Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1898-09-23
ON THE SPANISH MAIN

YIN L LII Oh y IN IOll M AIN
Our mate in the Caspian, Mr.. Bar
clay, used to tell of the following ad-
venture. l have sometimes Thought
that he possessed a talent for embel-
fishing, and do not, therefore, vouch
for its truth. But | have been careful
to nothing extenuate, nor aught set
down to malice"
When l was on my first voyage in
the whaler Marion l got infected, like
many other young fellows, with the
desire to run away and try my luck
elsewhere. And l listened to the Sc
ductive stories of Tom Babson, an ad-
venturer, who had led a harum-
scarum life, knocking about in the Pa
cifc. and in the various ports on the
Spanish Main, till l convinced myself
that we were a much abused ships COM
pany, and that any change would be
for the better.
while lying in the port of Payta,
in Peru, we got acquainted on shore
with some seamen belonging to ten
gun brig, called the Tres Amigos. She
was fitting out to go and fight some
body never knew exactly who, for
these South American republics were
always in row. think they hardly
knew themselves what it was all about.
But there was change and adventure iii
1t, at any rate; and Tom and | laid
plan to desert from the Marion, and get
a. couple of doubloons advance by en-
listing in the cruiser.
"At various times during our stay we
contrived to smuggle nearly all our
clothes on shore, and left them with a
shark called Scotch Jock, who kept
little pulgueria, or grog-shop; and the
last liberty-day that we were to have
we left the ship in the morning, not
intending to return to her.
1--WE went to the rendezvous where
they shipped men for the brig, and
found, much to our disappointment,
that the wages were not so large as had
been represented, and that only one
doubloon would be advanced instead Of
two.
81 began to perceive that all that
glittered in a beach-comber's story was
not gold; but we had gone so far that
we disliked to turn back; and we should
hardly be able to get our clothes back
from Jock, for his object was to have
us desert and spend our advance money
in his tavern.
so Tom Babson proposed that we
should not ship Immediately to the Pc
ruvian man-of-war, but hide away un-
iii the Marion had gone to sea, and
then take our chance of something bet
ter. We could, at all events, take Up
with the offer of the rendezvous as "a
last resort.
There was no occasion for US to
hide away before nightfall, for our
leave lasted until sundown. / took
good care to keep sober, but my COM
rade drank so freely that he was
stretched out in Scotch Jocks back
room before the days leave was up,
quite oblivious Of everything.
when the boat came in for the lib
ertymen at sunset, got out Of sight,
where l could reconnoiter, and saw one
after another of my shipmates go down
and take their places in her l felt
lonely to set my sober second-thought
to work; and the result was l deter
mined to stick by the Marion, and let
Tom Babson go his own reckless road.
The boat was in the very act of
pushing off when, obeying the voice Of
this better angel, ran shouting down
the pier. The officer waited for me,
and, as jumped in said All on hand
but Tom Babson. Where is he? Does
anybody knowT
Il alone knew; but though had re
pented my own foolishness, l had no
idea of turning informer. So Tom was
left behind and the next morning a new
hand was shipped in his stead.
I'VE were very lucky in taking
whales; and IN a year afterward we
anchored at Tumbez. with a full ship
and, after taking in our water, went uI
to Payta, TO enjoy our liberty and reGt
for the passage home. l had almost
ceased to think about Tom, and had nc
thought Of finding him there, more than
In any other part of the world; know
ing his life to be that Of a mere ad-
NNnNhiNls
But one day, while strolling about
1 passed what took to be a prison OF
guard-house, where a sentry was pac.
ing back and forth, when heard my
name called from a loophole.
Il stopped in astonishment and
stared at a face pressing up against the
opening, which / did not at once rec
oEnize.
"'Who is it that knows me?' asked.
Don't you remember your comrade,
Tom Babson?
Il walked up to the loop to push my
hand in. but the sentinel interposed =
a little. nsignificant-looking Cholo, as
the half-Spanish, half-Indian are called
on the coast. l took his measure at 7
glance few Spanish words Whispered
ena, more yet, 9 few silver FsRlss elal