The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-08-06
Dick, the Young Seaman.

The wind had just come up, and as
the Bouncing Betsy had made little
progress today, Captain Brace ordered
sails up" The Bouncing Betsy was
a schooner bound for Rio de Janeiro
from New York.
Captain Brace commands 81 men,
mostly Spaniards, and treats his crew
very cruelty.
On the Bouncing Betsy is a young
lad about Is. AS he is to be our hero,
we shall do well to describe him.
Richard Conrad, better known as
Dick, is bright, frank, manly fellow,
who had lived in New York with his
aunt He used to work in a store as
an errand boy and one morning was
called to take a parcel down to Bounc-
/ ing Betsy.
The ship was to sail in the after
noon, and the captain, being in need of
cabin boy, invited Dick to see the
ship, with the intention of kidnap-
ping him. Dick thought this was an
excellent opportunity to see through
ship and be told the different parts,
anu 5lduly dCSCpLCu Ills Ollcl.
The captain took Dick down to the
hold of the ship and told him to try
on a suit (Which had been worn by a
preceding cabin boy about Dicks
size), to feel what it would be like to
be sailor
But to Dicks dismay, after he had
put on the uniform the captain or
dered two men to carry Dick into a
| small room, which they did, and, after
binding him carefully, left him there
and proceeded on deck to perform
their duties. Fearful thoughts passed
| through Dicks head; he would per-
haps never see his aunt or even New
York again.
He had lain in the room for about
an hour when he heard the dashing of
waves against the sides of the ship
/ and all hopes now left him. About
two hours later, when they were we'll
out to sea, Dick heard the sound OF
footsteps coming down the stairs. AS
he glanced up, expecting to see the
| captain, he instead saw a man with a
| bright face and red hair, and looking
like a native of the Emerald Isle"
| Hello, my hearty! How come you
IS in that fix?' he said
| Here Dick explained the way he
had been trapped on board the vessel
l Never mind, my lad; Bill Sturdy
is friend you shan't regret having
AS long as l have these I'll protect
YOU"
Saying this, he stretched out his
huge fists.
These call my sledge-hammers
friend and exclaimed:
II believe you, Mr.. Sturdy"
Bill Sturdy did not care to let the
captain know about the meeting, sc
at once went on deck.
About fifteen minutes later, the
captain came down and released Dick
He led him on deck and said:
Now, get to work and don't let me
4 hear a whimper out of YOU
i Dick went to work rather reluc
family, as, he did not wish to be put il
irons and cause trouble. 4
We will now see how Dicks aun
was getting along. When Dick die
not appear at noon, she became un
easy and went to his employer to Sc,
if she could find out where he was
But his employer was also WONDERING
what had happened to him, for whe1
Dick was sent on an errand he dis
not daily on the way.
i His employer and Mrs. Conrad thel
hurried to the wharf, only to find tina
the Bouncing Betsy had left about on,
hour before they came.
Mrs Conrad was heart broken a
the loss of her nephew. She Away
used to take work in from a tailor
!, but when she went around to get SOM
!, more she was told there would b.
no more for perhaps three. months
| Looking into one of the daily papers
i she saw where goyerness was want
] Fed for q young girl.