The Republican journal., 1897-08-26

and done that likewise, and what with a
runnin' belt O. carmine around er in the
wake O. the plank shear, and touchin'
up the gold scrolls under her bowsprit,
and a polishin of the bright work. she
was gallus.
"Hows' ever, that wasn't all we done.
When Captain Mcdonald he comes for d
fer to have severe look around and says
as how's we'd done him proud, we gives
him surprise party as was sumner to
him, and now | comes to think on it, it
We're quare. 1t was as l be to tell, but
how it were and the why and the where
fors, as The. may be putin in his oar for
to ask, | can say"
He stopped talking for moment at this,
as if considering 1.-the why's and whyfors."
but continued shortly.
''We be for to notice afore we'd been
putin her to rights many days that when
we done anything it were done to stay.
There didn't no bright work turn weller
and green, nor no iron work as was rubbed
up to sparkle get no rust on to it no more
and no scrubbin' of the decks arter we
done it once, nor no chain gear wearin'
out. SO in our trick below we turns to
unbeknown to the captain and polishes up
the anchors till YOU d a tux yer dyin' oath
they was silver plate from shacke pin to
crown, and didn't the old mans eyes bung
out some at when he sees us snatch the
tarpaulins off as we'd covered 'em up
with?
with that we say, Captain, is it the
standin riggin' neXt@ and he says, 1t be
and L m with ye', and what does we do
but turn to and polish them ere shrouds
and stays, every wire and every inch on
EN-, and the chain plates, until l reckon
I lD,
DIS he be to get the CLINT O the sun on to
lis, he d a made sure our top hammer was
a bazin' burnin often us. Last of all,
one at a time, we takes the sails down on
deck and scrubs EN- like snow, and when
we gifts EN- done there we was, sailn' like
-sailin -
The sailor stopped talking again and lay
perfectly still, staring at the blank wall,
trying, perhaps, to think of words to fifty
describe the ship as she then appeared to
him, but after a moment he shook his
head and continued.
How long we was dom of it? Give
it up. l knows l didn't care 1t were
proper work for sailorman and couldn t
last too long That ere evening arter we
got it done, and all-hands be to eat supper
in the cabin in honor on it, we dresses up
in our shore togs. and at four bells the
STAFFORD watch be to eat first We was
all on the quarter deck, and, ben' car
penter, | was leadin' the way down into
the cuddy and the captain standn' at the
foot of the ladder ready to give US
hearty welcome when the lookout as was
straddle Of the ferr'y al yard sings out:
sc Sail ho-o-o. One pint for ard the
stabboard be- am.
with that we all rushes down to the
stabboard rail. Sure enough, there be the
ryals and the to- gallants'l Is of full rig
ship jest pokin' across the sun as was a
droppin' rapid out O sight, and there we
stands leanin' out over that rail and strain
our eyes till she crosses the sun and gets
logged in by them colored hazes and mist
ses beyand.
80 we be to have somethin' new ter
talk about at supper, and We gifts that ere
strung up over it, not a one of us be to
sleep a wink that blessed night, only tramp
the deck and work our jaw-tackles. In
course WEI kept away a bit, if SO be we
might head her off.
with the fust sire ak in the east away
We all goes to the r'yal yards and hangs
there, peerin into the dark and waitin
Our trick on the lookout weren't for long,
/ howS ever, for we soon sees a shadder Of
/ her as the gray of the mornin' was a
spreadin', and then, suddin like, up comes
the sun. Whew. | e'na most fell often
the yard. She We're scrubbed and painted
polished allow and aloft like the Nucleus
'While we're starin' there and a never
sayin' nothin', only breathin hard, we
sees line hardenin', above the horizon
/ beyand her, which all on us recognized at
oncet, and we halls the deck together.
Land ho-o-o"
'Meantime the breeze had been fresh
enin with the rsn' sun, and it drives us
swishing and splashing along and the coast
rises rapidly. While we was waiting for
to git a some at better squint at it we
notices the shore fishes to be uncommon
| plenty-more nor any of us ever see, and
| such tiocks of birds as | never hearn on
! afore. In course we don't be to pay much
attention to them ere, only the captain,
| as noticed EN- likewise, says he sees
plenty of birds among EN- as he supposed
had been done for long ago, and in conse-
quence we be to come to a island or coast
o some sort what nobody didn't know
much about.
$50 the captain and Mr.. Spencer be to
keep screwing the binoculars into their
eyes and goin' down and lookin' at charts
by turns, and the more they looked the
puzzleder they gets, especial when they
/ SotS d UdS VI udlDOI opening Oul dlOI6
them with two headlands of cur us form
guardin' it. The both on EN- had sailed
the length of the whole coast of America
many S the time, and the Nucleus was on
common well found in charts, but neither
on 'em ever see or hearn of a coast and
harbor like this, and sol the captain he says
We Re comm to port as AIM down in. no
chart, and if SO be it are undiscovered
country all we can do is to keep a sharp
| locke out.
''It were soon settled about it bein' a
country as hadn't been discovered, for
very soon arter the captain was sayin' of
it we begins to sight sails atween them
headlands, and by and by, as that ere bay
opens out afore us, we sees that mighty
fleet had gathered there. How can l tell
it to you what | see to make you believe it,
about the great open hulks as had only one
mast and was rowed with oars and yet
could carry the Nucleus cargo; the ships
with jibbooms and no jibs but squaresls
instid; ships with lateen fores' Is and others
with lateen miZzens, and no end of other
rigs such as no man ever see nor no sailor
man nd have nothn' to do with, not to
mention the craft rugged as we've seen
ships rugged aforetime, and them as was
shipshape, and some as l remember of