The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-05-04
Adrift on An Ice Field.
BY GEORGE IA. tCOOMER.

CAM STANLEY and l had been at
tached to each other from our era
dies. We were of the same age, and our
families, living in the country, were
close neighbors. We had played to-
gether as children, had sailed mimic
boats on pasture pond, set snares in
the woods for Guails. We both had a
strong inclination for the sea- and were
resolved to crafty it as soon as cir
cumstances should permit. The small
water craft that we launched on the
goose pond became in our imagination
real ships, barks and brigs. We gave
them yards, topsails and topgallant-
sails, like those of the big vessels at the
wharves of the neighboring seaport;
and would send them off to some for
eign cline on the other side of that little
ocean, and possession OF which an old
gray gander and his flock sometimes
disputed with us.
When we had grown bigger and
stronger, and were about IA years old,
Sam got a chance to go as cabin boy in
a brig bound to the West Indies, and
him; but one boy was enough, the cap
tain said, and so there was no chance for
me on that old-fashioned square-rigger.
But the thought that my cham, from
whom ] had never been separated, was
to make real ocean voyage, and would
come home rolling SO badly on his sea-
legs as to dip up gravel stones in his
or1, IN Gn1 OF nf homo
a mere commonplace landlubber, was
intolerable to me.
However, Sam and talked the matter
over-he telling how sorry he was that
/ couldn't go with him, and / how /
grieved to be left behind--till we gath
cred some consolation from the thought
that at some time in the near future we
same vessel, after which we would al
ways manage to do so.
Sam had been gone month, when
quite unexpectedly l obtained berth
on board a ship bound to New Orleans.
/ had some hope of getting back before
he should have had time to start on a
second voyage, so that next time we
would sail together. But, at all events,
the present chance was too good to
be thrown away.
While we were taking in our cargo
of cotton at New Orleans | saw by the
papers that Sans brig had arrived
home from Santiago de Cuba with a
load of molasses; and now should we
have a short homeward passage, we
/ lNafn In
should be off again: especially as his
vessel was reported to have lost her
mainmast in gale, so that she would
have to wait for repairs.
But instead of a short passage, we
had a tediously long one, with north
casters almost the whole way, and a
heavy head swell that made our prog
ress very slow in spite of the aid we
got from the gulf stream. When we
did arrive, our folks told me that Sam,
after waiting for us a number of weeks,
had accepted chance to make Euro
pean voyage, and that his ship had
sailed that very morning.
He had left word that he was very
sorry 10 go without seeing me, but that
Ine Chance DelnS 50 SOOu, lie ldu becH
unable to resist the temptation. His
vessel was bound for 'Cowes and a mar
ket," very common destination: and
saw that there was not much hope of
our meeting very soon, as | should
probably be off again before his return.
1t would never answer to let Sam out
strip me as a sailor.
After time | got voyage for Ham
burg, and the same day that my name
was put on the ships papers, | received
letter from my young chum, dated
from "Cowes, Isle of Wight" saying
that his vessel had been ordered TO the
great German seaport where | had just
engaged TO go. He said that after dis
charging their cargo, they should prob
ably wait some time for freight and
how he did wish, he continued, that |
could get voyage for the same place.
1t was a singular coincidence that |