The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-04-01
don't speak so dlsFespectfully Of my
friends"
JOHN BARTON OXFORD.
MY ONE
FACULTY.
[orIgInall

could learn my lessons, and my father
who otherwise would have wished M,
to take a profession. put me on ship
as cabin boy, remarking that such n
career was good enough for Il Ounce.
The captain took fancy TO me and
tried 10 teach me navigation, but there
were so many slnes. cosines, arcs and
angles about II TO bewilder me that he
soon gave 1t up in despair, So II seemed
, that | must continue to wait on the
ships company, clean the cabin win.
dows and at mealtlmes assist the cook
in the galley.
One morning when | was washing
the breakfast dishes noticed that the
ship had been brought up to the wind
which was Tapping in the sails. Soon
after having occasion to 20 to the after
cabin, saw the captain and the first
mate standing looking at the rudder
post. Though the tiller was dashed fast.
the rudder swayed with the waves.
This was because the rudder post was
defective. As the rudder moved the
post would twist, opening and closing
huge cracks, or course the ship was
without steerage The captain looked
anxious.
stlnntnip - I .y,,tl
open fill them with wedges. and your
post viii hold firm"
The captain turned and looked at me,
astonlshed that cabin boy should dare
TO advise him. Then he grutIly ordered
the mate to so and get the wedges.
They We're driven in the cracks, iron
bands were put around the post, and II
held good till we reached port.
1t had become evident that possess
ed ingenuity.
The captain considered that by my
suggestion had saved the ship and
on reaching home told the owners. who
placed thousand dollars In bank TO
be given me on my coming of age My
father was much perpleXed at the sto.
ry and, thinking that perhaps my teach,
ers had been at fault wished me TO re- |
main at home and try school again. |
But | hated books aud took kindly to q
rowing life ON the ocean SO my father |
deciding that there must he some mis- |
take about my ingenious suggestion
relapsed into the belief that | was still !
a Ounce and the position Of cabin boy
quite good enough for me But he was
again doomed to revise his opinion
when returned from the next voyage.
We were in the China sea not far
from the Malay peninsula, having
aboard a cargo of oil There is no part
Of the globe where piracy has been and
Is today more common. One evening
Just before sunset went on deck and
saw the captain and both mates ex-
amining with glasses a small vessel to
the leeward, which was towing n good
sized bark. Suddenly the smaller yes.
sci drew away from the other and sail
ed toward us. Though she showed no
fiag. our captain knew her to be q pi.
rate with prize In tow, and, since we
had nothing with which to defend our
selves except small arms. he had no
doubt that as soon as the craft could
'each us we would walk the plank.
Captain" ! said get up n barrel of
vi and pour 1t over the decks. except
he poop. Then get the men up there.
With the arms, hoist the white flag and
ct them come aboard"
The captain stared at me for a mo-
nent, the color gradually coming to
lis cheeks with hope. then ordered not
me barrel but dozen brought up and
tove at different parts Of the deck. The
atlnes, the bulwarks, every bit Of sur
ace was. shining with oil. Then the
nen were gathered with the small arms
n the poop" BY this time the skull
nd crossbOnes" were raised on the
irate, and in a few minutes more she
vas within hailing distance Since
here was no appearance OF resistance,
he sent out the boats, loaded with
opper colored villains, leaving only a
mall crew aboard. There was consd-
rable sea on, and we were rolling heav-
y. One boat made for the bow, the
ther for the waist, and the crews
llmbed up on to the deck. The first
ian to reach 1t slid on to it from the
lied gunwale His feet shot out from
nder him, and he coasted into the
cuppers. In q few moments some
yenty men were sliding about as the
hip rolled, while we, taking out our
uns, which we had concealed under
ur jackets, opened fire. = Before the
irates could get their legs we had
eppered every one Of them except !
lose who had not left the boats. They,
icing the disaster, pulled for their
essel, but we picked them off as they
WED. The men on the pirate, terror
ricken at what they could not under
and, put their ship before the wind
nd sailed away.
We found some shoemakers wax
board, with which we covered the
lies Of our shoes Then when he had
,aved overheard the dead and wound
pirates we made sail for the ship
ey had left. She proved a fat prize,
I'd we took her in tow When we got
)me the captain and crew, after col
citing the prize money, were so CRATE