Beadle's Pocket Library (no. 424) (1892 02 24)
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<= | | oo The saflors’ outfitters had a hard time that day in trying to get the best of Prince Por- ter. They found the lad sharp at a bargain, aud old ‘lom, who had come to see that the boy was not cheated, stood back and laughed as he saw the dealers foiled in every attempt at extortion, Prince resolutely refused to buy anything which was not absolutely necessary for his outfit, and when they left the last store, Tom clapped the lad heartily on the back, and said: * Bless me if you didn’t do that better than I could, Prince, and the cusscs know me pretty well, too. What are you going to do with your kit?” “I’m going to have it sent aboard the Dolphin at once,” replied the lad. ‘‘ When do we sail?” “When the tide serves, Thursday night. We've got two days afore us, and may as well enjoy ourselves. But I say, my boy, I’m goin’ to start in for a big jamboree, an’ mebbe you'd better quit me.” ‘What do you mean by that?” “Tm goin’ to hist in a heap of grog, and have a jin’ral bully time.” “Then I guess I will quit you, Tom,” re- marked the boy, quietly. ‘‘I never learned to drink, and I’m not going to commence now.” ««There’s where your head is level, my son. If I hadn’t commenced it, 1 wouldn’t’a’ been in the fok’sel now. Let's go down to the deacon’s.” “Tl come there by and by. I must get my kit aboard,” answered Prince. The boy found a boatman and engaged him to take his chest to the Dolphin, and helped to get it down to the wharf. After the chest was safe aboard he came back just as evening was coming on, and landed on the wharf where Billy Selleck had taken his un- lucky dive. Just as he came down the wharf he heard voices behind the lumber pile, and one of them was strangely familiar. Indeed, it was the voice of Billy Selleck. “Tl fix the old harpooner,” he was say- ing. ‘‘It’s five dollars for me if I get him safe aboard?” “‘ Yes,” replied another voice. “Captain Jacobs would just tear up the ound if he knew I was in it,” continued illy. ‘* Youmustn’t give me away, Captain Carson.” “No. LIonly want to beat old John Ja- cobs. He’s always blowing about his har- pooner, and I know he’s a good one. Well, you fix it so I'll have him Wednesday night, and I'll sail with the tide, and then old Ja- cobs can whistle for him.” Prince had heard enough to satisfy him that some evil scheme was afoot, and hurried away, not 8 moment too soon, for the con- . The Young Land-Lubber. B ference was nearly over. Five minutes after he reached the ‘‘Ship” tavern Billy came slouching in, and cast his evil eye about the room until he saw Tom Stone seated at a table drinking with some of his mates. “I say, Jim,” he whispered, leaning over to one of the other men, ‘‘has Tom Stone started in for a drunk?” “Yes; he always does just afore we sail,” was the answer. ‘Then we'll all have to keep an eye on him,” declared Billy, as he stepped over and extended his hand to Tom, saying: ‘‘Let’s shake hands, Tom. I don’t bear malice.” Tom, who was already ‘‘half seas over,” i his hand warmly and invited him to rin CHAPTER ITI. SHANGHAEING A SAILOR—THE BITER BIT, Very seldom Billy Selleck refused a drink when it was offered him, and he at once sat down and took glass for glass with them for some time, At the end of an hour he rose and left them, and was seen no more that night, although the sailors kept up the spree to a late hour. Prince at last went to his room, and after locking his door, soon was asleep. The first man he saw after breakfast was old Tom, who was looking for a comrade to drink with him, but refused to have anything to say to Prince. “‘I want a seasoned old salt, you little hop o’ my thumb,” he said. ‘‘ It takesa man to drink ag’in’ me.” “But I want to tell you something, Tom,” pleaded Prince. ‘* Tell me when I get sober,” shouted Tom. ‘I won’t hear you now.” Prince was obliged to leave him, and Tom continued to guzzle at intervals all day. Prince dogged Billy persistently until he overheard another conversation with Captain Carson, of the ship Lone Star, and this con- versation decided him to call on Captain Jacobs. They held quite a consultation, and the timbers fairly shook with the denunci- ations heaped upon the heads of Carson and Selleck by the old skipper. Then they put their heads together and laid a plan, over which the captain chuckled. Prince went down into the public room and asked one of the crew of the Dolphin where Tom was, and was told that he had gone into another room to play cards with Billy Selleck and two of the crew of the Lone Star. Into this room, half an hour later, came Prince Porter, evidently intoxicated, and making frantic efforts to sing. 4
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