UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 00022228607 £/. P £j:^ X r^ ,J^ /rt<2. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill http://archive.org/details/boytarorvoyageinOOreid THE BOY TAR; OR A VOYAGE IN THE DARK BY CAPTAIN MAYNE KEID, AUTHOR OP "the DESERT HOME," "THE TOXJNG VOTAGEURS," " THE BUSH BOYS," ETC. WITH TWELVE ILLUSTRATIONS, BY CHARLES S. KEENE. BOSTON: TICKNOR ANO FIELDS M DCCC LX. AUTHOR S EDITION. MVERStDE, CAMBRIDGE : STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BT H. 0. HOCrSHTON AND COMPANY. CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE I. MY BOY AUDIENCE 1 II. SAVED BY SWANS 7 III. THE " UNDER-TOW " 14 IV. THE DINGY 22 V. THE REEF 29 VI. THE GULLS 86 VII. SEARCH FOR A SEA-URCHIN 42 VIII. LOSS OP THE DINGY 47 IX. THE SIGNAL-STAFF 52 X. CLIMBING A S3IOOTH POLE 58 XI. THE RETURNING TIDE 64 XII. HUGGING THE STAFF 69 XIII. A STATE OF " SUSPENSE " 76 XIV. FOR PERU TO-MORROW ! 80 XV. RUNNING AWAY 87 XVI. THE " INCA " AND HER CREW 94 XVII. NOT BIG ENOUGH ! 101 XVIII. STEALING ABOARD 106 XIX. HURRAH ! WE ARE OFF ! 113 XX. SEA-SICK 118 XXI. ENTOMBED ALIVE ! 124 XXII. THIRST 129 XXIII. A SWEET SOUND 133 XXIV. TAPPING THE BUTT < 138 XXV. THE VENT-PEG 145 XXVI. THE BISCUIT-BOX 150 XXVII. A CASK OF BRANDY 156 XXVIII. GOING ON " RATIONS " 164 ^ THE BOY TAR. sobriquet being extended to me as the only person in the place entitled to it. Strictly speaking, I am not entitled to it. I have never been a captain of soldiers, nor have I held that rank in the navy. I have only been the master of a merchant vessel, — in other words, a "skipper." But the villagers are courteous, and by their politeness I am styled " Captain." They know that I live in a pretty cottage about half a mile from the village, up shore ; they know that I live alone — for my old housekeeper can scarce be accounted as company; they see me each day pass through the place with my telescope under my arm ; they note that I walk out on the pier, and sweep the offing with my glass, and then, perhaps, return home again, or wander for an hour or two along the shore. Beyond these facts, my fellow- villagers know but little of myself, my habits, or ray history. They have a belief among them that I have been a great traveller. They know that I have many books, and that I read much ; and they have got it into their heads that I am a wonderful scholar. I have been a great traveller, and am a great reader, but the simple villagers are mistaken as to my scholar- ship. In my youth I was denied the advantages of a fine education, and what little literary knowledge I pos- sess has been acquired by self-instruction — hasty and in- terrupted — during the brief intervals of an active life. I have said that my fellow-villagers know very little about me, and you are no doubt surprised at this ; since among them I began my life, and among them I have declared my intention of ending it. Their ignorance of MY BOY AUDIENCE. 3 me is easily explained. I was but twelve years of age when I left home, and for forty years after I never set foot in my native place, nor eyes upon any of its inhab- itants. He must be a famous man who would be remem- bered after forty years' absence ; and I, scarce a boy at going forth, returned to find myself quite forgotten. Even my parents were scarce remembered. Both had died before I went away from home, and while I was only a mere lad. Besides, my father, who was a mar- iner by profession, was seldom or never at home, and I remember little else about him, than how I grieved when the news came that his ship was lost, and he with most of his crew were drowned. Alas ! my mother did not long survive him ; and their death occurring such a long time ago, it is but natural that both should be forgotten among a people with whom they had but shght intercourse. Thus, then, is it explained how I chance to be such a stranger in my native place. But you are not to suppose that I am lonely or with- out companions. Though I have ceased to follow my profession of the sea, and returned home to spend the remainder of my days in a quiet, peaceful way, I am by no means of an unsocial disposition or morose habits. On the contrary, I am fond, as I have ever been, of so- cial intercourse ; and old man though I be, I take great delight in the society of young people, especially httle boys. I can boast, too, that with all these in the village I am a favorite, I spend hours upon hours in helping them to fly their kites, and sail their tiny boats — for I remember how much delight I derived from these pastimes when Iwas myself a boy. 4 THE BOY TAR. As I take part in their sports, little do the simple children think that the gentle old man who can so amuse them and himself, has spent most of his life amidst scenes of wild adventure and deadly peril ; and yet such has been my history. There are those in the village, however, who are bet- ter acquainted with some chapters from the story of