Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-12-12
IN 1878

Vui SbulS udu We nut Fought tut1h
and beaten them, and now they want
our bodies on the sea to sail their
ships. Talk about the right of search,
impressing British seamen and all
that; they're stronger on the water
than we, and it's here they continue
to show their serpents' fangs. Oh, for
a Paul Jones to come down on this
ship and treat it as he treated the
Scraps.
Il suppose it would have been more
sensible for me to go to work instead
of resisting. Then ] wouldn't be in
this cubby hole, a man with a cutlass
to watch me. Methinks he's getting
sleepy, Drop your head again, old
fellow. II catch it sp%asmodically. \
few more mods and you'll not count
for much as a guard, But what if l
could leave this hole? | can't get out
Of the ship. One, two, three, four, five,
six-siS bells. l wish the fellow would
70 to sleep. Id just take a turn about
the ship to stretch my legs.
Now for it. He doesn't sir. Good
by, my hearty. I'm going to sec what
m of his majesty's ships looks like at
3 in the morning. Everybody asleep.
That's n fine sniff Of mir cvcst if it does
come through d portfolio. What's in
here7 A canvas bag on a bunk, with
a shot tied to II end. Wonder when
they're going to toss him over wish
they'd toss me over instead. I'd rather
make a dinner for sharks than work
For British tyrants. Wonder If the
watch on deck are all awake. Reckon
they are. These Britishers are good at
discipline. No, | can't go up there.
"Suppose-suppose ] could get tossed
overheard il place of this dead man.
Where would l go TOT TO the bottom,
Of curse. | couldn't get out of the bag,
and the shot would sink me. | might
find a knife to take with me. But |
couldn't swim ashore. We must be off
the Massachusetts coast. Wonder if
their lifeboats are fitted with cork side
pieces. If I can get enough cork to
float me and n knife I'll try it. It's
still dark or dusk. Hello, a knife.,'
who's therei"
THAT fellow nearly got me. If it
hadn't been for him I'd have been over
in the water in another second. But /
got the cork. l wish | could have dip
ped into the boat. l might have Sc
cured Il cork jacket instead. Now, I'll
steal back and try to summon nerve to
get into the bag.
There, my man, OF, rather, my dead
man, you stay under that bunk while I
take your sleeping place. I'll have a
hard time relacing the bag. All right;
l reckon that'll do, though they may
notice bad lacing. Now comes the
worst of it, the waiting.
Eight bells.
zone bell.
"Seven bells. | must have dropped
asleep. Strange that / could sleep in a
dead mans bag; but, now l think of it.
I've no slept before for two days, not
since these rascals took me from the
Molly Boyd.
They're coming. Here they are.
The leaving off of that shot came pref
ty near ~betraying me. They've got it
tight enough this time. Never mind
the burial service. Oh, God, to listen to
ones own burial service! That's what
it is, my burial service. I'll never get
out of this alive. What, a fool. |
could have submitted and lived.
"The Lord have mercy on my soul.
Will l never get this cord cut? Down.
down. What an awful down! If l
don't do it in another moment the wa
fer above will hold me under. Besides.
| can't hold my breath so long. Aha.
Goodby, old shot; you may go TO the
bottom. I'm going up. Whew. that
was a long breath stop, Oh, blessed
air! Let me get rid of this bag and I'll
breathe easier. Thank heaven 1t isn't
night.
odds fish. didn't think the ship
was so near. I got under the water
just in time to miss being seen. 1t
wouldn't have mattered. They'd have
thought the shot had slipped Off and
the dead had arisen.
"This is tiresome, and I'm getting
hungry. If l could only have come up
on a few herring in the galley before
leaving the ship. Let me see, Judging
from the position Of the sun it must
be an hour or two past meridian. Not
a ship yet sighted. I'm neal the
coast and should at least see the sails
OF fishers. What's that on the hori-
zon It's a sail, sure enough.
Yes, it's getting larger all the while.
It's coming straight for me.
"'Ship ahoyv!
They hear me. They're luting to
the wind. That's the pleasantest
sound-that boat coming down from
her davits-I've heard In a long while.
I'm in luck. This way, you lubbers.
What are you steering of two or three
points for? Can't see me for tbe
rollers? Well. 1 am bobbing I'M and
down a good deal, but I've got used TO
it. There you are. Now keep that