A Boy Crusoe

e; Off fo

ork on the rugged soil, two terms each year in the little yellow country schoolhouse, a day's fishing now and then filled the early years of my life full to over-flowing. In the winter it was work in the woods, cutting up the year's supply of fire-wood; and then, before

ung for these things to trouble me much; but I read everything in the way of books and papers that I could borrow, or purchase by saving a little money earned in various ways. I was fond of stories of adventure; but travel

village where there was a graded school, and I entered the gr

arning a living for myself. When everything else fails, one can always find an opportunity to canvass for a publishing house or a novelty concern; so, soon after leavi

e that I made the acquaintance of a gentleman, which led to the experience

h had been acquired by trading with the South American countries, and the West Indies,

ad developed between us, mostly through meeting in the reading room of the Public Li

tter to my mother, explaining my good fortune, bidding her not to w

upon him, helping him in various ways in his preparations for the voyage

sted upon my procuring much that I deemed unnecessary for my

ter-line to the tips of her topmast she was as trim a craft as one could wish to see. As she lay at the wharf ready for sea, everything on deck had been made snug, and not a coil of rope or spare block wa

tham; and the first, second and third mates, with n

rk slowly moved down the river. The sails on the lower yards and jib-boom were set, and with a

at sunrise all sails were set and the bark squared away for the mouth of the bay

y on board a ship, with the land fading away behind me, bound for a foreign shore, the wonderful tropics, the land of palms of which I had read so much. I should see for my

ly calm, by sunset a thin haze rendered the outline of the horizon dimly visible, and the Captain began to fear a blow. His nautical instinct made him sure that there wa

sensation caused by a boy's first cigar. I knew well enough that I was experiencing the first sensations of

wildly. I could hear the howling of the wind around the deck-houses, and the snapping of the great sails. Now and then I heard the sound of the Captain's voice on deck as though he were giving brisk orders; a

replied. "We are havin

I concluded to go on deck. I cautiously ascended the companion way, and found the Captain st

you doing up here? The best place for you

r on deck, and the Captain relented and found a sheltered place under th

a race-horse. Soon I heard the Captain tell the mate that the wind had shifted arou

ship careened, and a sea came over her weather rail, until the lee-scuppe

sail, and the bark, soon close hauled, was lying over nearly to her lee rail. The heavy sea beat against her bows with all the force which tons of water could exert, while the staunch little vessel, quivering for a moment would seem to hesitate, and then plunge forward to

e, but made the best of my way to the cabin. To make matters wor