Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-10-19
HOW HE LOST, HER.


asked the captain Of the tramp steamer
over ut Roberts stores. 'No2 Then go
Just US soon as you can. I've been in every
port on the western ocean and good
many on other oceans, but the rosiest
cheeks and bluest eyes and tho sweetest
dispositions that ever I fell foul of arc
right there on the banks of the bay of
Fundy
''You see, was mate of the bark Croe-
sus, carrying deals from St. John to
Greenock. l made the acquaintance of
this lassie the first time in port and was
clean gone daft, I may say, over her, and
for that matter she had a soft spot in her
heart for me, as l have reason to believe.
And so every night used to take leave and
go ashore for two or three hours and
maybe more to see her till one night the
captain, who had been ashore to see his
sweetheart, happened to come on board be-
fore did and found no one on deck but
the Waterman and no one in the cabin at
all. So, being fair minded man as we'll
as one who wanted to keep the ship in or
der, 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 particular engagement with
his sweetheart the next night.
"It seemed like hard luck to stay at all,
but I managed to send word to my girl
that couldn't come and turned in early
to make the time pass quickly. was
soon asleep, but about 10 o'clock came the
Waterman and knocked on my door.
"'There's two runners in the forecastle
trying to steal the crew. he said. Mean
time he had called his son, who was watch
ing on a bark at the wharf just astern of
us named the Lolier, and the son and
hid behind the longboat just abaft the
foremost, 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 our best
men all COaxed up to go, and up they
came, one of them carrying the sailors
bag, while Jack himself had his arms full
of dunnage, and away the three went along
the deck toward tho rail
with that the son who was with mo
slips around the forcmast and up behind
them and volts the sailor over the head.
Down goes Jack in heap and then IA
ther and son climbs on one of the runners
and downs him.
'At that the other runner has q mind
to help his mate, but he sees me coming,
with a big iron Delaying pin in hand.
That was enough for him, and away he
ran aft, but that Delaying pin caught him
fair in the back and bowled him over
across the main hatch as neat as pin in
a bowling alley
"Then mounted him and began ham,
mering in his countenance with my fist.
He made bold to fight back for q minute,
and l was about to reach for the Delaying
pin to sooth him with it, when up went
his legs in the air, and he quawked like
woman. The ships dog, a savage brute,
had heard the commOtion, and coming up
the gangway companion way had nipped
him in the thigh till tho blood flew.
"Well, now for few minutes, we all
had a lot of fun with these two runners,
and then took them aft and locked them
in cabin closet till the captain came.
The captain brought them into the saloon
and stood them under the lamp. One had
his nose all over at one side and piece of
scalp hanging down over his forehead SO
the hair and blood hid his eyes altogether.
The other-that was my man-had both
eyes swelled shut and his lips both split in
front, while he walked with terrible
limp in tho left leg where the dog had
been chawing him.
"'You'vo got enough this time, said
the captain. You'd better hunt doctor
Next night it was my turn to 20
ashore. found my sweet waiting for me,
and more affectiOnate little darling than
she was that time no one ever saw. 1
think we must have spooncd and held
hands for an hour or so, and then she said
to me:
"'Bill, what ship do you belong TOP
Somehow that question sent SILVER
along my backbone, because it made me
remember all about the licking the two
runners had got the night before, and 1
was now in Califat, where the runners all
stand together. However, made bold to
lie about it promptly and say:
Pm mate of the Lolier Why do you
ask?'
"'And do you really and truly love me-
BillY she said, so that I couldn't help say
ing did, and did too.
'''I knew it, Bill, she says, and you'll
do what l want you to. You're the bull
lest sailor that comes into this port, and
you can lick anything. Last night my
brother, what's a runner for Spud Muir
ply, and another one was down on the
Cresus looking for a couple of sailors to go
on deep sea voyage, with two months
advance They got one man and the
promise of another when, as they were
leaving her, the mate and two more jumped
on them and beat them shameful, and
then that mate set his big dog on my
brother, and it bit whole mouthful out
of his leg Oh, it was shameful. He
can't walk a step. But the other one can,
and he'll be here in half an hour. He'll
go down to the CrCesus with you and pick
a fight with the mate, and want you to
go along and take hand in. Will you
do it, Bill2 I'll just go with you first to
show you my brother, and then you won't
need any more coaXing.'
'She was reaching for her hat ON the
bedpost when l stopped her
Wait a bit, said I. That mates on
shore. He told me where he was going
and if you want to see some fun that's
worth while you get your friends and
that other ruD1er here, and I'll be back
with the sucker in / 5 minutes
"Thon l kissed her and took a sneak.
All, she had the rosiest cheeks and bluest
eyes and the sweetest disposition ever
saw; but matte, never went back to see
her. She lived in Califat, up on the hill,
toward the bay and they all stand to-