Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-26

sea but TO hide myself on some out
goin vessel. Stowaways, we call sech.
"At the time the brig John Shay was
lyin' in port loadin' with railroad iron.
She was fine vessel, bound for Rio,
Cap'n Bragg.
when dusk was fallin I slipped
aboard her unbeknownst, an, droppin'
into the hold, hid myself behind coil
o. rope. 1t was very dark an smelled
powerful o. tar, an reckoned 1 was
some skeered. / had some bread an
cheese in my pocket an eat II fer my
supper-then, bein' so dark 1 fell
asleep.
Before long I was walked by n
scrapin' scurryin' sound. knewed in
minute what it were-rats Hev We
ever seen them wharf rats sonny, big
as a cat? They's very bold, attackin
grown man in the night time. But,
lawl they wasn't payin' no attention
to me. I stealed up on the deck. The
moon was shinin' bright, an across
the gangplank I see black shadders
movin'. First one would whisk across
then two or three. An they KEEP it
up. The rats were leavin' the ship. II
don't mind tellin' ye, my hair riz.
Sailors is supe'stitious we know, an
it's bad sign, the rats leavin' the
ship, bad sign. summat allus hap
pens to the ship as gets lef by the
rats. Them little fellers is smart-they
knows.
Il crep' back TO my hiding place
more skeered than ever, but I das-
sent go back home, fearin' my uncle.
"All next day 1 lay there, hearin' the |
cargo goin' in. the longshoremen
singin' as they loaded her UP, the
officers cussin' and givin' orders. An
me in the dark gettin' powerful hun
cry. 4
"At sundown the John Shay weighed
anchor-there was stiff breeze
swellin' and we was off, all sail set.
Next mornin' hunger brought me /
out same as bears when they've been
spendin' the winter in holler tree an
gifts empty in their insides.
They was a big time when 1 was
found. The cap'n cussed an swore
an kicked me good an plenty.
Ye blarsted little imp says he. |
'whatn I do with We but feed We to
the harks?'-meanin to skeer me- |
which 1 was.
Mr.. Keller were mate A fine man
he were. He'd been round the world |
with Goldsborough in the Colorado. an,
ned sailed many a voyage.
Leave me the lad, SIR saws he.
He can make himself useful about the
snip an work his passage says he.
but don't ye play no more tricks, We
durn little scamp he says.
Thet was the long an short of U
Sailors is kind men, an 1t weren't
many days afore 1 knowed summat n,
the snip an got TO be real fond n
the little pig they KEEP for mascot.
The time passed, quiet like. with
some storms. but nothin' very bad. We
was sailing in the Caribbean sea at the
time. Fer days the sea was like glass
lookin' SO level ye could walk on n
Ihere was summat unwholesome in the
weather, fer all that. We was be-
calmed sev'rel times.
Mr.. Keller come to the cap'n after
spell o this, an says: 'Cap'n Bragg
says he, there's signs of a storm, SIR
The cap'n looks to sea, calm as a
frog pond, an up to the blue sky an
laughs hearty You think so. Mr.
Keller" says he There was bad blood
between 'em.
Mr.. Keller's eye flashes quick, but
he says, very respectful: These tropical
seas is treacherous, capn. 1 hev sailed
In the Indian ocean. There is very
sign of such typhoon as occurs in
those waters Then he telled about
the signs he seed in the moon the night
afore.
The cap'n says quite scornful: L
hev navigated twenty years, sir an I
never see tempest brewin' such days
az these, SIR implyin' Mr.. Keller knew
little o. sailin'.
" Nevertheless, Capn Bragg says
the mate, L leg of you take in sail. AS
you value your brig, SIR
But we didn't take in no sail. Ev'ry
stitch o. canvas were set
II don't know how it come on us, lad,
so quick we couldn't reef the sails. OF
a sudden the sea an sky was black
as ink an the wind howled in the
riggin' like banshee. The sea washed
over us, the sails carried the brig over
on her side an the cap'n an crew fell
on their knees an began sayin' their
prayers, expectin' to be carried down
to Davy Jones next minute.
But Mr. Keller, he gave the cap'n
a kick, tellin' him to leave off prayin'
an save the ship. An Mr.. Keller
rips out his knife an cuts the halyards
like a madman. Lad, it were sight
to see a thousand dollars worth of +
canvas fiyin' out to sea!
20 course the brig, freed o. her
spread o. canvas, righted herself, an
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