Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-17

every vessel in the world must sooner or
later, all this was changed. The white
sails were replaced by others patched and
brown. The masts were painted to repre-
sent worm-cating and dryrot. The fine
long guns We're shrouded in tarpaulia, with
debris of boxes and bales orftop scattered
every way. The glistening carronades were
disguised or trundled out of sight Nothing
save the taut and perfect cordage BETRAYED
to the eye that one of the smartest ships of
her size in the world, with as daring a
crew as ever trod deck-plank, was living
peacefully at anchor amid a score of peace
full merchantmen.
These things, of course, I mostly learned
afterward, for at first l was too much
taken up with anxiety as to our position on
board and concerned about my mother to
ask any questions. And, indeed of Incl
dent, on our outward cruise there was
hardly any.
Once I was on deck when the lookout
away up on the high crosstrees cried out
something sharply. which the mate, thick
set Scot from Tillicoultry made him repeat
No sooner had he grasped the purport of
the message than he clutched a brass tele-
scope and swung himself up into the
shrouds with the agility Of a monkey.
Then few moments afterward Saul Mark
and the captain came on deck. All sail
was crowded on, and l shall never forget
the look of alertnesS on all the mems
faces as they crowded forward and gazed
across the blue leaping sea toward that
unseen something which had been reported
on the horizon. For me. could distinguish
nothing save the unstable plain of ocean
and the white balancing wings Of seabirds.
Then Captain Stansfield, with a gallant
air, asked that he might he allowed to
escort my mother below; whereupon she
took his arm as doubtless she had done
when he had come as a young wooer to her
fathers manor. Anna Mark was to have
gone along with her, but with deft alac-
rity she hid herself behind a carronade
which still wore its harbor rigging
/ went forward among tho
though one of these ordered me below, and
saw me leave his side Of the deck, no fur
Their notice was taken of me.
Capt. Stansfield and Saul Mark. with
Lambie, the Tillicoultry mate a little be-
hind them. were on the quarter deck, eager
ly examining the chase. I could now see
the ship, huge tower of canvas, half
sunk under the pale whttish-blue line of the
horizon.
She mounted fast. and we would soon
have overhauled her. But long before I
in pursuit of could hear the man on the
lookout calling again. This time Saul Mark
climbed up to the station in the crosstrees-
with a telescope.
hauling more every moment. Two are
ships of war-British by their riggtngp'
My father laughed loudly.
We are not metal to scratch such a
tartar as that. 1t must be the Jamaica
convoy-six ships of war, by CAD! and
thirty sail of merchantmen
instantly the men relaxed their strained
attention, and the course OF the shin IVA 9
changed. The white towers of sail disan-
peared again over the blue line, or rather
sank into it. and we were alone in the CEN
ter of that tireless circle Of sea.
All this while the ship was worked &C
steadily and regularly as Umphray Spur-
ways mill. as, indeed. Will Bowman Often
said. WILL was an active fellow. strong
and quick at learning. Beside, what stood
him in good stead now, he had been in his
youth much among the fishermen of whit.
by, so ropes and sea heavings came easier
to him than to me. AS much as thew womid
let him. he became one of the crew and
could reef and steer and scramble With
any Of them. Jobs had very literally no
| stomach for. Nv
But our chief occupation on board was
| looking after and cheering the twenty
seven poor boys torn from their homes
| some entrapped. some cozened, others again
plainly stolen away from widowed mothers
who had no means of avenging or avan
tracing their loss. For the town of Aher.
cairn and its surrounding villages had
been swept, as city is sometimes rid of
| its stray dogs, by the hunters of men.
These poor lads had been carried awav
and their fate was to be sold for slaves IN
the plantations. There were even a few
among them against whose parents certain
| In high place had grudges. 1t was no diff
| cult matter to punish such recalcitrants nv
picking up a son, who, In the cleaning of
| long summers day or early winters at
ternoon, might be running wild at sstiGss