THE STOWAWAY.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12500, 29 March 1909, Page 1

THE STOWAWAY.

'A. sea-captain, whose , vessel .. carlies cargo between Southampton and the Cape, tells the following .story :■ — ■• My ship was once at PbriTNolloth, Cape Colony, loading sacks of meal, which were swung from the quay to the hold by our ship's _ crane. 1 thought I noticed something move in one of the sacks, and I immediately confided my suspicion to the captain. "Oh, oh," said he. "Likely there's a stowaway or a thief in it. Keep it till the last, sling it to the yard, and leave it hanging there." "Yes, sir," I said, grinning at the joke. I kept the sack till the last, then had it slung over the hold, but as the winchman was about to lower it I roared: "Let her bo. ■ Let it hang." The winchman stared, but obeyed. We put to sea, and for an hour the sack swung in the air, bumping against the mast and rigging violently, but not a sound came from it. Then the captain with, a wink, sang out, "Drop that sack overboard. It's damp." There was a shriek from the sack, but I lowered it with a splash into the sea — at once, however, hauling it up again. "Lemme out, massa! shrieked a voice. Then we opened the sack, aiid out tumbled a Kaffir.