On Board the "Rocket"

by Robert C. Adams

"You don't expect to go all your life then, I suppose?"

"No sir, I came near knocking off some time ago, but I had bad luck."

"How was that?" I asked.

"Well, sir, I'm most ashamed to tell you, but it was this way: I was at Bombay in an English ship when the Sepoy war broke out, and I left the vessel and joined the army. I was at Delhi, and when we took the city I went through the palaces and got a good deal of plunder. I had a diamond ring that was worth two or three thousand dollars and I got a lot of gold coin and jewels that I sewed into a belt and wore around my waist. When the war was over I was discharged in Calcutta and engaged passage in a steamer for England. I meant to go home to Hanover, buy a farm and live there with my old mother, and I had money enough to keep us there in comfort. But the night before I was to sail I got on a spree, and the next morning I found myself lying in a gutter. Somebody had taken the ring off my finger and stolen the belt from my body, and I hadn't a cent left in the world. So I had to give up going home, and ship before the mast again. What little money I have earned since, I have sent to my mother, but I can't get ahead any, and every hour in the day I think about that awful night in Calcutta and what I lost."

This explained the pensive look that John continually wore. I was much touched by his story, told with child-like simplicity, his speech with its slight German accent striking musically upon the ear.

John was my favorite sailor. He was a Hanoverian by birth, and I suppose had some German name, but what it was I never knew. "John Shephard" was the false flag he sailed under. He had made a previous voyage with me and afterwards sailed on a third. On the first voyage he had been selected by the mate as the scape-goat for his ill temper. Many mates who aspire to the reputation of being "bullies" thus pick out a good-natured, inoffensive man, and hurrah, shout and curse at him, while the men whom they know would resent such conduct are treated mildly and their faults are overlooked. Soon reports came to me about that "green dutchman, John," "a perfect galoot," who didn't "know B from a bull's foot," didn't "know enough to go into the house when it rains," was "enough to make a minister swear," and so on. He was sent to do all the dirty work, pound the iron rust, slush the masts, do "rope-yarn jobs" aloft in a gale of wind, often being sent aloft without any explanation of what he was to do, and when he got above the top where he could scarcely hear, a volley of orders and abuse was yelled at him with bewildering effect. He certainly at such times did seem stupid, but all through the voyage I saw no resentment shown, heard no "back answers" and only noticed the flush of the cheek that betrayed the wounded spirit he so submissively controlled. I began to love that quiet, faithful sailor and to protect him from abuse whenever I could do so without disorganizing discipline.

On the present voyage I noticed that John was always placed at the best work. If a cringle was to be put in a sail, or a cloth let in, a seizing to be squared, or a ratline to be straightened, John was called on oftener than anyone else to do it. I asked the mate one day: "How is it you put John at such good jobs; do you consider him a good sailor-man?"

"Yes, sir," said the mate; "he's just as good a sailor-man as there is in the crew. It doesn't do to watch him too closely though. If I stand over him he often gets flustered and does things back-handed, but let him try his own way and he'll do things shipshape."

I was delighted to hear a good word spoken for John, and thought much better of the mate for his perception and wise dealing. Often have I said: "If all sailors were like John it would be only a pleasure to go to sea." He lives in my memory as my model sailor, in spite of his deficiencies.

He was a well-formed man, of medium size, straight and compact, with light, curly hair, good features, a very clean face with rosy cheeks, and blue eyes that were really beautiful in their soft expression. His cheerful smile and modest blush made it a pleasure to accost him. He was always neat in his dress, and though four bells struck when he was riding down a stay "up to his eyes" in tar, he would dive into the forecastle and in a few minutes appear to take his trick at the wheel with clean dungaree pants and hickory shirt. As his clear voice repeated the course, "Nord, nord-east, half east," I would go below saying to myself, "The ship will be well steered these two hours."