The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-04-14
THE cAP'N's cOx'N.


NeeeeeeeeeeeeeoeeeeeeeeE
"Macgrisor Anstsuther Calhoun. A. B..
Was as cool a card OF the queens navee
As ever reused the hard. Portsea,
Or Painted Point
But his soul was among the damned. We
hear.
Cos he took up rum and turned down
beer.
And frequent threw his inner gear
All out Of Joint.
But Cox'n Macgrigor Calhoun. v. c."
HTHERE'S NO doubt he's a very
diff'rent chara'ter," observed
my friend Chatty Mather, a. B. "But
we don't want to sit in this fog and
hear about it. There's 10 verses to that
hymn"
So we went out. We had been to a
sing-song in trough" house in Port
sea. and it was getting towards that
time in the evening when hilarious
spirits insist on using the table as
platform and make grave attempts to
dance hornpipes on the mantelshelf.
But what's the song all about?" l
asked. as we walked up Queen street.
Didn't never tell ye about that?
No? 1t starts here, too. This yer Mae
,,rigor Calhoun was in the Dooke, layin'
in the stream, when Cap'n Billy Bunson
hoisted his pennant on her. Fust gen'ral
leave after, Sam-which was the tally
Calhoun sailed under in that ship
didn't get back when he ought. He
was adrift 49h hours. and then he ar
rove aboard in waterman's boat, wild
one boot on. no cap, and general tore
appearance. He limbered up afore the
skipper the followin' Thursday, a
course.
whats this?' says the Cap'n.
Broke your leave by over 4S hours?
How's thatY
"'Missed me train. SIR says Sam.
"'What hole of place was you in
then. where they on'y runs one train in
two daysT
"London, sir
'Master-at-Arms. how many trains
from London in day?' said the Cap'n,
turnin' to the johndy.
"The johndy looks. 'em up. Nearly
40, sir
Ibid you miss all the so, my man"
"'On'y jist, sir. Hardly to be called
miss it wasn't. A sort of nouter,
sir, should call it.
"Indced! Fourteen days ten A, and
stop his leave for Il month. Master-at-,
Arms
"'Very good, sir says the johndy.
But he's already habitual leave, SIR
(Only going ashore once in three
months.)
"Cap'n Bunson hung on mint as
the beadle-which is the same rs
johndy-spoke, and Sam took the op-
portunity to say he'd rather have cells
than 10 A.
"The Cap'n looked him up and down
for mint or two. We'll, my man. he
says. we don't know each other very
well yet, but think we shall. OF all
the impudent scoundrels / ever met
wild, you're the worst. You come
aboard in filthy condition after n
drinking turnout, and tell lies about
missin' trains'-(On'y jist, sir whispers
Sam)-'and now you ast favor! You
want to choose your punishment, eh?
Why, II you told the truth wouldn't
give ye any Mt all. All you men lie and
say you miss trains, and none Of you
think OF sendin' chit Off explainin'
that you're dead drunk and can't come.
"'No. sir. Never struck me as any
good, sir says Sam.
Exactly. And yet you all know
that know what's the matter
"'Yes, SIR
""Try to tell the truth for the future,
then. And as you want cells, do seven
days of 'em in addition to the 10 A.
"Sam done his cells, meditatin' deep
all the time. and then done his 10 A
mournful. It's very wearin' is 10 A,
while cells is quiet and peaceful. In
10 A, when it's your watch below, you
clean brass or paint work, or holystone
decks, or take rest for two or three
hours on the quarter deck, standin' at
attention facin' the paint-work. and
two yards from anythink to lean
ag'inst. You eat under the sentry's
eye land eat rapid, too, because your
times short) sittin' on the cable-deck.
wAish = AAe windiest place In the ship.
~ Q 40 eapossh q o 0alalaAAsnt, q.
As1ok = GxH9 ssasS hasA tn par
EsEssz& ~AsDs taay ~ sAsst h some.
times. Year OEs6s sosppsd b betA
punishmcuts, ssA ~ ssas>st snsaA o
course.
when Sam next got leave he dons
the usual-broke it. Instid Of him, a
telegraph come to the Cap'n. That
mornin' the Cap'n was the most fero-
cious on the defaulters ever seen him
lie gave 'em all the maxi'um punish.
ment. He yapped at the officers; he
said there was court-martials still to be
had; he swore he'd have hangin' nj
the yardarm; or, us there wasn't any
on some ships, he'd put up wild a
david. " ..l.j-e Is +
I'VE was all in the dark, a course
about what had upset him.. We thought
his noolaids Mt breakfast was On'y war