CHILDREN'S COLUMN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10530, 25 August 1897, Page 3

CHILDREN'S COLUMN.

OLD JONAH THE STOWAWAY.

NOT SUCH A MADMAN AS THEY

THOUGHT. " I see'd Jabez Diggle askulking round the dock this morning," observed Bill Blunt, the boatswain of the good ship Trincomalee.' " Wo must keep our weather eyes open and see that he don't get aboard our barky." " You be right, Bill," agreed Tom Tiller, an A.8., who was strapping a block close by. " I'd as soon sail with Davy Jones himself as with old Jonah."

" Who is it you arc, speaking of ?" enquired Frank Drake, n line young fellow of eighteen, who was making his first voyage as third mate.

"Ain't you never heard of old Jonah, air?" asked Tom j "I thought as how ev'ryone knew about he."

"He's an old chump that ain't quit* right in hit bead," exclaimed the boatswain. " And he's got the name of Jonah becos whenever he ships aboard a craft something; is certin to go wrong."

" You're chaffing me," »aid Frank, smiling.

" It's truo, sir," observed Tom. " Why he was aboard the Owdashous when she ran into an iceberg off the Banks." " And he'd shipped in the Bombay Castle the voyage she caught fire, nobody knew how, and was burnt to the water's edge," remarked the boatswain. ,

And then followed a succession of reminiscences of misfortunes which had happened to ships on account of Jonah's presence on board. '

Frank Drake was not convinced, but he had been long enough at sea to know that it was only waste of breath to try to argue a shellback out of any favourite superstition, so he let the matter drop, and walked forward.

A week later the Trincomalee hauled out of dock, and after getting rid of the tug and pilot made sail and stood to the southward, bound for Canton. It was the second day out when Frank, who was in charge of the watch, was attracted by the sound of high voices forward, and hastening towards the scene of action he enquired the cause of the commotion. j "They've found a stowaway down in the | forehold, sir," replied the man to whom he had spoken. "We thought as how we heard someone a knockin' at pinner time." Just then Blunt's voice could be heard high above the hubbub. "Take care how you get him out boys ! Bring him up on deck. I 'xpect tho poor fellow's half dead for want of air." These instructions were evidently being carried out, when suddenly a cry of execration arose from the little crowd of seamen which had assembled round the hatchway. "Yah 1 It's Jonah—old Jonah I Yah ! Chuck him overboard !" Bill Blunt now appeared on deck, and stood on one side, while two stalwart bluejackets hauled a miserable, half-starved looking old man, feet foremost, up the ladder. The stowaway struggled to the best of his ability, but he was only like a child in the hand*) of the brawny seamen. " Steady, men — steady!" exclaimed Frank, stepping forward. " Take care of the poor fellow?« head." "A bump mote or less won't matter, sir," replied Tom Tiller, who was one of the men. "It'll be all one to him in another ten minutes." There was no mistaking their intention. So great was their, fear. of the ill-luck this unfortunate creature was supposed to bring with him that they actually intended to drop him over the aide and let him drown. " Nonsense I" cried Frank indignantly. "You don't know what you're talking about. You must not murder the man in cold blood." " Better let them have their own way, Mr. Drake," said Blunt. "Certainly not," answered Fred. "Let the man go," " He ain't got no right aboard this ere craft," observed Tiller sullenly. "That's true enough," agreed Frank. " But now that he is here you have no right to kill him. Here, boy, run down below and tell the captain he's wanted ; and now, you fellows, leave the poor wretch alone until the skipper decides what's to be done with him." In a couple of minutes Captain Donald, a headed, matter-of-fact Scotsman, made his appearance. " You're an unmeetigated scoundrel, he exclaimed, as soon 'as he bad heard the facts of the case ; "and it would only serve yerickt to put ye in irons for the rest of the voyage, but as I maun feed ye, why ye maun work and earn yer grub. See that lie has something to eat.noo, Mr. Drake, for the puir body looks mair than halfetarved."

In a few minutes the stowaway bad a plateful of - cold beef and biscuit before him, of which he did not leave a crumb ; and then returning on deck he tidied up to Frank, who was leaning over the taffrail.

" I've got to thank you for laving my life, sir," he said tremulously, but speaking like an educated man; '"and, believe me, I'm truly grateful to you," " You've nothing to be grateful for, I can assure you," replied Frank; "I only did what any other man would have done in similar circumstances."

" I wish that was the case, sir," observed old Jonah; " but, unfortunately, it isn't so, as I know to my cost." "Why. are the.ineo so down upon you?" enquired Frank, as much to change the subject of conversation as anything else. "I suppese you are not more of a Jonah than any other old seaman." " Well, sir, I don't know whether it is a coincidence or not," answered Diggle, his eyes beginning to sparkle suspiciously, V but whenever I.have been badly treated on board a ship and have wished harm to it in consequence something has always happened." " How long has this been going on, then J"

" Ever since I commenced my search." "Your search ?" repeated Frank ; " your search for what ?"

" For a fortune, young man," replied Jonah. And from the wildness of his expression and the peculiar tone of his voice Frank was quite sure that this was the subject upon which, to use Bill Blunt's phrase, be " wasn't quite right in his head." " Listen to me," he continued in a low tone, " for this is a secret which ha* never yet passed my lips. To the no'thward of the Straits of Sunda there is an island on which is concealed a box containing hundreds of thousands of pounds' worth of jewels* .and for .the last twenty years I have been trying to get them, but no one will help me. They laugh at me ! Call me mad ! Lock me up ! Strike me and abuse me ! You are the first one who has ever spoken kindly to me, who has treated me like a man for all that time; and when my turn comes, and come ib will, you shall find that I am not ungrateful to you."

