Year: 1869

of the men might, in their ignorance, ad
NIT water into the heated boilers, a proceed
ing which would instantly cause the explo
sion we had just averted ; and there, from
the increasing motion, found that the tide
had risen, and the ship was beginning tc
float aft.


"Get her off, engineer said the United
States officer, "and l will guarantee you
five hundred dollars in gold and as soon
as you like, for your friends on shore are
beginning to shoot"


Now when man has to choose between
five hundred dollars and prison, it does
not take much time to make up his mind.
l decided for the dollars. had plenty of
assistance, and soon got all right in the en-
gine room. She had been run ashore on
sand bank, at low water, about hundred
rods from the shore. AS the tide rose, she
foated aft, and assisted by purchases on
deck l backed her off, and took her outside
into deep water. How they did pepper US
from the shore l could hear the ping-ping
OF the rifle bullets as they struck the ship,
till the gunboat cleared the beach with her
shells. Luckily, there were not any gun
batteries handy on shore, or we should have
been sunk where we lay.


Outside, l gave up charge to the second
engineer of the paddle. He was very
decent fellow, and by his advice l stuck to
the ship after we went into Norfolk.
got my five hundred dollars and was made
chief engineer of the Fanny FIewker when
they turned her into the Nahobegah gum
boat, and attached her-only fancy-to the
blockading squadron!


Nothing of any Importance occurred for
some time, and then we were ordered round
to New ork on particular service. had
shore leave, and was strolling up Broad
way, when met gaunt-looking and rag
ged sailor whose face was familiar to me.
"Surely you're not Trereave:" said the
man. "And surely you are not Adams 2"
said l. 81 am indeed" he replied, 'but |
left you for dead on board the Fanny"
And then came explanations; that he had
seen me struck down before Captain Ford
ran the ship ashore; how the chief en-
gineer had said | was dead and cold, and
that as the boats would not wait he was
obliged to leave. 81 have had nothing but
bad luck since left you, Trereave,' con-
tinued Adams. "We got back to James
Town all right, and the owners sent out an
other vessel; but she was taken the first
voyage, and l have been in limbo all the
winter, They got tired Of us, suppose,
for we were turned out of prison fort
night since, and told to 60 back to England.


But then our skipper must fall sick, and
l could not leave him in a strange place.
All our money went long ago, and it's been
hard times to get the old man food don't
often cave in, but this morning felt in a
clench, tor man can't always keep up his
courage when there is a southerly wind in
the bread barge but now Eve met you"
and the poor fellows anxious eyes seemed
to say, 'Will you befriend me, or will you
not?"


Cheer up, old lad said l ''it's my
turn now. | don't forget that morning at
James Town. Come aud have some din
ner, and get a rig-out going along; after
that we will make the skipper comfortable"


"Heaven bless you, Trereave," returned
Adams; ''you are friend and a man"


l found that anxiety and privation were
the causes of Captain Ford's illness. Care
and proper food soou restored him to com
parative health, aud J had the pleasure Of
getting him and Adams comfortable berths
IN a vessel bound for London. paid their
passage, and persuaded them to accept an
advance of a few dollars.


Well, time rolled on, and the war was
ended. had saved a tidy pile, so | thought
l would take six months holiday and see
my friends in the old country.


You may be sure l called upon Bill Ad-
ans. l found him doing we'll, and l also
found that he had remarkably pretty sis
ter-as good, too, as she was pretty. 81
never mentioned her, said Bill, ''tor she
was slip of a girl when | left, and | for
got that girls grow into women l staid
a week with them, and then went down to
Cornwall; but all my folks were dead OF
gone away, or changed, SO that | came back
to Bills, and can't tell how it was but
there-Bessie Adams is now Mrs. Ire
reave, and it's to please her I've written
this long yarn.