Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-10-01

right in to dinner. He'd kiss me.
talkin' soft about little children. Yes.
That's how e got me away &c sea as
boy on .seslin' voyage. without pay
ing me any wages.
Mother never knew what Cap'n
Nose was ike on weekdays, and Sun
day didn't happen aboart, OF the Zede-
kiah- | remember hidin' away at the
back Of Ole Blossoms bunk, axing God
please to turn me into an animal. ANY
sort would do, because / seen men
kind to animals You know an animal
mostly consists of a pure heart. and
four legs. which is a great advantage
Queer world though, if all our prayers
was granted
Delay thar. A man sets out to tell
a6 sntures, and if his victims don't
ind some excuse for getting absent.
he owes them all the happiness he's
got. It's mean to hand out sorrow to
persons bearing their fgll share al
ready. So we proceeds to the night
when | ran from the Zedekiah. and
joined the Happy Ship.
We lay in the big ice pack on Cape
Breton. The Zedekiah was old. just
paint an punk, and she did surely
groan to the thrust of the pack. was
TOO scared to sleep, &c went up on
deck.
I'd allus watched for chance to
run away. and thar was Jim. the an
chor-watch. squatting on the bits
dead asleep. He used to he that way
when nobody chased him.
seen the lights OF the three maste0
schooner a couple of miles to wind
ward. I grabbed sealing gaf and
slid down on the ice
First, as the pans rocked under me.
| was scary, next I warmed. gettin'
venturesome. until / came near slid
ing into the wet, and after that I'd
look before lep'
You know how the grinding piles
an edge around each pan. of broken
splinters? That edge shone white
agin the black of the water, all the
guide had. But times the squalls of
wind was likes scythes edged with
sleet. so / was blinded, waiting, freez-
ing until a lull came. and I'd get on.
It was broad day, and reckon each
step weighed a ton before / made
that schooner.
A gray man. fat, with chin whis-
lIer, lifted me in oversize. Come
far?" says he, and | turned round to
show him the Zedekiah She wasn't
there. She was gone-foundered
So that's how came aboard OF the
Happy Ship, just like a lii lost dog,
with no room in my skin for more'n
bones and famine Captain Smith
used to say he'd signed me on as fam
lily ghost; but he paid me honest
wages, fed me honest grub. while as
to clothes and bed, was snug as
little rabbit. He taught me reading
and writing, and punctuation with his
belt, sums, hand, reef, and steer. cate
chism, knots and spices, sewing, sque-
gee, rule of the road, soojie moojie,
psalms of David, constitution OF the
United States. and playing the from
bone. with three pills and good lick
ing regular Saturday nights Mothers
little boy began to set up and take no
tice.
The five years in the Pawtucket all
along, from Montreal to Colon, from
banjos plunking in them portales of
Vera Cruz, to bugles crying reva.ly in
Quebec, and the oyster boats asleep
by Old Point Comfort, and the Glouces-
ter fleet a-storming home past Sable.
and dagos basking on Havana quays.
Sack oranges in the dinghy under the
moonlight, waiting to help the old man
aboard when he's drunk If ever he
went ashore without me, I'd be like
lost aog, and he drunk before the
sun was over the yard,arm. But away
together it wasn't master and boy, but
just father aud son. He'd even named
me after himself. and that's why my
names Smith
GRO BE CONTINUED)