Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-06-28
Che Sturu Tellsr.
THE STOWAWAY.

| Inc Ice WAS neaVy OH Tue DalIlc
that season-it was the latter part Of
lS76-and we expected to be home by
| Christmas but the weather was clear
and fine, and the old boatswain found
time that Sunday morning to drop his
whistle and spin the following yarn.
You was sayin' last night, sir,
that YOU hadn't got no faith in stowa-
ways. Well, no more have |, general
ly speakin'; but once ran foul of one
that wasn't so bad as the rest. It's
nigh on to six years ago, when | was
uuartermaster in a steamer-the Ie-
| bra-lyin' at her wharf in Calcutta.
The Hooghly was crowded with sail
ing vessels that couldn't get no crews,
and most of their men had deserted
and shipped in steamers that was goin'
through the Suez canal, that lad just
been opened. They all wanted to get
home quick, you see, and to 60 by the
new-fangled route, to save making a
four months run round the Cape.
The steamers had all the men they
wanted, and sight more offers from
good able-boded men than they could
take.
The Zebra was to touch at London
derry OH her way home, and the night
that we cast loose at Calcutta with the
pilot on board, and dropped down the
river with the tide, the skipper was
grumblin' like bear, because, some
how or other, he had shipped five
more men than he wanted. Three of
them were Irishmen, and, like the rest
of the crew, they had got advance
notes for a months pay, and cashed
them.
The pilot had gone over the side,
the watch had been set, and the
steamer was driven down the Bay of
Bengal, and getting we'll out toward
the Indian ocean, when there was
row for'ard, and the bo'sun came aft
to where the skipper was standing on
the poop. He was draggin' young
ster about 16 years old, by the collar
of the jacket, along with him.
81 hooked him out of the fore hatch,
your homer" he says. II heard him }
scratching around, and I raised the
hatchway and there he lay"
II was tryin' to get out, sir" said
the lad, very bold and polite. 81 sup
pose I'm stowaway, but I'm sailor
and willing to work. | asked for Il
berth abroad the Zebra and couldn't
get it; so when they thought 1 was
goin' ashore in the dingey slipped in
to the fore-hold. I'm bound for Mag
herafelt, in Londonderry, where my
mother lives. 1 don't want any pay,
but if you'll let me work my passage
you won't be sorry for it"
Our skipper was terribly rough
man. Turning to me, he said:
"Quartermaster, put that young imp
in irons for tonight. I'll see what's
best to do with him in the mornin.'
If he doesn't 60 overheard it's Glasgow
he'll land at, and not Londonderry"
was sorry for the poor lad but [
had to obey orders, and the irons were
soon on his wrists and ankles in the
fo'c'stle. He was terribly upset, and
when I was on watch that night went
to him and tried to cheer him up. 1t
was getting on for four bells when the
mate said he'd like to see the boy, and
he went into the fo'c'stle.
"Now, my lad, "he says, STOPPING over
him with lantern, "tell us all about
it. What did you stowaway for? Why
didn't you ship in a sailing vessel if
you wanted to 90 home to see your
mother?"
"Oh, sir" says the youngster, with
the tears in his eyes, as he sat up along
side of the post that he was tied to,
II should have been late, and she'd
have been in the poorhouse. You see,
ran away from home two years ago,
and went to sea, because 1 was the
oldest of the three, and she wasn't able
to feed us all. I've sent her little
money since then, and I've had let
tiers from her; but I've never seen
her. The day before yesterday | got
letter sayin' that poor Sallie, my
little sister, sir, was dead. 1t had
taken all her money to bury her, and
the quarters rent will be due in a
month. fits not paid she will be
put out. l have saved $75 and I want
ed to give it to her with my own hands.
wish now l had sent it to her; but
maybe, can post it to her at London
derry, if he takes me on to Glasgow" 1"
Dashed if the mates eyes weren't
dim, and 1 couldn't see very clearly
myself when the youngster stopped
talkin'.
"Hold up your head, my lad," says
the mate, "and I'll say word or two
to the skipper"
He went out of the fo'c'stle, and l
followed him close enough to hear the
boys story told again.
The skipper thought about it for
few seconds. Then he spoke; and
we knew by the tones of his voice that
one of his hardest fits was on him.
~ don't see," said he, "what l have
to do with all this. l don't want any
more hands, and l won't have any
more. But we can stand another pas
senger. You say the youngster has
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