The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-09-22
ON THE SPANISH MAIN

ON THE SPANISH MAI
Our mate in the Caspian, Mr.. Bar
clay, used to tell of the following ad
venture. 1 have sometimes though
that he possessed a talent for embel
fishing, and l do not, therefore, vouc
for its truth. But have been careful
to nothing extenuate, nor aught Sc
down to malice"
when l was on my first voyage |,
the whaler Marion, got infected, lik,
many other young fellows, with tn
desire to run away and try my lucl
elsewhere. And l listened to the Sc
ductive stories of Tom Babson, an ad
venturer, who had led harum
scarum life, knocking about in the Pa
cific, and in the various ports on the
Spanish Main, till l convinced myself
that we were 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
n with some seamen belonging to a ten.
gun brig, called the Tres Amigos. She
was fitting out to 80 and fight somo-
body never knew exactly who, for
these South American republics were
always in row. think they hardly
| knew themselves what 1t was all about.
But there was change and adventure i'll
It, at any rate; and Tom and laid a
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 a
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.
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.
Il began to perceive that all that
glittered in 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 I'M
til the Marion had gone to sea, and
then take our ChanCe of something bet
ter. We could, at all events, take I'D
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 shutdown. / took
good care to keep ober, but my COM
rade drank so freely that he was
stretched out in Scotch Jocks back
room before the d,ly's leave was up,
quite obvious OF everything.
When the boat came in for the lib-
ertymen at sunset, got out of sight,
where could reconnoiter, and saw one
after another of my shipmates 20 down
and take their places in her. felt
lonely to set my sober second-thought
to work: and the result was ! 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, I 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 know?'
Il alone knew; but though I had re.
pented my own fo:!ishness, had no
Idea of turning infarmer. So Tom was
left behind and the next morning new
hand was shipped IN his stead.
I'VE were very lucky in taking
whales; and in a year afterward we
anchored at TumbCz, with full shin.
and, after taking in our water. went I'D
to Payta, to enjoy cur liberty and refit
for the passage hdme. ? had almost
reased to think about Tom, and had no
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-
venturer.
But one day. while strolling about,
passed what took to be prison or
yuard-house, where sentry was pac-
ing back and forth, when l heard nv
name called from loophole.
II stopped in establishment and
Jared at face pressing UP against the
pening, which l did not at once rec
gnize.
Who is it that knows me?' asked,
Don't you remember your comrade,
ON Babson?
Il walked up to the loop to push my
and in, but the sentinel interposed-
little, insignificant looking Cholo, as
lie half-Spanish, half-Indian are called
the coast. took his measure at q
ance; few Spanish words whispered,
I'D, more yet, few silver reales dis
aged to his avaricous gaze, and the
,ast was clear.
HE even limited to me that if would
ISIS round to another pigeon hole on
'e other side | could talk with the
'isoner without teng observed I
as not slow to take the hint: and after
shake of the hand, Tom told me his
d story peeping through the little
op like a pOstOffico clerk.
He had. it seems. waited and search
vain for me after he got over his
vel, until he was satisfied that must
I've gone to sea in the ship. when he
ok charge of the two stocks of cloth I
&, which were transferred to Scotch
ck's hands for liquor and board. .
"A few days were sufficient to wear I
It his welcome there ,
He was forced, after all, to shin in