The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-09-30

and there were few faded letters on
his cap. which he took off on entering.
The Admiral lifted his eyes slowly
and looked at him.
Well, my MANI" he said at length,
with the same intonation he had used a
thousand times at sea.
The sailor brought up his hand in
salute.
"Its him." he said in a hoarse voice,
that smacked of fogs and salt air, "its
Old Bluel"
The doctor and the nurse looked
shocked, the city officials awed, and the
landlord shivered, On the admiral the
effect was electric.
Il says to myself when l hears of
you bein' here" continued the sailor.
coming closer, otis Old Blue for
hundred dollars, and it isl I'd knowed
them powder-marks on your neck
among thousand. And walked four
teen mile to see you, and see il you re.
membered Bill Huckins, as was master
alarms on the old Pioneer p"
Huckins?" the Admiral raised him
self on his elbow with a mighty effort.
"Ah, yes, | remember you now" He
held out his hand, and then sank back
on the pillow. The doctor was by his
side in an instant, but the Admiral
waved him away. You came to see
me, Bill?"
" Yes, sir. Heard you was in the
sick bay, and l come to cheer you up
bit. 1 was laid up last winter myself
with a crick in my back"
"You are in the Asylum, sup
pose ?"
"Asylum2 Bless your heart, sir, mol
1 raked up these togs for old times
sake-seemed more natural like. I've
got boy that's maxim his two-and-a-
half day steady, and I've got pen
sion of twelve dollars month. That's
for rap | got from shell nigh thirty
year ago."
"When WAS that, Bill2"
"Same day you got them marks on
your neck from the breech of number
two gun. Don't you remember when
we steamed up the Mississippi, when
the guns was double-shotted and slap
PIN into us every ten feet? That was
on the old Oregon"
" Yes, | remember" assented the
Admiral, with glistening eyes.
You was captain then, and when
Lieutenant Fifer says to you, You go
aft says he, ''cause there's sharp
shooters behind that ridge you says,
says you, You 60 to the devll' l was
workin' Rodman near by, and L
laughed right out at that, although
'twasnt no laughin' times then"
"No, indeed; no, indeed. But we
silenced the fort, didn't we, Bill?"
Didn't we, thought Knocked it
clean out of sightl You couldn't fool
with the Oregon that trip. And two
months later, dye remem0er how we
sunk the 'Tenesas,' in the Gulf, after a
runnin' fight of day and night?"
"Quite well, Bill. She went down,
though, and we got no prize money out
of that engagement. But the two
blockade runners the next week-eh
Bill?"
"They was pie, sir. We'd been rich
if them pickin's had kept comm along.
| was drafted on the Powhatan after
that capture, and it was three years
fore l saw you again. Then l was
with you in the Shawnee ON the
China station, and was bow oar of the
barge when we beat the French file ct
in the race off Yokohama"
"Ah, Bill, those were famous times,'
said the Admiral, gazing fixedly into
the air with his great eyes.
"Warn't they, though! And when we
went up the Straits together in the
Columbia when you'd just got your
Commodore's pennant and took charge
of the squadron-seems like it was al
ways my luck to be shipmates with you,
and l didn't want nothin' better"
And here you are again, Bill" said
the Admiral, with smile.
| al; Oh
again. When l heard you were here,
l said to Tom, my son, Pm goin' to
= see the old man once more.' And
Tom--he's never been to sea and don't
know much, he says, Sho! he WON'T
see you And says, He was ship
mate of mine for more'n fifteen years
4 and always did my dooty. could
take my tod with any blue jacket, and
more'n once it took the whole marin e
guard to get me over the side, but
t never shirked, and if Old Blue amt
3 got a good word for me, he amt the
. Old Blue he used to be-"
"Right, Bill, right" said the Admi-
raj, smiling through the wave of pain
that rippled across his face. "You
t were always good sailor, Bill, but
. you're an old hulk now, like me-"
" Sure enough, sir, we're laid up in
ordinary now, sir; but there amt
! nothin' can wipe out them old days
1 from the log book, if they are gone"
. The Admiral closed his eyes and
r murmured, " Gone? Ali"
Yes, they're gone, and we're goin',
3 said Bill, his voice thickening, "but
: we did our dooty, and no man can say
g no to that"
eyes, we did our duty, old ship
5 mate" said the Admiral, in voice
1 thst had become thin and weak
Where are you, Bill? 1t is getting
, dark"
a Bll's cap dropped on the floor, and
he seized the Admiral's hand in his
The others drew back without word.
:, "Shipmate," said the Admiral, once
l more.
cay, ay, sir!'
e "l'm on my last cruise, Bill"
: "God bless you, sir, you're comm
straight into port, but you amt dropped