Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-11-27

belayin pin in his hand, snortin like
a porpoise. "Why don't ye speak
ship afore ye board her?" says he, cuss-
in awful, and then he threw up his
hands and dropped the pin.
my God, forgive me!' he says. "It's
Bill Marlin.
'What eff 'tis?" says Bill, gettin on
his pins, mighty sore and put out. "What
sort of id blue nosed sea lawyer
Of a-walkin ghost be you anyway to
shoot up out of wreck and nigh skeer
the life out O. two honest sailormen often
a raft, and them swamped and starvin?
I'm q fo'castle cat stuck in tar eff /
didn't think better O. you, Lige Haw-
kins," and with that they fell a-foul of
each other, waltZin all over the deck,
aud while they was at it the Kanaker
sailorman walked his black legs out of
the companionway and began to dance
around the two.
"Today's the day, says Bill, punchin
Lige i'll the chest and gettin the Boston
newspaper out of his oilskins. There's
the governors proclamation. Read it. "
"Well, I'm d--dp' says Lige, leerin
at id upside down.
After Bill shook hands with the Kama
ker man from the guano ship he intro
duced ME all round and explained to
Hawkins how we had left the Nancy
and how we had refused to 90 on board
the ship for Liverpool the night before.
BY that time the sun was lightin up
Hawkins bald head, and he a-gapin at
Bill, with his breeches in his hand,
which the nigger had brought to him.
Now" says Bill, what be you lay
III here for, Lige Hawkins, and what's
become of the skipper and the crew of
the Lightfoot?'
''What am 1 layin here for?" says
Hawkins. 'I'm a-waitin for a ship into
Boston. The old man and the rest o. the
hands went aboard bark bound into
Bristol two weeks ago. and wanted me
to go along with them, but told 'em
I'd see 'em id first, hevin a date
with a shipmet i'll New Bedford ON the
'Merican coast.
"Git into yer togs," says Bill.
"We've got chest full of plumduff and
grog aboard the raft. 4"
The Lightfoot was loaded with wool
and some light merchandise, and when
the crew left her Hawkins said the sea
was SO rough the skipper expected her to
swamp, and it was all they could do to
get off the men. There was no lack Of
provisions and stores ON board, and the
Kanaker man and l turned in and did
the cookin, and Bill nailed the govern
or's proclamation to the mizzenmast.
business is business" says Bill.
Whats the bloomin cargo worth,
Lige?"
"Nothin where she lays" says Haw-
kins, sorreyful. ''If we had her into
port, she'd be good for 500, 900. It's a
pity, Bill, so tits, but there amt yard
of canvas onto 'er. ="
"That 'u'd be $s5, 900 apiece, allowin
four lays into 'er share and SHARE" says
Bill.
.'Waal, "says Hawkins, ''what of it?"
''Nothin." says Bill, ''only I've
brought along two mainsails and yer
far'd sticks. -
And with that the two went down
the fore chains onto the raft.
By dinner time they had got new
set of sails onto the mizzenmast, hoist
ed the chest ON board and laid their
plans for riggin light canvas forward
and takin the prize into New York. all
of which we afterward did.
When we sat down to the spread ON
deck, besides the plumduff and the
grog, we had soup and salt junk-.and
marmalade and coffee, and Bill said
considerin of what we'd gone through
and what we had before us, he'd be will
in to give small lay into the cargo
for sea parson to say grace onto the
grub.
When we had cleared the board. we
brought out the pipes and bacy from
the chest, and all hands lowed we had
plenty to be thankful for.
'sI'm plain sailorman, says Bill
Marlin, land . yo heave no. but when ]
makes q date with shipmet I'm goin
for to keep it If SO be can, and the same
for Lise Hawkins from New Bedford
toWu< and + vn heava ho. hanva ho