The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1894-10-05
A Sailors Love Story.
Makes the skipper Gasp When He Thinks
Of HIS sweetheart and How He
Lost Her.

Ever go to st. J0hn, New Bruns-
wick ?" asked the captain of the
tramp steamer over at Roberts stores.
"No? Then so just as soon as you
can. I've been in every port on the
western ocean and good many on
other oceans, but the rosicst cheeks
and the bluest eyes and the sweetest
dispositions that ever fell foul of
are right there on the banks of the
Bay of Fundy. 1t gives me hequeers
every time think OF that town--two
Queers, / may say, for have to catch
my breath when l think of the sweet
heart | had there up in Califat, on
the hill toward the bay, and then l
have to catch it again and catch hard
when | think of how / lost her.
"You see, | was mate Of the bark
Croesus, carrying deals from st. John
to Grcenock. | made the acQualnt-
ance of this lassie the first time in
port, and was clean gone daft, | may
say, over her; and for that matter
she had a soft spot in her heart for
me, as have reason to believe. And
so every night l used to take leave
and go ashore for two or three hours,
and may be more, to see her. till one
night the captain, who had been
ashore to see his sweetheart, happen
ed to come aboard before l did and
found no one on deck but the watch
man, and no one in the cabin at all.
So, being fair minded man, as well
as one who wanted to keep the ship
in order, he agreed to stay on board
one night and me the next, turn about,
only | was to have the first night on
board, because he had very particu-
lar engagement with his sweetheart
the next night.
sit seemed like hard luck to stay
at all. but l managed to send word TO
my girl that l couldn't come, and
turned in early to make the time Dass
lquickly. was soon asleep, but about
10 o'clock came the watchman and
knocked On my door.
"There's two runners in the fore
castle trying to steal the crew. he
said. Meantime he had called his
son, who was watching on bark at
the wharf just astern OF us named the
Lolicr, and the son and / hid behind
the long boat just abaft the forcmast,
/ while the old man went to warn the
runners to leave the ship.
, "They were willing enough to leave
by that time, for they had one of ouI
t best men all coaxed up to 90, and uI
they came, one of them carrying the
: sailors bag, while Jack himself had
S his arms full of dunnage, and away
: the three went along the deck tOward
the rail.
"With that the son who was will
: me slips around the foremast and up
= behind them and welts the sailor oyel
i the head. Down goes Jack In a heap
d and then father and son climbs OF
S one of the runners and downs him.
"At that the other runner has ;
mind to help his mate. but he sees mi
coming with a big iron Delaying pil
$ in hand. That was enough for him
and away he ran aft, but that belay
= ing pin caught him fair In the bacl
and bowlcd him over across the mail
hatch as neat as a pin In a bowlinI
a alley.
",Then mounted him and begaI
% hammering In his conntenancc witt
my fists. He made bold to fight bacl
It for a minute, and was about t.
ID reach for a Delaying pin to sooth hin
1t with it, when up went his legs In tn
to air, and he squawkcd like q woman
The ships dog, a savage brute, ha'
heard the commotion, and, coming u
the companionway, had nipped llir
imthe thigh till the blood flew.
s "Well, now, for a few minutes W
all had a lot Of fun with these tw
runners, AND then ] took them ai