Year: 1877

Wnlle tAe vessei was cruising about, he
was amusing himself feeding some
chickens on the poop-deck. Suddenly
the ship was struck by one of those hur.
ricanes which come up so mysteriously
in those waters, and he was compelled to
run aloft to take in sail. The ship rolled
from side toside with fearful force, and
no sooner had he reached the masthead
then she went over, until the end of the
yard dipped in the water, and instantly
righted. The effect was that my great
grandfather was whipped off the mast,
thrown nearly three hundred yards out
into the raging waves, and the ship
passed on without soul on it knowing
that he had fallen overheard.


Fortunately for him, there was an i'm
mense dead whale floating about, and a
devil-fsh was busy feasting upon it, de-
spite the storm. Strange to say, he lit
precisely on the whale, and frightened
the devil-fish 30 that he started off at
about twenty knots an hour, dragging
the whale after him for these devil
fish are voracious, and never let go their
prey.


My great-grandfather held on by one
of the fins of the whale, and would have
enjoyed the ride hugely, but for the fact
that he was very wet. He had his pistol
with him, and, as his cartridges were
waterproof, he congratulated himself
upon his ability TO defend himself if he
should be cast ashore among savages.


He sailed along on the whale until
the middle of next day, when, the storm
having abated considerably, he cast his
eye around the horizon, and perceived
close to him small rock protruding from
the water. He instantly abandoned the
whale and swan toward it. 1t proved to
be coral island, about FIVE feet in diam
eter, with single cocoanut sapling
growing in the middle of it. My great
grandfather knocked a nut off of the sap
ling. made hearty meal, and doubled
himself up for nap. The island was so
small that he could not lie out straight
without his heels banging in the water.


He awoke much refreshed in the
morning, and happening to recollect that
it was the Fourth of July, he concluded
to take possession of the territory and
annex it to the United States. He ac-
. cordingly repeated all that he could re-
member of the Constitution; sang a
verse of Hail Columbia; fired off his
pistol nine times, made frst-class
speech my great was an
eloquent man-and tried to get up an
American flag by combining his red
flannel shirt with his duck trowsers, but
failed.


This was all nice enough, but my great
grandfather began to think, show in the
nation am to take home the news?"
and for while he was a good deal
bothered. But while he was thinking
the thing over, what should come along
but the very biggest oyster my great
grandfather ever saw in his born days
Its shell was as big as the top of bill
liafd-table, and my great-grandfather
tackled him at once, and scared him so
that he stranded on the island. 1t was
no easy work to open him, although my
great-grandfather bad had practice in
opening oysters; but he went at this one
with his jack-knife,, and got the shells
apart after q severe fight, in which the
oyster bit off my great-grandfather's
great toe.


My greatgrandfather now had things
all in his own hands to certain extent.
He ate eheartily of the meat, and quenched
his thirst with the liquor; and, Just as
he sat down to think what he had better
do next, an idea struck him. He took
one of the half shells, cut down the Co
coanut sapling, fitted 1t in as a mast,
fitted his shirt as sail, and launched it
into the sea. 1t floated splendidly, and my
great.grandfather, after fliDging upon the
island few grains of corn he had in his
pocket, left over when he had fed the
chickens, set sail in as merry mood as
any man you ever saw.


He went along first-rate for two days,
when he came in sight of land, and, upon
making for 1t, discovered it to be a beau
tiful island. He landed, drew mis- shell
up on the beach, found cocoanut, and
ate it with much relish. He then began
t) look around him, and determined to
explore the country. He hadn't gone
more than two hundred yards when he
saw a most f rocious-looking panther
coming right at him in style that be-
tokened malicious intentions. So my
great-grandfather took to his legs and
ran as fast as be could, with the panther
after him. The race was interesting and
exciting, but my greatgrandfather
reached the beach first, and, with extra
ordinary presence of mind, raised his
mammoth oyster-shell on edge, and just
as the panther made spring at him, he
pushed it over on him, and had the wild
animal securely Gagged beneath him.


My great-grandfather climbed upon
the shell and sat down. The question he
now put to- himself was, "What in the
duece shall do with this animalq He
did think Of starting a menaperie
with 1t, but he argued that as there was
nobody TO buy tickets, it would hardly
pay; 50 he didn't know exactly how
to proceed. While he pondered over it,
the panther managed to get its head out
from under the shell, and in minute it
would have been free, but my great
grandfather seeing the animals tongue
protrude, seized il and began 10 pull.
The panther howled with pain, but my
great-grandfather held on, and, bracipg
himself against a tree, jerked with all
his might. Presently he observed that
the tongue began to give, and the