my life — passages of it which they have heard from my own lips, for I am never disinclined to relate to those who may be worthy of hearing it any interesting adven- ture through which I may have passed ; and even in our quiet village I have found an audience that merits the narrator. Schoolboys have been my listeners ; for there is a famous school near the village — an " estab- lishment for young gentlemen " it is styled — and it is from this I draw my most attentive auditory. These boys and I used to meet in our rambles along the shore, and observing my weather-beaten, salt-water look, they fancied that I could tell them tales of wild scenes and strange incidents that I had encountered far over the sea. Our meetings were frequent — almost daily, — and soon a friendly acquaintance sprung up between us ; until, at their solicitation, I began to re- late to them an occasional adventure of my life. Often I may have been observed, seated upon the " bent " grass of the beach, encircled by a crowd of these well- dressed youths, whose parted lips and eager eyes beto- kened the interest they felt in my narrations. I am not ashamed to declare that I, too, felt pleasure in this sort of thing, like all old soldiers and sailors, who proverbially delight to " fight their battles o'er again." These desultory recitals continued for some time, un- MY BOY AUDIENCE. O til one day, as I met my young friends in the ordinary way, only somewhat earlier than 'common, I saw that there was something unusual in the wind. They mus- tered stronger than was their wont, and I noticed that one of them — the biggest boy of the crowd — held a folded paper in his hand, upon which I could perceive there was writing. As I drew near, the paper was placed in my hands without a word being said ; and I saw by the super- scription that it was directed to myself. I opened the paper, and soon perceived the nature of its contents. It was a " petition " signed by all the boys present. It ran thus : — " Dear Captain, — "We have been allowed holiday for the whole of to-day ; and we know of no way in which we could spend it with so much of pleasure and profit, as by listening to you. We have therefore taken the liberty of asking you to indulge us, by the narration of some remarkable incident that has happened to you. A stirring passage we should prefer, for we know that many of these have befallen you during your adventu- rous life ; but choose whatever one it may be most pleas- ant for you to relate ; and we shall promise to listen at- tentively, since one and all of us know that it will be an easy thing to keep that promise. And now, dear cap- tain, grant us the favor we ask, and your petitioners shall be forever grateful." Such a polite request could not be refused ; and with- out hesitation I declared my intention to gratify my young friends with a chapter from my life. The chap- 6 THE BOY TAR. ter chosen was one which I thought would be most in- teresting to them — as it gaTC some account of my own boy-life, and of my first voyage to sea — which, from the odd circumstances under which it was made, I have termed a " Voyage in the Dark." Seating myself upon the pebbly beach, in full view of the bright sea, and placing my auditory around me, I began. CHAPTER n. SAVED BY SWANS. From my earliest days, I was fond of the water — instinctively so. Had I been born a duck, or a water- dog, I could not have hked it better. My father had been a seaman, and his father before him, and grand- father too ; so that perhaps I inherited the instinct. Whether or not, my aquatic tastes were as strong as if the water had been my natural element ; and I have been told — though I do not myself remember it, that when still but a mere child, it was with difficulty I could be kept out of puddles and ponds. In fact, the first adventure of my life occurred in a pond, and that I remember well. Though it was neither so strange nor so terrible as many adventures that befell me after- wards, still it was rather a curious one, and I shaU give you it, as illustrating the early 'penchant I had for aquatic pursuits. I was but a very little boy at the time, and the odd incident occurring, as it were, at the very threshold of ray life, seemed to foreshadow the destiny of my future career — that I was to experience, as in reality I have experienced, many vicissitudes and adventures. I have said, I was but a very little boy at the time — 8 THE BOY TAR. just big enough to go about, and just of that age when boys take to sailing paper boats. I knew how to con- struct these out of the leaf of an old book, or a piece of a newspaper ; — and often had I sent them on voy- ages across the duck-pond, which was my ocean. I may say, I had got a step beyond the mere paper boats ; — with my six months' stock of pocket-money, which I had saved for the purpose, I had succeeded in purchas- ing a full-rigged sloop, from an old fisherman, who had *' built" her during his