Then suddenly raising Frank's hand to bis lips, he burst into tears and hurried away.

" Frank put it all down as the ravings of a harmless lunatic, and thought of it no more, bub whenever he had an opportunity of helping the poor old man he did so ; and it was not seldom that lie wanted his assistance, for whatever happened, whether a gale or a calm, it was attributed to Jonah, and whether the studding-sail booms were carried away in a squall, or a man fell ill with tho scurvy, or a cask of mess beef turned out worse than usual, it was all "Diggle's luck."

But beyond the usual ill-treatment which is sure to be experienced on board ship by one who is disliked by his messmates nothing sorious happened until the Trincomalce was approaching the straits. Then a series of annoying calms worked the men's feelings up to a dangerous pitch, and Higgles was actually warned by a chosen spokesman that if he did not alter the weather it would be worse for him.

The Straits of inula were passed in safety, and tho Trincomalee was drawing near the Equator, when again there came a succession of light airs and calms. One night daring the middle watch Frank was slowly pacing up and down the quarter-deck, fruitlessly looking for the breeze which would not come, when Bill Blunt approached him and said : . " Will you come for'ard with me, Mr. Drake? I wanter show you something." Frank accompanied him on to the forecastle, where the boatswain turned towards him and observed: " Look here, Mr. Drake, I've brought you for'ard so that you mayn't see something that's going on aft, becos we all like you and wo don't want you to be hurt." " What do you mean?" "Why, the boys have made up their minds to get rid of Jonah night. I've persuaded 'em not to kill him, so they're going to set him adrift in the gig." Even as Bill spoke Frank cauld hear the splash as the boat was dropped from the davits into the water.

"What? Set him adrift in an open boat ?" cried Frank, scarcely able to believe Jiis ears. ~S "They're going to give him some biscuit and a breaker of water," said'Bliinfc, " Stand on one side," exclaimed Frank, " out of my way '. I'll never be a party to such barbarity!" Pushing past the boatswain Frank hurried aft just as four or five of the crew were lowering old Jonah, evidently bound and gagged, into the boat. " What are you doing here, men J" enquired the young man, sternly, " How dare you—" He felt a crushing blow on the back of his head, and all was dark. When he his senses it was brand daylight, and heiound himself lying in the bottom of the gig, with his head on Biggie's body. There was no sigh of the Trineomalee, so he judged that a breeze had sprung up during the night which had carried her out of sight. As soon as he was able to sit up, for his head ached terribly, he cast off the lashings with which Jonah's arms and legs had been fastened, and removed the gag from his mouth.

" This is the second time you've saved me, Mr. Drake," observed the .old man, as soon as he had relieved his parched throat with a drink of water. " But you'won't regret it! Oh, no, you won't regret it 1" He now bathed Frank's head for him and bound it up with > portion of his shirt; and then, pulling out a small chart and a little compass from his breast-pocket, he enquired: " Do you happen to remember the latitude and longitude at noon yesterday !" " 3*45' S. by 107° E.," answered Frank after a moment's consideration.

" Capital!" cried the old man. " Those fools thoughtthey were injuring us, instead of which they were doing the greatest favour possible. Now you lie down and rest your head while I poll. We shall eight my island within twenty-four hours."

The day passed slowly away, but with night came a radiant moon, and the old man continued rowing as though fatigue was an unknown word to him. The sun was just rising when Frank was awakened by a joyous shout, and sitting up he beheld a small atoll of peculiar horseshoe shape and rondered conspicuous by only possessing three tall cocoanut trees, which seemed to form a triangla.

"Diggle's Luck 1" exclaimed the old man in a hoarse voice. "Take the oars, will you ? lam nearly used up." By the time the gig reached the low, sandy beach Jonah had recovered sufficiently to step ashore, and be hurried up to the tallest of the three trees.

Searching round the trunk he discovered the mark of a broad arrow carved in the bark, and at once commenced digging in the sandy soil with both hands. " Let me help ypu," said Frank when he had made the boat fast to a jagged piece of coral. .'

"No, no," answered Jonah ; in a voice that was little more than a whisper.. " For twenty years I have been longing for this moment. Let mo enjoy it." Seeing that it was useless to worry him with further offers of assistance, Frank took a stroll round the island, and on the opposite tide he discovered all that was left to tell of a deed of darkness.

There were three human skeletons, one with the skull cleft, while a dagger among: the bones suggested how the others had met their fate.

" Quick ! quick ! I have found them !" shouted the old man; and, running back, Frank helped him to lift out of the hole'he had scraped a small rough box. The lid was quickly raised and exposed to view a mingled heap of diamonds, pearls, rubies, and other jewels, evidently of immense value.

Old Jonah gazed at them for a few moments, and then, giving a gurgling cry, he fell backward insensible. . When Frank had restored him to consciousness with a little water he took the young man's hand and murmured: "I am going—it is best so.- The jewels are yours—bury me here—steer due east— Billiton only thirty miles, Heaven— -you. Goodbye." And He died., ; Frank laid him to rest in the Hole whence he had taken the jewels, and'the following morning started .on his voyage to Billiton, which be reached the earn* evening. >/,,,; He arrived safe home three' montni later; but nothing more was' ever heard .of the Trincomalee, so it evidently did not avail the superstitious crew, although they got I rid of their Jonah.—Chunw.