JACK’S ADVENTURES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume IX, Issue 9, 27 February 1892, Page 214

JACK’S ADVENTURES.

On Board a Man-of-War. With 15 Illustrations. BY VERE BENSON. First Edition. Vol. I. jack’s adventures on hoard a man-of-war. Once upon a time there livde in partsmouth an old fat man. he once had a wife but she died 11 yeas ago she had one son and wen she died the boy was a baby, the old fat Father was very cruel to jack he uset to beat him. One night jack sead"to himself Ino what I will do I will run down to the warf and see if there is not a man-of-war going out. so he did it at 1 p.m. he soon got to the warf. He saw a man-of-war. the warf was rather high and he thught he cood easerly jump on to the deck. So he did. he found a nice hiding-place it was under a bit of tarpolin. the ship said at 4 in the morning and he was not found out until half-past 7 wen they scrubde the decks, then he was dragd to the captian, hoo are you road the captian. lam jack Hally said jack, he had just said thos werds when he looct round and saw another stoaway. the captian spac agan. Smith, yes sir. take this young scamp to the purser and tell him to show him how to be a cabin boy. all right sir said Smith, and he took him away. The other stoaway was put of! at Plimouth. Jack was very sick all the way to Plymouth he tride to eat some paridg it made him beter for a bit and he was just elening the looking glass when all the parig came out and made a mess on the captian’s perjarmers. Oh dear sead .lack what shal Ido now. he ran away to his cabin and the perser saw him where are ye off to me lad. for he was an Irish. Jack had to tell and the purser sead well ye ll just get a beating with a rawps end and so he did. after the rapid left Plymouth for that was the name of the ship Jack was in it came out to Auckland New Zealand, ho ho sead Jack that will be line fun then wen the ship gets to N.Z. I shall be a joky ami ride carbine and win some races. When the man of-war had got to (lib he thought he would go on shore so he asked the captain the captain said he could but he must come back at 12 the next morning so he pul his best jumper on ami went on shore he looked at the monkeys one snatcht his cap with the Rapid niarkt on it in gold letters, my word said Jack, lie got it back after a bit but he got a black eye or two because he had to light for it. it was getting rather dark and he thought lie would go to a shop and ask if there is not a cup of cocoa to be had for he had 5 shillings in his pocket. He askd the bar-made for it was a hotel that he went to. she gave him an awfull big crust and a cup of coacoa he enjoyd it very much but he had to pay too shillings, then he climde up a tree and slept very well. He awock at 8, had a good breakfast which spent one and sixpece. then he siad to himself I will dime to the top of (lip to see the vew. lie just got to the top and he just saw the Rapid steaming away lie ran to a sun dile and saw it was half-past 12. oh what shall Ido said Jack, he went done the hill when he got to the bottom he suddenly thought that he would get a paper and see if another man-of-war was not going to N.Z. ho ho he jumpt for joy as he red out that the (hlando was coming and was going to N.Z., then he said to himself I will go ami see the town, so he did. he got into a tram and said he would go to the end and back so he climd on the top and injoyd it very much, then be got done and went to a shop and "bought a good knife for said he 1 will be sure to want it for cutting rops. he bought a line hues handle knife, it had one blued because sailors knifes only want one. the (tilando came the next day she was a line ship she had been made specially for the Australian scwadron, Hagship of course. he askt the captain if he could come on in it. of course said lie we just want such a young chap as you. he was much nicer than the captain of the Rapid, beside the Rapid was only 4920 tons and the Orlando was 5600 tons.

so they saild away, the Orlando went 20 knots an hour. Jack wya not sick’because he did noteat parige. thed soon got to Aden there he got sun stroke ans the docktor that was on the I’arrmata 2 years ago had to attend to him so Jack became quite friendly with him. When Jack got to New Zealand he was a stockman for he was quite old now he was 20. he used to galop after stock with his 16 foot stock whip, his horse was not a scrubber and not a thoro* bred but just between the two. he called it O.H. because it had O.H. branded upon it when he bought it. he was a capital stock horse, on the 19th of March he and his comrades were invited to an enormous muster because Jimmy Tailor was going to sell his cattle, for that was the name of the man that, invited Jack to the muster, all the best stockmen in the Waikato came and at once went after the cattle, they were enormous fat cattle calld ragers. it was really good fun seeing two hundred

fat cattle with heads down and glaring eyes heading for the stockyard, with cracking of stockwhips and shouts of the stock men behind them. Jacks stockwhip cracked like thunder, one of the stockmen told Jack to gallop to the stockyard and open the sllprails because the cattle would soon be up to the stockyard so he put the hooks in and galloped off. after the muster was over Jack went to see the Maory settlement he had great fun there then he bought a nice house and stables. CHAPTER 2. JACK MARYS AND COES HOME. Jack maryd a nice wife cald Alizerbeth henryeter Jones. Jack did not no what to call her she had such a long name but at last he calld her Lizy, she could crack a stockwhip just as well as Jack could and could ride. At last Jack got a son. he was a fnny fat little thing, he was three years old when he could ride. One night Jack came homein spirits for he bad bought a fine big cattle runof three thousand acers. Ho, ho, how merry that evening was, they all jurnpd for joy. When Jack was quite settide down he used to go out deer stalking with his son Jackanapes, for he rememberdhow when he was a little boy he thought Jackanapes was such a good little boy in the story so he cald his son Jackanapes, one day. Jack anil his son were out shooting and saw a fine white stag Jack amde bang the sound of the righfull ecoed in all the hills and vales. Then they ran to the stag and skind it, put it on Jacks horse and road home. Jacks wife was much pleased on finding that the venson was so good and they all enjoyed it very much. Jack hail 8 sons after he shot the stag, of course not all born on the same day. But when the eldisd was 12 then Jack and his wife, Jackanapes, John, Thomos, Willy, Harry and Johnny, Leonard, Loris, Chubby because he was so fat, all went home on the Victoryer. when they got to Gib he remembered the monky smacking his cap off and he smild as he saw them again and told all the sons about them.

I forgot to tell you when Jack got to Ceylon he stade a night there because the ship went in the morning, he saw a good deel of Colombo. one of the things was an enormous tortoise 200 years old at least.— Pall Mall Budget. THE END.