley, ''but there's brig
antine that sails for Cuba today for
cargo of oranges and bananas. II we
were to ship aboard her, we'd get lots of
good things to eat and have no end Of
fun"
"Of course we would" chimed in
Tommy approvingly. II am glad to see
you coming round to my ideas. Why,
Fatty, there's not only oranges and ba-
nanas and cocoanuts down there, but
there's guava jelly and yams and sugar
cane and pineapples and an elegant
beach to go swimming on and monkeys
and parrots in the trees and everything
else till you can't rest. Now, I'll tell you
what we'n do. If we like the looks of
the captain and particularly the
mate-for he's the one, don't you know,
who is always cruel to the sailor boys in
the stories, and if we like the ship her.
self we'll just sail in her today. Maybe
we could find place In the cargo that
we could fit up for ourselves, as that boy
in the Mayne Reid story did, bring in
food enough to last through the voyage
and not show ourselves till we felt like
it."
Fatty had always had weakness for
sweet things, and the prospect Of going
to land productive Of every known
delicacy fred his imagination and drove
out from his mind for the moment all
thoughts Of the brilliant career of adj
venture that he had often planned for
himself as scout and slayer Of Indians.
Aboard the brigantine, which was called
the Mary Jane, they found themselves
in the midst of the hustle and excite
ment incident to the lading of large
cargo. The sailors were hoisting num-
Der of boxes from the dock and lowering
them into the vessels hold by means Of
an apparatus rugged to the mainmast,
while the officers Of the ship were SO
busy that they paid no attention to the
two well dressed little boys who were
roaming about the ship, now peeping
into the cooks galley and now appear
ing in the forecastle, running about the
deck and making themselves thoroughly
at home after the fashion of young Amer
ican boys generally.
It was not long before they contrived
to slip away into the vessels hold, where
the sailors were slowing away the boxes
and barrels as fast as they were lowered
from the deck. They grouped around
among the different casks and big cases
until at once they came upon an open
space between two enormous boxes,
which was just big enough to accom-
modate them both and reminded them
instantly of the place in which the stow
away in Mayne Reids romance had made
his famous voyage.
s.EurekaI" cried Fatty, who knew the
Greek alphabet and was proud of his
classical attainments, "all we have to do
now is to hide here until the ship is well
out to sea and then show ourselves on
deck.p
And so 1t happened that when the lad
ing Of the cargo was finished two small
boys with no other equipment but dark
lantern and a package of sandwiches
were snugly slowed away in little open
space among the big cases and hogsheads.
It was not cold down in the ships
hold, and there was a smell Of sugar,
which was not at all disagreeable. They
could hear the water dashing against the
dock outside, and then something shut
out the few rays Of light that had pene
trated their hiding place. The captain
ordered the cover put over the hold and
fastened down. Whether 1t would be
reopened the next morning or whether
they would be kept there until the shir
reached Havana they did not know. Ar
awful fear came over Fatty Wines, and
he said in voice that trembled In spite
Of himself:
"We're in for II now. Tommy, SURE
pop!'
WELL said Tommy, "we might a:
well make the best Of it here, and not lei
these rats frighten us to death. Well
have to keep a stiff upper lip now thai
we are out for life Of adventure"
They were ssin for ii" and no mistake
but they did not lose heart. For awhile
they lay listening to the scampering O.
rats and the sound Of waves dashine
against the vessels side. Before Ions
their eyes began to Groop, and they fel
into a dead sleep, from which they wer'
awakened by the jolting Of the ship
which told them that they had started OF
their way. II was pitch dark when the.
awoke, and as neither boy had watcl
they could not tell whether they ha,
been asleep six hours or "a. But Their
was no mistake about the motion Of tn
ship. She was fairly under way ant
very likely out Of sight Of land.
Tommy put good face on the matter
but Fatty was very quiet. He was think
ing of his home and wondering whethe
be would ever see his father and mothe