hours of leisure. She was only six inches in length of keel, by less than three in breadth of beam, and her tonnage, if registered — which it nev- er was — would have been about half a pound avoir- dupois. A small craft you will style her ; but at that time, in my eyes, she was as grand as a three-decker. I esteemed her too large for the duck-pond, and re- solved to go in search of a piece of water where she should have more room to exhibit her sailing qualities. This I soon found in the shape of a very large pond — or lake, I should rather call it — where the water was clear as crystal, and where there was usually a nice light breeze playing over the surface — just strong enough to fill the sails, and drive my little sloop along like a bird on the wing — so that she often crossed the pond before I myself could get round to the other side to receive her into my hands again. Many a race have I had with my little sloop, in which sometimes she, and sometimes I, proved victorious, according as the wind was favorable or unfavorable to her course. Now this pretty pond — by the shores of which I used to delight myself, and where I spent many of the SAVED BY SWANS. 9 happiest hours of mj boyhood — was not public prop- erty. It was situated in a gentleman's park, that ex- tended backward from the end of the village, and the pond of course belonged to the owner of the park. He was a kind and liberal gentleman, however, and permit- ted the villagers to go through his grounds whenever they pleased, and did not object to the boys saihng their boats upon the ornamental water, or even playing crick- et in one of his fields, provided they did not act rudely or destroy any of the shrubs or plants that grew along the walks. It was very kind and good of him to allow this freedom ; and we, the boys of the village, were sensible of this, and I think on the whole we behaved as if we were so ; for I never heard of any damage being done that was deemed worthy of complaint. The park and pond are there still — you all know them ? — but the kind gentleman I speak of has long since left this world ; for he was an old gentleman then, and that is sixty years ago. Upon the little lake, there was at that time a flock of swans — six, if I remember aright — besides other wa- ter-fowl of rare kinds. The boys took great delight in feeding these pretty creatures ; and it was a common thing for one or other of us to bring pieces of bread, and chuck them to the water-fowl. For my part, I was very fond of this little piece of extravagance ; and, whenever I had the opportunity, I came to the lake with my pockets crammed. The fowls, and especially the swans, under this treat- ment had grown so tame, that they would eat out of our hands, without exhibiting the shghtest fear of us. There was a particular way of giving them their 1* 10 THE BOY TAR. food, in which we used to take great delight. On one side of the lake, there was a bank that rose three feet or so above the surface of the water. Here the pond was deep, and there was no chance for either the swans, or any other creature, to land at this place without taking to wing. The bank was steep, without either shelf or stair to ascend by. In fact, it rather hung over, than shelved. At this point we used to meet the swans, that were always ready to come when they saw us ; and then, placing the piece of bread in the split end of a rod, and holding it out high above them, we enjoyed the spectacle of the swans stretching up their long necks, and occa- sionally leaping upward out of the water to snatch it, just as dogs would have done. All this, you will per- ceive, was rare fun for boys. Now I come to the promised adventure. One day, I had proceeded to the pond, carrying my sloop with me as usual. It was at an early hour ; and on reaching the ground, I found that none of my com- panions had yet arrived. I launched my sloop, how- ever ; and then walked around the shore to meet her on the bpposite side. There was scarcely a breath of wind, and the sloop sailed slowly. I was therefore in no hurry, but saun- tered along at my leisure. On leaving home I had not forgotten the swans, which were my great pets : such favorites, indeed, that I very much fear they induced me on more than one occasion to commit small thefts for them ; since the slices of bread with which my pockets were crammed, had been rather surreptitiously obtained from the domestic larder. SAVED BY SWANS. 