Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-03-28
HOW HE LOST HER..

Ever go to st. John, New Bruins
wick?" asked the captain of the tramp
steamer over at Roberts stores. NO?
Then go just as soon as you can. I've
been in every port on the western
ocean and a good many on other
oceans, but the roSiest cheeks and
bluest eyes and the sweetest DISPOSE
tons that ever l fell foul of are right
there ON the banks of the bay of
Fundy.
You see, l was the mate of the bark
Croesus, carrying deals from st. John
to Greenock. l made the acquaintance
of this lassie the first time in port end
was clean gone daft, l may say, over
her, for that matter she had a soft
spot i'm her heart for me, as I have
reason to believe. And so every
night l used to take leave and go
ashore for two or three hours and
maybe nor to see her until one night
the captain, who had been ashore to
see his sweetheart, happened to come
on board before 1 did and found no
one on deck but the Waterman and
no one in the cabin at all. So, being
a fadr-minded man as we'll 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 a very particular en-
gagement with his sweetheat the next
night.
"It seemed like hard luck to stay at
all, but l managed to send word to
girl that | couldn't come and
turned in early to make the time pass
quickly. l was soon asleep, but about
ten O'Clock came the Waterman and
knocked on my door.
"'There's two runners tn the fore
castle trying to steal the crew. ne
said. Meantime he had called his son,
who was watching ON a bark at the
wharf just aStern of us named the
Lolier, and the son and 1 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 n of u
best men all coaXed up to go, and
up they came, one Of them carrying
the sailors bag, while Jack himself had
the three went along the deck toward
the rail.
with that the son who was with
me slips around the foremost and up
behind them and welts the sailor Over
the head. Down goes Jack i'm a heap.
and then father and son climbs ON one
of the runner and downs him.
cat that the other runner has a
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 be-
laying PIN caught him fair in the back
and bOWled him over across the main
hatch as neat as a pin in a bowling
alley.
"Then I mounted him and began
hammering his countenance with my
fist. He made bold fight back for a
minute. and | was about to reach ont
for the Delay wing PIN to sooth him with
it, when up Ven his legs in the air,
and he quaWked like a 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 the blood flew.
We'll, now, for a few minutes, we all
had a lot of fun with these two run
ners, and then | took them aft and
locked them in a 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 n side and a piece of scalp
hanging down over his forehead so
the hair and blood hid his eyes alto
gether. The other-that was my man
had both eyes swelled shut and his
lips both split in front, while he
walked with a terrible limp i'm the
left leg where the dog had been
chewing him.
"'You've got enough this time said
the captain. You'd better hunt a doc
tor
Next might it vas my turn to go
ashore. l found my sweet waiting for
me, and a affectionate little dar-
ling than she was that time no one
ever saw. / think We must have
sp0oned and held hands for an hour
or so, and then she said to me:
Bill, what ship do you belong to?"
Somehow chat question sent a shiv-
er along my backbone because it made
me remember all about the licking the
two runners had got the night before,
and I was now in Ca1ifat, where the
runners ALL stand together. However.
1 made bold to lie about it promptly
and say:
I'm mate OF the Lolier. Why do
you askF'
".And do you really and truly love
me, Bil?" she said, so that 1 couldn't
help saying that 1 did, and 1 did, too.
81 knew it, Bill she says, and
youth do what 1 want you TO. You're
the buliest sailor that comes into this
port, and you can lick anything. Last
night my brother, what's a runner for
Spud Murphy, and another one was
down on the Croesus looking for a
couple Of sailors to go ON a 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 dog on my