Charlevoix county herald., 1907-11-30

UO6 IL - hiatC bCoah W vain away, thC
men following him.
"'Oh!' l said, is that eu?
THAT'S all, my lad said the mas
ter-at-arms.
II tailed on to the line and walked
up with the others. That's where l
considered myself just leetle smart
er than the rest OF 'em. The men
were marched up to the mast, where
the cap'n and the first lieutenant
stood.
my men, said the cap'n., I'm 60
ing ashore on a rather dangerous ex-
petition tonight. Do you want to
go?'
"'Aye, aye, sir said every man,
and / among them.
"'Who told you TO come, young
ster?' said the bos'n's mate to me.
Don't send me back said l. If
you won't, I'll give you all my to-
bacco for months to come
"'You can't bride me- said the
bos'n's mate. You haven't got your
eyes open yet. Go back to your quar-
ters'
What is that, bos'n's mater said
the old man.
I'm only telling him that he isn't
needed, sir said he. we have all
that you called for. I've chosen the
biggest and oldest and those who
have had the most experience.
May speak to the cap'n? said l..
10 30
"'What is it. my lad? csked the
cap'n.
Il just gave one glance at the
bos'n's mate. Now, wasn't that like
him-our cap'n, l mean? l can see
him now, hardly more than a lad,
looking at me as if he was so.
Let me go! Oh, do please, sir, let
me. Oh, do! Oh, do! Oh. sir, please,
cap'n, SIR!
THE cap'n laughed. The spirit Of
the Ship he said.
IF it was the spirit of the ship, |
knew who put it there.
"'Have we room for one more,
bos'n? asked the cap'n, turning to
where the bos'n was ordering the
boats lowered.
"'Yes, sir said the bos'n, If he'll
stow himself in the bows
Very well, then, my man., said
the cap'n.
while the boats were being low
cred l ran below just to tell my guns
crew and crow over the rest OF EN-,
and was on deck again quicker than
you could say Jack Robinson.
I'VE got over the side and slowed
ourselves away. There were two
boats, three officers and 20 men, and
perhaps because | was SO young the
cap'n ordered me to get into his
boat. We none of us knew what the
old man was up to. but we had heard
the word Smithville, and we knew
that Gen. Herbert's headquarters were
there, and the report said that there
was about q thousand men under
arms in the barracks. We didn't
right understand it, but we knew it
was all right if Cap'n Cushing said
it was.
Il can tell you we. were as quiet as
mice as we passed the forts at the
mouth of the river and rowed quiet
ly up to the town. AS we passed the
forts a steamer was coming down the
river. Her lights were extinguished,
but We heard her paddle wheels and
the throb of her engines, and pres
emily the black mass doomed up just
ahead of us. / felt the boat give a
sudden lurch, as the cap'n ported his
helm to get out Of the way Of the
great thing which would have run
us down as easily as / could crush
a fly. When we had steered clear of
her l heard the old man say: That
was the Scotia. l meant to try her
first if she had been at the wharf,
but it would have been foolhardy
while she was under way, and per-
haps would have separated us from
the other boat. l should like very
much to call upon the captain of the
Scotia. I shall try it, think, when
she returns
THE Scotia was blockade run
HtI WHICH, we OItcu uOpcu u
catch and burn. And now that she
was out of the way, l wondered what
plan our commanding officer had in
his head. AS we pulled ashore l saw
a big building looming up, which
some one said was the hotel. There
were one or two lights in it, and /
wondered If it was full of confederate
officers and soldiers, and If our cap
tain expected to capture 'em with two
officers and 20 men, all told
I'VE got out Of the boats, and the
cap'n ordered the men to hide them
selves under the bank. Some of us
he ordered to come with him, and you
may be sure / didn't stay behind. II
there was going to be fun, l was go
ing in for it. The first thing we did
was to capture some negroes who
were at the salt works