11 Be tliis as it maj, I had brought their allowance along with me ; and on reaching the high bank, I halted to give it them. All six, who knew me well, with proud arching necks and wongs slightly elevated, came gliding rapidly across the pond to meet me ; and in a few seconds arrived un- der the bank, where they moved about with upstretched beaks, and eyes eagerly scanning my movements. They knew that I had called them thither to be kind to them. Having procured a slight sapling, and split it at the end, I placed a piece of bread in the notch, and pro- ceeded to amuse myself with the manoeuvres of the birds. One piece after another was snatched away from the stick, and I had nearly emptied my pockets, when all at once the sod upon which I was standing gave way un- der me, and I fell plump into the water. I fell with a plunge like a large stone, and as I could not swim a stroke, I should have gone to the bottom like one, but it so happened that I came down right in the middle of the swans, who were no doubt taken as much by surprise as myself. Now it was not through any peculiar presence of mind on my part, but simply from the instinct of self- preservation, which is common to every living creature, that I made an effort to save myself. This I did by throwing out my hands, and endeavoring to seize hold of something, just as drowning men will catch even at straws. But I caught something better than a straw, for I chanced to seize upon the leg of one of the big- gest and strongest of the swans, and to that I held on, as if my life depended on my not letting it go. 12 THE BOY TAR. At the first plunge my eyes and ears had been filled with water, and I was hardly sensible of what I was do- ing. I could hear a vast splashing and spluttering as the birds scattered away in affright, but in another sec- ond of time I had consciousness enough to perceive that I had got hold of the leg of the swan, and was being towed rapidly through the water. I had sense enough to retain my hold ; and in less time than I have taken to tell it, I was dragged better than half across the pond — which, after all, was but a short distance. The swan made no attempt to swim, but rather fluttered along the surface, using his wings, and perhaps the leg that was still free, to propel himself forward. Terror, no doubt, had doubled both his strength and his ener- gies, else he could never have towed such a weight, big and strong as he was. How long the affair would have lasted, it is hard to say. Not very long, however. The bird might have kept above water a good while, but I could not have held out much longer. I was every moment being ducked under, the water at each immersion getting into my mouth and nostrils. I was fast losing consciousness, and would soon have been forced to let go. Just at this crisis, to my great joy, I felt something touch me underneath ; some rough object had struck against my knees. It was the stones and gravel at the bottom of the lake ; and I perceived that I was now in water of no great depth. The bird, in struggling to escape, had passed over the portion of the lake where it was deep and dangerous, and was now close to the edge, where it shoaled. I did not hesitate a moment ; I was only too glad to SAVED BY SWANS. 13 put an end to the towing match, and therefore released my grasp from the leg of the swan. The bird, thus lightened, immediately took to wing ; and, screeching like a wild fowl, rose high into the air. For myself, I found bottom at once, and after some staggering, and a good deal of sneezing and hiccough- ing, I regained my feet ; and then, wading out, stood once more safe upon terra jirma. I was so badly terrified by the incident that I never thought of looking after my sloop. Leaving her to fin- ish her voyage as she might, I ran away as fast as my legs would carry me, and never made halt or pause till I had reached home, and stood with dripping garments in front of the fire. CHAPTER ni. THE " UNDER-TOW." You will fancy that the lesson I had thus received should have been a warning to me to keep away from the water. Not so, however. So far as that went, the ducking did me no good though it proved beneficial in other respects. It taught me the danger of getting into water over one's depth — which I had before then but little appreciated ; and young as I was, I perceived the advantage of being able to swim. The peril from which I had so narrowly escaped, stimulated me to form a resolve, and that was — to learn the art of swimming. I was encouraged in this resolution by my mother, as also by a letter received from my father, who was then abroad ; and in which he gave directions that I should be taught to swim in the best manner. It was just what I desired, and with the intention of becoming a firstrate swimmer, I went about it in right earnest. Once and sometimes twice each day during the warm weather — that is, after school was out — I betook my- self to the water, where I might be seen splashing and spluttering about like a young porpoise. Some bigger boys, who had already learnt to swim, gave m*e alesson or two ; and I soon experienced the delightful sensa- THE " UNDER-TOW." 15 tion of being able to float upon my back without assist- ance from any one. I well remember how proud I felt on the occasion when I first accomplished this nata- torial feat. And here, young reader, let me advise you by all means to imitate my example, and leai-n to swim. You know not how