The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-26
In the U1asp's Nes1
RY CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY.
(Copyright, 1902, by scrbner's sons.>
~ :, CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY.
CHAPTER x.
The Wasp GETS a New "Reeter."

pleasant sunny the early of 1872
~ quite twelve after the finding of Master Ned
long dirk, midshipmans straight
sword dangling about his small legs stood on the wharf at
street. Philadelphia eagerly gazing out at
handsome little ulrigged ship swinging to the eop IN
mid stream before him.
without experience he in judging the
Of ships he had spent large portion OF MS
life the Boston shipyards certainly most OF his paytne
there; at rate Atho he was only a
sufficiently well informed to take in the beau
mark the wide reach OF
spreading her lofty spars That ne
little American accounted for the delight with
eyes the flag ripping out from the
AS he looked he took off his hat and saluted It,
smiling buoyanty and brightly as he did So
small chest In his breast pocket
his jacket from time TO time to reas
himself Of their were two very important
shpman's in the United States and orders
assigning ship before him; the other private
letter which bore the following superscrlption:
'Fo Ndaster-c onnnnandant Jacob Jones u S. NJ COM
manding the United States sloop- Wasp:
The old friend Commodore George
Little living in retirement Boston in his old age;
to the Of Captain Jones' to whose
modore:s little adopted SON. Master Boston,
indeed Captain Jones had stood the deck OF the
old Boston twelve years before.
Master Ned Boston had enjoyed practical ex-
perience the yet altho he had lived in an ocean
his cruises, and during the first
his life under Commodore ttles roof he had
been intimately associated with Jack Lang sailor filed
to matches, saying with and curious
about distant lands and and
fairly launched the Of life however Jack Lang
sailor always is had resigned his position
had drfed out into the seaaring world
and tho he had back once or twice be-
of late he had been los, sight Of
Whenever there had been fighting to be done Lang
the thick of it. He had served under Decatur
Trpolan and it had been keep track Of
him them but in the piping times of peace that followed
he lost sight Of
When the of 1872 Master Ned Boston
Little exerted his influence
which consderableto for his ward whom he
loved if he had been his son, warrant as mid
had further besrrred himself to get the boy
appointed to the Wasp whose captain he thought highly of
special interest in the aspirant for naval glory
of the peculiar part he had
taken in that ong-ago christening on the Boston.
Captain Jones had been much interested in
that time he had maintained correspondence
years with duties had prevented him from
keeping the matter and he had neither heard
him, however.
had delay in the issuance Of the
back France with dispatches when the news Of the
had received and she had already
completed refttng oveaulng about ready to
memorable cruise Ned arrived
Philadelphia after long and tedious journey by boat and
stage Boston, by Of New York
AS the boy stood in perplexty upon the wharf.
looking the ship he hailed by boatman along
Good mornin', young gentleman" said the from
his sk the at the foot of the landing stairs be
what ship be- boatman?' quered youngster.
"'Ts the United States ship Wasp, sir, bound on a
cruise. oyerhauin fer several months, an
she's about ready to weigh"
ship them returned the boy II am
midshipnan board Of her., added with
conscious pride.
Ah tits lucky ship She is, to have
officers, said the ingenuously. "Cant
the pleasure Of putin honor aboard, sir?'
'You can" said boy. promptly, jumping at the
chance "IIow much be?''
seems you're only midshipnan an jes joinin
it, I'll do it fer quarter of dollar.
The regular charge would have been ten cents or
shilling anxious to join his ship to think
price, if the had asked dollar he might
have a6i Si1v fhp arnOun
"All right said the boy, "come here and get my
over
In moments the boat swept alongside the star
gangway the boaman received his hay
ing unceremonousy showed the chest thru of tn
ports Master Ned climbed the battens
and found himself the
time the deck Of an American man of war
reception not particularly cordial A tai
naval uniform swiftly toward him. ben
his brows looked down him.
'Well sir said, sharply who are you?"
My name Boston, sir. Ned Boston