The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-14
SIX DAYS UNDER WATER.
BILL" Spins a Yarn That Is a
~ "BIOOmiR' Buster"
His Ride on Sea Hog-Snake Island.
y Down the whirlpooI-Ths subter-
: ranean River of Phosphorus-Riding
a Waterspout.

aCerspout.
Copyright, ls94.)
New York, Jan. 13.-"Why talk about
speed, said old sailor Bill 81 mind the
time when there warn't nothing on earth
or water that could get away from the
sailing frigate Guerriere or catch her,
either ! mind once, when Fighting
Tom was her skipper, we was running
before gale that bent all the stanchions;
all at once one of the afterguards bawled
out there was a frigate followin' along
close astern. We looked, an sure enough
there was the hull of bloody old frigate
just the same exactly as the Guerrero,
clipping along astern only bout six cables
away. 'Twarn't material for frigate to
be there, an we looked an looked an
wot d'you think we found it was 2"
''The Flying Dutchman, - hazarded..
''Naw, 'twarn't the Dutchman," he re-
piled, contemptuously. I'm tell you wot
it was; Y see we was clipping through
the water at such a rate that the speed
scraped tina paint clear of our hull as
clean as whistle, and there it was com
ing along astern all in shape, as it had
been whipped off, just like another Guer-
riere!"
Wonderful ~ l cried
"Oh, no; not so very wonderful! Sor-
ter material, when you think how fast we
was goln'." he answered. Il can tell you
something wonderfuller than that" he
continued, dropping his voice to a inn
pressive whisper, '''bout me and when |
went down to the bottom Of the sea an
staid there for nigh onto six days"
''[mposslble!" said, with a startled
voice, you really don't mean that, do
you. Billf'
When says thing, means it," said
Bill, firmly. 81 went down to the bottom
of the bloody sea an l staid there for six
days"
That is very remarkable" said. "I
never heard of such thing"
"Well, reckon there's plenty of things
you never heard on that have happened
Just because you write things you needn't
think you know everything, and that
sailorman couldn't spend six days at the
bottom Of the bloody sea if he had a mind
to" ne added in an aggrieved tone.
"Oh, yes, of course 1 stammered, "but
it is so out of the usual happening of
things that was surprised. 1 wish you
would tell me all about it,"
We'll - said Bill, slowly, as he whitfield
off few shavings from his plug of navy,
Il amt much of yarn spinner, bein' as
how sorter hate to talk about myself,
but if you wait till l get my bloody old
pipe filed, I'll tell it to you the best /
know how"
The little Guilty pipe being now filed
and drawing we'll, Bill rubbed his hands
together and began:
Way back in 40, when 1 was a gay
slip of lad an ready for anything,
shipped on the yankee clipper ship Comet,
which piled between New York and
Frisco. The hawse-holes on board the
Comet was as big as gunport, and when
| had nothing to do and was tired of my
self lister hang out of the hawse-hole
and watch the Comets stern a-cutting
through the water like 6-inch shell
ricketing over the swells. Many's a
time | hung out the hawse-hole an
watched the bloody sea hogs scratching
their bloomin' backs 'gainst the Comets
stern-you've seen 'em, mayhap, yourself,
sir2' he inquired.
IF you mean the porpoises racing
alongside and just about the ship, Ihave,"
/ replied. -tet'
Eyes, them's wot I mean,'' he contin-
ued, ''sea hogs, sailormen call them. Well
as l said, the bloomin' beggars uster come
up every night an race along with us,
their backs well out o. water so as to get
good scratchin' from the ship as she
tumbled along arter 'em. One night, as
! was feelin' particular desperate, an
hung out watehin 'em, took notice o.
one monstrous big sea hog which cavorted
along as If he was old Davy Jones him
self. Says to myself, as 1 watched his
big bloomin' back keep along so steady
below me, says ] to myself, say old fell
Ter, I'd just like to drop ON your back an
take ride on YOU says l, an bein' as 1
say young spark without much sense, no
sooner had l says that to myself that I
says again to myself, Blow me don't do
it,"
'No?" cried.
''Yes," answered Bill, IAN I'm bowed
if no sooner nor I'd said it, if l hadn't
squeezed out through the hawse-hole onto
the jib-stays to the dolphin-striker, an
the next minute I'd dropped down all
astride onto that bloody old sea hogl
Well, sir, you'd have laughed to see that
old sea hog jump. Jump Why, the
bloomin' beggar almost jumped out of his
bloody skin, an, if hadn't a-dug my heels
under his fins, an my hands in his gills
he'd have thrown me afore you could say
Jack Robinsonp Then off he started on
u long port tack, SO fast that the water
burned my legs, until the lights Of the
Comet was doused entirely. You may
we'll look surprised, sir; l was myself. To
think that q few minutes afore | had
been safe an comfortable enough in the
Comets brig, and now here l was asst
tin astride a bloody old sea hog with my
head an shoulders just above water, a
kitin' along the lonesome, dark waters
with nary a log to get my knots
and nary bacon light to tell where my
harbor was. On tore that bloomin' hog
with the spray all a-dashin' in my face
until | thought my eyes were picked
Once we dashed into big school of sea
hogs, but when they saw their mate with
me on top they gave sort a. groanin'
grunt, ana with flap o. their 1appers
started away at most tremendous pace
an from the look o. fear on their faces |
have no doubt but that they be runnin'
yet But all things have an end, as the
monkey SAYS when the crocodile bit off
his tail, an when the daylight came, |
see little island standin' close off my
port bow; captain sea hog makes his OBJ
servations at the same time, an off he
starts on starboard tack, but being
sort of 'fraid about lntrudin' my presence
on him any longer slips off his back an
makes by swimmin' for the island, which
reached in mayhap an hour. / finds my
self pretty shipshape when | get
onto the island, barrin' a stiff
ness in my leg, and my feet bein'
blistered by the tremendous speed
| went through the water, but no sooner
had looked around an taken my bearin's
than l said to myself, Clap on all sail,
you twisted marlin spike, an put off, for
as sure as duff is dun the bloomin' snakes
will make bloody fine meal of you for
salt horse For, sir, give you my word
as a truthful sailorman. that island was
lest cramnaA full n apalrae hfcy