soon you may stand in need of a knowl- edge of this useful art ; how soon you may be called upon to practise it perforce. You know not but that sooner or later it may be the means of saving your life. At the present time, the chances of death by drown- ing are multiplied far beyond anything of the kind in past ages. Almost everybody now travels across seas, oceans, and upon large rivers, and the number of peo- ple who annually risk their lives on the water, voyaging on business, pleasure, or in the way of emigration, is scarce credible. Of these, a proportion — in stormy years a large one — perish by drowning. I do not mean to assert that a swimmer — even the best — if cast away at a great distance from shore, — in mid- Atlantic, for instance, or even in the middle of the English Channel — would have any prospect of swimming to land. That, of course, would be imprac- ticable. But there are often other chances of life being saved, besides that of getting to land. A boat may be reached, a spar, an empty hencoop or barrel ; and there are many instances on record of lives having been sav- ed by such slight means. Another vessel, too, may be in sight, may hasten to the scene of the disaster, and the strong swimmer may be still afloat upon her arrival ; while those who could not swim, must of course have gone to the bottom. 16 THE BOY TAR. But you must know that it is neither in the middle of the Atlantic, nor of any great ocean, that most ves- sels are wrecked and lives are lost. Some are, it is true — when a storm rages with extreme fury, " blowing great guns," as the seamen phrase it, and blowing a ship almost to atoms. These events, however, are ex- ti'emely rare, and bear but a small proportion to the num- ber of wrecks that take place within sight of the shore, and frequently upon the beach itself. It is in " casta- ways " of this kind, that the greatest number of lives are sacrificed, under circumstances when, by a knowledge of the art of swimming, many of them might have been saved. Not a year passes, but there is a record of hundreds of individuals who have been drowned witliin cable's length of the shore — ships full of emigrants, soldiers, and sailors, have sunk with all on board, leav- ing only a few good swimmers survivors of the wreck ! Similar " accidents " occur in rivers, scarce two hundred yards in width ; and you yourselves are acquainted with the annual drownings, even in the narrow and icy Ser- pentine ! With these facts before the eyes of the world, you will wonder that the world does not take warning, and at once learn to swim. It may be wondered, too, that governments do not compel the youth to learn this simple accomplishment ; but that indeed is hardly to be wondered at, since the business of governments in all ages has been rather to tax than to teach their people. It seems to me, however, that it would be a very easy thing for governments to compel all those who travel by ships, to provide themselves with a life-preserver. THE " UNDEK-TOW." 17 By this cheap and simple contrivance, I am prepared to show that thousands of Hves would be annually sav- ed ; and no one would grumble at either the cost or in- convenience of carrying so useful an article. Governments take special care to tax travellers for a piece of worthless paper, called a passport. Once you have paid for this, it signifies not to them how soon you and your passport go to the bottom of the sea. Well, young reader, whether it be the desire of your government or not, take a hint from me, and make your- self a good swimmer. Set about it at once — that is if the weather be warm enough — and don't miss a day while it continues so. Be a swimmer before you be- come a man ; for when you have reached manhood, you will most probably find neither time, opportunity, nor inclination to practice ; besides, you may run many risks of being drowned long before there is hair upon your lip. For myself, I have had a variety of hairbreadth es- capes from drowning. The very element which I loved so dearly, seemed the most desirous of making a victim of me ; and I should have deemed it ungrateful, had I not known that the wild billows were unreasoning, irre- sponsible creatures ; and I had too recklessly laid " my hand upon their mane." It was but a few weeks after my ducking in the pond, and I had already taken several swimming lessons, when I came very near making my last essay at this aquatic exercise. It was not in the pond that the incident occurred — for that, being a piece of ornamental water, and private property, as I have told you, was not permitted to b« used as a bathing place. 