The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1899-1900, 1899-05-31
CHAPTER I.

Protector, so that was little past my
majority when She things that have
In mind to relate took place. My father
\was sea captain, out of Portsmouth
for the Mediterranean, and was killed
by the Barbary pirates and his ship
taken little time before came of age
My mother grieved sorely for him, and
only survived his loss few months
and my two young brothers being theI
put out with reputable haberdasher
and the little that remained of our for
tune turned over to him for their ben
eft, l found myself of sudden alone
in the world, and brought, for the first
time, to depend upon myself for liv
ing. had made few voyages witt
my father, and had come to be some
thing of a seaman, though l knew
scarce anything of navigation, and this
knowledge, with what l gained from al
ordinary round of schooling, stood fol
all l was now to reckon on to make
my way in the world. While was re.
fiecting on my condition, and casting
about to see what l should do-for
did not relish the idea of using the
sea, though that was now often in my
mind-I chanced to fall in with GER
tain shipnaster, Daniel Houthwick by
name, to whom, after a short acquaint
ance, l disclosed my case, and asked his
2 advice. We were seated in the taproom
of one of the little dock inns at the
time, with pot of old October before
us and no one just by. The captain
took pull athis mug, which made his
barry throat give a great throb, and
after little deliberation answered:
"I should be blithe to help you, Mas
ter Ardicl, could I but get my bearings
to see how. You know am an old salt
water, with little run of things ashore.
i might come at something by broad
reckoning, but no better"
"Give me that" said l, eagerly. "Any-
thing is better than beating about all
ways in the wind.'
''Then how say YOU" he began, "to
taking up with the sea2 Twill not deny
that it is hard life, and mistrust you
do not incline to it, yet l think there be
worse callings. Moreover, your father
followed it, and conceive you must
have been born with some natural fit
ness for it. These things do not out
of the blood in one generation, Have
you, then, so much salt water in your
veins as will overbear the objections ?"
| hung in the wind little, for this
was the very thing | would not have,
yet was slow to refuse. At last l an
swered:
II have indeed salt water in my veins,
which is to say like the sea, yet l
have a scruple concerning a sailors life,
and thus far have not learned suf-
ficient to overcomeit."
He regarded me with attention while
] was speaking, and when had made
an end smiled and was silent for mo-
ment.
"Itisas guessed" he then went on to
answer. ''Well, and am willing to con-
cede you three parts right. Yet how if
there offered some opportunity for ad-
vancement-I mean without waiting
half lifetime?"
"Why, in that case" answered, not
quite sure what he would be at, "the
matter would stand in another light"
Look you," he said, rounding upon
me then and speaking in a brislier tone
than he had before, 81 have a mind to
make you a proposition. l am in want
of a second mate. So we can agree
upon terms, what say you to the place?
It is little better beginning than a
bare berth before the mast, with the
chance of betterment."
/ could see the thing closing in upon
me, as it were, yet hardly knew how to
evade it, and, on the whole, began to
care less TO do so. "Well, captain" / |
finally answered, 81 cannot see why l |
should decline such kindly and timely |
offer. Iagree, providing that am able
to fulfill all your requirements, which |
somewhat doubt, seeing that my eX-
perience has been but brief"
He called for the score, which he in
sisted upon paying and we left the inn. |
There was a good deal of confusion
along the docks, for several of the kings |
ships were fitting for sea, and the rum
ming about and pulling and hauling, all |
much method or precision,
were surprising and perplexing, but at
last we reached the jetty where the cap
tain's boat was lying. On the way it
suddenly occurred to me that had neg
lected to ask a pretty important ques-
tion, which was the port that the In
captains ship--was bound
for. / asked it now, and learned that
Il was Havana, in the West Indies. This
suited me very well, as had never been
IN those parts, and had a young fellows
fondness for novelty. We boarded the
gig, which middle-aged sailor was
keeping, and were soon clear of the
.angle of shipping about the docks, and
standing into the roadstead. | sus-
Dected that one of the three large ves-
,els that were at anchor some little
distance out might be the Industry, and
accordingly asked the captain.
"Aye, quite right, Unanswered point
ng to the easternmost of the ships,
There she is"
There was dazzle on the water in
hat direction, and / could not get so
perfect view of her as desired, but
nevertheless j was able TO Judge her
hief features. She stood pretty well
tut Of the water considering that she
vas Ioaded), and, while she had good
,eam. was not overround in the bows,
md was well and loftily spared. She
vas painted black, with gilded streak,
nd showed no break for ports, which,
indeed, was not surprising, as few mer-
hantmen at that time carried their '
uns otherwise than on deck. All her c
ops seemed to be provided with shields, Q
T barricadoes. and on the poop and /
long the bulwarks could resolve the O
utlines Of several sakers and swivels. Il
esides these she might carry some 6