Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1899-12-28
CHAPTER VIII.
How Tom Was Tattooed

My companion was a short and thick
set sailor, about forty years of age.
and whose figure was suggestive of
great muscular strength; his hair was
cut short but his whlskers were of
the most yoluminous description, as he
was anxious to conceal as much as
possible OF the strange circles, stripes.
and grotesque designs with which his
burned face was covered, and
which, by their form and blackness
impaired hideous aspect of features
that otherwise were rather good look
ing and pleasing.
He was an intelligent man.and we'll
read. for the humble class to which he
belonged.
AYE, Master Rodney" said he. on
perceiving that | was still surveying
him with something OF wonder land
his face was a point on which he was
particularly sensitive); you see what
precious figure-head these 'tarnal
niggers on the coast OF Africa made
for me-"
"How did this happen, Tom?" said |.
filling his drinking horn.
hbout twenty years ago. Master
Rodney, | belonged to the Arrow. a
smart Liverpool bark of two hundred
and twenty tons register. | made
many voyages in her to South Ameri-
ca, but at last, as bad luck, or my des-
tiny (as men say in the play) would
have it, she was chartered for the west
coast OF Africa, to trade with the ma
fiVps but MT in hIanly co+tla e. -.
cry was never our line of business.
I'VE sailed from the Mersey in June
and early in August found ourselves at
the mouth of the Congo river, after n
prosperous voyage; but on the night
we made the land heavy gale came
on, and 1t veered round all the points
of the compass In an hour. The sea
and the sky was as black as they could
be, and everything else was black too,
except the breakers on abe shore to
leeward and heaven knows they were
white enough-too white and too near
to be pleasant
Our skipper handled the Arrow
we'll and she obeyed every touch OF
the helm as a horse might do its
bride; she was sharply built. but
heavily spared and no other square
rugged craft upon the sea could beat
her on wind.
II think | see her yet. Master Rod
ney, for she was the first vessel I
shipped on board of. and hang me If
! didn't love her as if she had been
my old mothers house. near Deptford
docks.
Her huh was long and low, and
sat like a swan In the water, only that
she was not white, like a swan. but
as black as paint could make her.
| Aloft, the masts tapered away like
/ fishing-rods. crossed by the square
/ yards, while stays, shrouds, halyards
/ and hamper were always taut as If
made OF cast-iron; but for all this. she
/ failed to weather that gale off the
+ Congo river. She missed stays and
I got sternway, SO you see, sir, 1t was
soon all over with her after that"
Howl do not understand"
Don't you know what sternway is
What do they teach folks ashore? She
was taken aback In the hnrricane-the
most dangerous thing that can happen
/ to any Yessel--a sudden shift of wind
threw her on her broadside in the
trough OF the sea, and with her deel
toward the storm, so her matches were
soon beaten mall the sooner thai
she was driven on a coral reef neal
the Sharks Nose. where the sea was
like sheet of foam around her.
Tive poor fellows were washed