“DUCKIE OVERBOARD.”

Western Star, Issue 1577, 8 July 1891, Page 4

“DUCKIE OVERBOARD.”

Amongst tlie clever sketches entitled “ Jack A-Cruise —oj an A.L., now appearing in the People, is the following description of a very anuxsing incident of a cruise in the Atlantic The ship had just passed through a severe gale, and things were settling down again on board. The captains old black steward had been giving his ducks an airing on deck, and was in the act of trying to drive them back again to their coop when two of them, either through fright or devilry, took it into their heads to fly overboard, and at a time too when the ship was steaming along - about seven knots. il QJi golly, what will Massa Captain say !” he shouted ; and with that the old fool began to holla like a madman and ended up by shrieking “ Duckic overboard !” He made such a vile noise that the officer of the watch very naturally thought he was calling “ Man overboard !” and before the old s'eward could realise what he had done the ship had been stopped, the patent lifebuoy dropped, and the lifeboat pulling hard astern towards where they supposed the poor fellow was. The old man would have; much liked to explain matters, but he simply didn’t dare, so contented himself with standing trembling under the bridge as if waiting his doom. “ Ah, there ! they’ve got him,” called out the captain, as he looked through his glass and saw the bow man of the cutter leaning over the side and stretching out his arm into the water. And ycC no—it was certainly not a man he was pulling into the boat. “What is the signal?” called out the captain again to the signalman, as he saw the midshipman of the boat waving a semaphore with his arms. An anxious pause, and then the answer came from the top, where the man was stationed : “ He says he has picked up two of your clucks, sir, but cant see any man !” “ Hoist the boat recall,” growled the captain, as the truth burst upon him, “ and send that black scoundrel of a steward to me in my cabin.” The clucks were fetched on board again, much refreshed by their swim ; but history does not relate what the contain said to the steward when ho got him by himself, though the sentry on the cabin door told ns afterwards that the nigger, when lie flew or.} again, seemed to be assisted oat of the cabin by the captain from behind,