18 THE BOY TAR. But tlie people of a sea-shore town need no lake in which to disport themselves. The great salt sea gives them a free bath, and our village had its bathing beach in common ,%vith others of its kind. Of course, then, mj swimming lessons were taken in salt water. The beach which was habitually used by the villagers, had not the best name as a bathing place. It was pret- ty enough, with yellow sand, white shells, and pebbles ; but there was what is termed an " under-tow " — in one particular place stronger than elsewhere ; and at times it was a dangerous matter to get within the influence of this " under-tow," unless the person so exposing himself was a good and strong swimmer. There was a legend among the villagers, that some one had been drowned by this current ; but that was an occurrence of long ago, and had almost ceased to be talked about. There were also one or two more mod- ern instances of bathers being carried out to sea, but finally saved by boats sent after them. I remember at that time having been struck with a fact relating to these mishaps ; and this was, that the older inhabitants of the village, and they who were of most consequence in the place, never liked to talk about them ; either shrugging their shoulders and remain- ing silent, or giving the legends a flat contradiction. Some of them even went so far as to deny the existence of an " under-tov/," while others contented themselves by asserting that it was perfectly harmless. I always noticed, however, that parents would not permit their boys to bathe near the place where the dangerous cur- rent was represented to exist. I never knew the reason why the villagers were so THE ^ imDER-TOW." 19 unwilling to acknowledge the " under-tow," and the tnith of the stories connected therewith. That is, I knew it not until long, long afterwards — until I came home again after mj forty years of adventure. On my re- turn I found the same silence and shrugging of the shoulders, although by a generation of villagers alto- gether different from those I had left behind. And this, too, notwithstanding that several accidents had occurred in my absence, to prove that the " under-tow" did actual ly exist, and that it was actually dangerous. But I was then older and better able to reason about men's motives, and I soon fathomed the mystery. It was this : our village is, as you know, what is called a "watering-place," and derived some support from vis- itors who came to it to spend a few weeks of their sum- mer. It is a watering-place upon a small scale, it is true, but were there to be much talk about the "un- der-tow," or too much credence given to legends of peo- ple who have been drowned by it, it would become a watering-place on a still smaller scale, or might cease to be one altogether. Therefore the less you say of the " under-tow," the better for your own popularity among the wise men of the village. Now, my young friends, I have been making a long story about what you will deem a very ordinary advent- ure, after all. It is simply to end by my telHng you that I was drowned by the " under-tow " — actually drowned I You will say that I could not have been drowned dead — though that is a doubtful point, for, as far as my feel- ings were concerned, I am certain I should not have known it had I never been restored to life again. No, I should not have felt pain had I been cut into a hun- 20 THE BOY TAR. dred pieces while I was in that state, nor would I ever have come to life again had it not been for somebody else. That somebody else was a fine young waterman of our village, by name Harry Blew, and to him was I indebted for my second life. The incident, as I have said, was of the ordinary kind, but I relate it to show how I became acquainted with Harry Blew, whose acquaintance and example had an important influence on my after-life. I had gone to the beach to bathe as usual, at a point new to me, and where I had not seen many people bathe before. It chanced to be one of the worst places for this " under-tow," and shortly after entering the wa- ter I got into its gripe, and was drawn outward into the open sea, far beyond the distance I could have swum back. As much from terror, that paralyzed my strength, as aught else, — for I was aware of my dan- ger, — I could swim no further, but sank to the bottom like a piece of lead ! I did not know that I had ever come up again. I knew nothing at all about what happened after. I only remembered seeing a boat near me, and a man in it ; and then all was dark, and I heard a loud rumbling hke thunder in my ears, and my consciousness went out like the snuffing of a candle. It returned again, thanks to young Harry Blew, and when I knew that I was still alive, I reopened my eyes, and saw a man kneeling above me, rubbing me all over with his hands, and pushing my belly up under my ribs, and blowing into my mouth, and tickling my nostrils with a feather, and performing a great variety of such antic manoeuvres upon me. THE " UNDER-TOW." 21 That was Harry Blew bringing me to life again ; and as soon as he had partially succeeded, he lifted me up in his arms and carried me home to my mother, who was nearly distracted on receiving me ; and then wine was poured down my throat, and hot bricks and bottles