Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1905-07-20
MY ONE
FACULTY
fOrfginal.1

/ am an example of the value Of pos
sesSing one faculty alone in very higl
degree. As boy at school l neye
could learn my lessons, and my father
who otherwise would have wished M
to take a profession, put me on a shil
as cabin boy, remarking that such ,
career was GOOD enough for Ounce.
The captain took fancy to me ant
tried to teach he navigation, but there
were so many sines, cOsines, arcs an6
angles about it to bewilder me that he
soon gave it up in despair. SO it seemed
that l must continue to wait on the
ships company, clean the cabin win
dows and at mealtimes assist the cook
in the galley.
One morning When l 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 go to the after
cabin, l saw the captain and the first
mate standing looking at the rudder
post. Though the tiller was lashed fast,
the rudder swayed with the waves.
This was because the rudder post was
detective AS the rudder moved the
post would twist, opening and closing
huge cracks. OF course the ship was
without storage The captain looked
anxious.
'Captain" | said. when the cracks
open fill item with wedges, and your
post will hold firm
The captain turned ana looked at me,
astonisDed that a cabin boy should dare
to advise him. Then lie grutfiy ordered
the mate to go and get the wedges.
They were 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 l 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. Ny
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 l hated books and took kindly to a
rowing life on the ocean. SO my father,
deciding that there must be some mis-
take about my ingenious suggestion,
relapsed into the belief that l 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 fal
from the Malay peninsula, having
aboard cargo Of oil. There is no part
IF the globe where piracy has been and
8 today more common. One evening
lust before sunset I went on deck and |
saw the captain and both mates ex-
with glasses a small vessel Ia |
he leeward, which was towing good |
'ized bark. Suddenly the smaller yes,
vel drew away from the other and sail
ID toward us. Though she showed nc
lag, our captain knew her to be a pi,
ate with a prize In tow. and, since we
lad nothing with which to defend our
Ielves except small arms, he had no
loubt that as soon as the craft could
each us we would walk the plank.
Captain" l said, get up a barrel of
IL 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 Mt me for q mo-
nent, the color gradually coming to
is cheeks with hope, then ordered not
ne barrel but dozen brought up and
tove at different parts Of the deck. The
atlines, the bulwarks. every bit of sur
ace was shining with oil. Then the
len were gathered with the small arms
n the poop" BY this time the Skull
nd crossbones" were raised on the
irate, and in q few minutes more she
7as within hailing distance. Since
here was no appearance of resistance.
be sent out the boats, loaded with
0pper colored villains. leaving only
mall crew aboard. There was consid- ,
-able sea on, and we were rolling heav- I,
=. One boat made for the bow, the
ther for the waist, and the crews
imbed up on to the deck. The first ,
ian to reach it slid on to it from the /,
led gunwale. His feet shot out from |
nder him, and he coasted into the I
In a few moments some G
venty men were sliding about as the /
nip rolled, while we. taking out our |
ms. which we had concealed under [
lr jackets, opened fire. Before the 7
rates could get their legs we had 1
,ppered every one of them except q
ose who had not left the boats. They, q
'eing the disaster. pulled for their
.ssel, but we picked them off as they
wed. The men on the pirate, terror
ricken at what they could not under {