Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-05-04
CHAPTER /.


1 was born in the days of the Lord
Protector, so that l was a little past my
ma iority when the things that | have
In mind to relate took place. My father
was IA sea captain, out of Portsmouth
for the Mediterranean, and was killed
by the Barbary pirates and his ship
taken q little time before | came of age.
My mother grieved sorely for him. and
only survived his loss a few months,
and my two young brothers being then
put out with a reputable haberdasher,
and the little that remained of our for
tune turned over to him for their ben
eft, | found myself of sudden alone
in the world, and brought, for the first
time, to depend upon myself for lIv-
ing. | had made a few voyages with
my father. and had come to be some
thing of a seaman, though l knew
scarce anything of navigation, and this
knowledge, with what gained from an
ordinary round of schooling, stood for
all l was now to reckon on to make
my way in the world. While / was re-
flecting on my condition, and casting
about to see what l should do-for |
did not relish the idea of using the
ca, though that was now often in my
mind-I chanced to fall in with a GER
tain shipmaster, Daniel Houthwick by
name, to whom, after a short acquaint-
ance, l disclosed my case, and asked his
advice We were seated in the taproom
of one of the little dock inns at the
time, with pot of old October before
i11S{ hyr 10 tn n
took a pull at his mug, which made his
hairy throat give a great throb, and
after little deliberation answered:
Il should be blithe to h. you, Mas
ter Ardicl, could but get my bearings
to see how. You know l am an old salt
water, with little run of things ashore.
] 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 sea? Twill not deny
that it is hard life, and mistrust you
do not incline to it, yet | think there be
worse callings. Moreover, your father
followed it, and l 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 a little, for this
was the very thing | would not have,
yet | was slow to refuse. At last l an
swered:
Il have indeed salt water in my veins,
which is to say l like the sea, yet l
have a scruple concerning a sailors life,
and thus far have not learned suf-
ficient to overcome it,"
He regarded me with attention while
I was speaking, and when ! had made
an end smiled and was silent for mo-
ment.
at as Iguessed, D." 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 brisker tone
than he had before, 81 have a mind to
make you proposition. am in want
of a second mate. So we can agree
upon terms, what say you to the place
1t is a little better beginning than a
bare berth before the mast, with the
chance of betterment."
l 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, II cannot see why
should decline such kindly and timely
offer. agree, 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 run
ming about and pulling and hauling, all
without much method or precision
We're surprising and perpleXing, but at
last we reached the jetty where the cap
tain's boat was lying. On the way ii
suddenly occurred to me that had neg
lected to ask pretty important ques-
ton, which was the port that the In
dustry-the captains ship-was bound
fer. | asked it now, and learned that
1t was Havana, in the West Indies. This
suited me very well, as l had never been
in those parts, and had young fellows
fondness for novelty. We boarded the
gig, which middle-aged sailor was
keeping, and were soon clear of the
tangle of shipping about the docks, and
standing into the roadstead. | sus-
pected that one of the three large YES
sells that were at anchor some little
distance out might be the Industry, and
accordingly asked the captain.
"Aye, quite right, " he answered. point
ing to the easternmost of the ships,
"There she is"
There yyoS a dazzIe IN the water ir