were put to my feet, and my nose anointed with harts- horn, and my body rolled in warm blankets, and many other appliances were administered, and many remedies had I to take, before my friends considered the danger to be over, and that I should be likely to live. But it was all over at length, and in twenty hours' time I was on my feet again, and as brisk and well as ever. I had now had my warning of the water, if that could have been of any service. But it was not, as the se- quel will show. CHAPTER IV THE DINGY. No — the warning was all in vain. Even the nar- row escape I had had, did not cure me of my fondness for being on the water, but rather had an opposite eflfect. The acquaintance thus singularly formed between the young waterman and myself, soon ripened into a strong feeling of friendship. His name, as I have said, was Harry Blew, and — if I may be allowed to play upon the word — he was " true blue," for he was gifted with a heart as kind as it was brave. I need hardly add that I grew vastly fond of him, and he appeared to re- ciprocate the feeling, for he acted towards me from that time forward as if I had saved his life, instead of its being the other way. He took great pains to make me perfect in swimming; and he also taught me the use of the oar ; so that in a short time I was able to row in a very creditable manner, and far better than any boy of my age or size. I even attained to such pro- ficiency that I could manage a pair of oars, and pull about without any assistance from my instructor. This I esteemed a great feat, and I was not a little proud when I was intrusted (as was frequently the case) to take the young waterman's boat from the little cove where he THE DINGY. 23 kept her, to some point on the beach where he might be waiting to take up a fare. Perhaps in passing an anchored sloop, or near the beach, where some people might be sauntering, I may have heard remarks made in a sneering tone, such as, " You are a queer chap to be handlin' a pair o' oars ! " or " Oh, jimminj ! Look at that millikin pin, boys ! " And then I could hear other jeers mingled with shouts of laughter. But this did not mortify me in the least. On the contrary, I felt proud to show them that, small as I was, I could propel my craft in the right direction, and perhaps as rapidly as many of them that were even twice ray size. After a time I heard no more of these taunts, unless now and then from some stranger to the place. The people of our village soon learned how well I could manage a boat ; and small as I was, they held me in respect — at all events, they no longer jeered at me. Often they would call me the " little waterman," or the " young sailor," or still oftener was I known by the name of the " Boy Tar." It was my father's de- sign that, like himself, I should follow the sea as a calling ; and had he lived to make another voyage, it was his intention to have taken me away with him. I was encouraged, therefore, in these ideas ; and more- over, my mother always dressed me in sailor costume of the most approved pattern — blue cloth jacket and trousers, with black silk handkerchief and folding col- lar. Of all this I was very proud, and it was my costume as much as aught else, that led to my receiv- ing the sobriquet of the " Boy Tar." This title pleased me best of any, for it was Harry Blew that first bestowed it on me, and from the day that he saved 24 THE BOY TAR. rae from drowning, I regarded him as mj true friend and protector. He was at this time rather a prosperous young fel- low, himself owner of his boat — naj, better still, he had two boats. One was much bigger than the other — the yawl, as he styled her — and this was the one he mostly used, especially when three or four persons wanted a sail. The lesser boat was a little " dingy " he had just purchased, and which for convenience he took with him when his fare was only a single passen- ger, since the labor of rowing it was much less. In the watering season, however, the larger boat was more often required — since parties of pleasure were out every day in it, and at such times the little one lay idle at its moorings. I was then welcome to the use of it for my own pleasure, and could take it when I liked, either by myself or with a companion, if I chose to have one. It became my custom, therefore, after school hours, or indeed whenever I had any spare time, to be off to the dingy, and rowing it all about the har bor. I was rarely without a companion — for more than one of my school-fellows relished this sort of thing — and many of them even envied me the fine privilege I had in being almost absolute master of a boat. Of course, whenever I desired company, I had no need to go alone; it was not often that I was so. Some one or other of the boys was my companion on every excursion that was made, and these were almost daily — at least, every day on which the weather was calm enough to allow of it. With such a small cockle- shell of a boat, we dared not go out when it was not calm ; and with regard to this, I had been duly cau- THE DINGY. 