Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-12-09
on THE SPANISH MAIN

Our mate in the Caspian. Mr.. Bar
clay, used to tell of the following ad-
venture. l have sometimes though.
that he possessed a talent for embel.
fishing, and I 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. got infected, like
many other young fellows, with the
desire to run away and try my luck
elsewhere And listened to the Sc
ductive stories of Tom Babson, an ad-
ventureN who had led a harum-
scarum life. knocking about ia he Pa
ciac, and in the various ports on the
Spanish Main, till | 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 a ten
gun brig, called the Tres Amigos She
was fitting out to go and fight some-
body-1 never knew exactly who, for
these South American republics were
always in a row. think they hardly
knew themselves what It 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 cur stay We
contrived TO smuggle nea 'y 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.
I'VE went to the rendezvous where
they shipped men for the brig, and
found. much to OR disappointment
that the wages were not so large as had
been represented, and that only one
doubloon would be advanced instead Of
two.
"I began to perceive that all that
glittered in a beach-combers story was
not gold; butSwe had gone so far that
we disliked t5turn 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
ruyian man-of-war, but hide away un-
Ill 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 q
last resort
There was no occasion for us TO
hide away before nightfall, for our
leave lasted until sundown. I 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 reconloiter. and saw one
after another Of my shipmates so down
and take their places In her l felt
lonely to set my sober second thought
to work; and the result was | deter
mined to stick by the Marion apd let
Tom Babson go his own reckless road.
"The boat was in the very act Of
pushing of when, obeying the voice ot
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?
81 alone knew; but though had re-
pented my own foolishness / had no
idea of turning informer. So Tom was
left behind and the next morning a new
hand was shipped in his stead
eve were very lucky in taking
whales; and in a year afterward we
anchored at TumheE, with a full ship
and after taking in our water, went up
to Payta, te<njoy cur liberty ard rell
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 o! the world; know
ing his life to be that Of mere ad-
venturer.
"But one day. While strolling about
7 nassed what | took to be prison OF
ouard- house. where sentry was pac-
ing back and forth, when heard my
nayre called from a loophole.
T stopped in istonishment and
stared at face pressing up against ID
opening. which did not at once rec
ognizs.
"'Who Is It that knows me!' asked
Don't you remember your comrad'
Tom Babson?
II walked up to the loop to push NJ
hand in, but the sentinel interposed
little. insignihcant-looking Cholo, a
the half-Spanish, half-Indian are Gale
on .tbe coast. took his measure al
'si'" y (E1<SIZ.aanish words whispere' &c
--silver reales dis
fze. and tn