25 tioned by Heniy Blew himself. Our excursions only- extended to a short distance from the village, usually up the bay, though sometimes down, but I always took care to keep near the shore, and never ventured far out, lest the little boat might be caught in a squall and get me into danger. As time passed on, however, I grew less timid, and began to feel more at home on the wide water. Then I extended my excursions sometimes as far as a mile from the shore, and thought nothing of it. My friend, the waterman, seeing me on one of these far voyages, repeated his former caution, but it might have had a more salutary effect had I not overheard him, the mo- ment after, observe to one of his companions : — - " Wonderful boy ! ain't he. Bob ? Come of the true stock — make the right sort of a sailor, if ever he grows big enough." This remark led me to think that I had not much displeased my patron in what I had done ; and there- fore his caution " to keep close in-shore " produced very little effect on me. It was not a long time before I quite disobeyed it ; and the disobedience, as you shall hear, very nigh cost me my life. But first let me tell of a circumstance that occurred at this date, and which quite changed the current of my existence. It was a great misfortune that befell me — the loss of both my parents. I have said that my father was a seaman by profes- sion. He was the master of a ship that traded, I be- lieve, to the colonies of America, and so little was he at home from the time I was old enough to remember, 26 THE BOY TAR. that I scarce recollected him more than just what he was like — and that was a fine, manly, sailor-looking man, with a face bronzed by the weather until it was nearly of a copper color, but for all that a handsome and cheerful face. My mother must have thought so too, for from the time that news arrived that his ship was wrecked, and he himself drowned, she was never herself again. She seemed to pine away, as if she did not wish to live longer, but was desirous of joining him in the other world. If such were her wishes, it was not long be- fore they were gratified ; for, in a very few weeks after the terrible news had reached us, my poor mother was carried to her grave. These were the circumstances that changed the cur- rent of my existence. Even my mode of life was no longer the same. I was now an orphan, without means and without a home ; for, as my parents had been with- out any fortune, and subsisted entirely upon the hard earnings of my father's trade, no provision had been made against such an unexpected event as my brave father's death, and even my mother had- been left al- most penniless. Perhaps it was a merciful Providence that called her away from a world that to her was no longer a place of enjoyment ; and although I long la- mented my dear kind mother, in after years I could not help thinking that it was her happier destiny that at that time she had been summoned, away. Long, long years it was before I could have done anything to aid or protect her — during the chill cold winter of poverty that must have been her portion. To me the events brought consequences of the most THE DINGY. • 27 serious kind. I found a home, it is true, but a very different one from that to which I had all along been used. I was taken to Hve with an uncle, who, although my mother's own brother, had none of her tender or affectionate feelings ; on the contrary, he was a man of morose disposition and coarse habits, and I soon found that I was but little more cared for than any one of his servants, for I was treated just as they. My school-days were at an end, for I .was no more sent to school from the day I entered my uncle's house. Not that I was allowed to go about idle. My uncle was a farmer, and soon found a use for me ; so that between running after pigs and cattle, and driving the plough-horses, or tending upon a flock of sheep, or feeding calves, or a hundred other little matters, I was kept busy from sunrise till sunset of every day in the week. Upon Sundays only was I permitted to rest — not that my uncle was at all religious, but that it was a custom of the place that there should be no work done on the Sabbath. This custom was strictly observed by everybody belonging to the village, and my uncle was compelled to follow the common rule — otherwise, I believe, he would have made Sunday a day of work as well as any other. My uncle not having any care for religion, I was not sent to church, but was left free to wander idle about the fields, or indeed wherever I chose to go. You may be sure I did not choose to stop among the hedges and ditches. The blue sea that lay beyond, had far more attractions for me than birdsnesting, or any other rural amusement ; and the moment I could escape from the house I was off to my favorite element, either tc