GRANDFATHER'S ADVENTURES.

BY CAPTAIN HOWARD PATTERSON.

"Grandpop," said Ralph Pell, "a little while ago I asked Sam if he had seen many sharks in his lifetime, and he said that he saw more sharks the night he first joined your vessel than he ever saw before or since. When I asked him to tell me the story he shut up as tight as a clam. Do you know what he means?"

"Yes, Ralph, I know what he refers to, and I'll tell you the yarn. It is a good many years ago since I was made proud by receiving as my first command a fine, tight little bark called the Northern Light. I carried out a general cargo to Matanzas, on the north side of Cuba, and loaded sugar for my return voyage.

"The day that I received my clearance papers and was ready to sail, our agent, a Spanish gentleman of the name of Gonzales, invited me to take a farewell dinner.

"The time spent at the table was exceedingly pleasant, and after the dessert had been served we adjourned with the ladies to the veranda for our coffee, which was served by a powerfully built negro who answered to the name of Antonio. I have often thought how different that poor slave's life would have been had I not asked for a second cup.

"As Antonio extended the tray toward me he struck its edge against my chair, and emptied the hot black liquid over my white duck coat and trousers.

"My host jumped to his feet in a passion.

"'You worthless black scoundrel!' he cried, 'I'll cure you of your carelessness." Then he turned to me, and with an air of great politeness said, 'I ask you pardon, Señor Capitan, for my slave's miserable clumsiness.

"Immediately following, two of the plantation overseers, whom he had called, dragged the negro on to the lawn before us, stripped off his jacket and shirt, and produced short cruel-looking whips.

"'Señor,' I said, 'I beg of you to pardon him this time; it was purely an accident, for which I excuse him.'

"'I cannot allow your generosity to be taken advantage of, Señor Capitan,' replied my host. 'You have received an indignity under my roof, and I must render you ample proof of my regret.'

"At a sign from the master, the two plantation hands were about to ply their whips upon the back of the house slave, when, jumping over the railing to the lawn, I interposed between the negro and the overseers, bidding them to hold. My interference angered our agent, for he approached me, and said, haughtily:

"'The Señor Capitan will remember that he is not master here, that this is my slave, and he will oblige me by not concerning himself in the management of my affairs.' Then he added, sneeringly, 'Besides, I understand that Yankee shipmasters are not so humane in the treatment of their crews as to be shocked because a clumsy slave receives a sample of what American captains enjoy to inflict on their own men for little or no provocation!'

"'Señor Gonzales,' I answered, hotly, 'your brutality is only equalled by the discourtesy and contempt that you show to me as your guest. I demand an immediate apology for your language in the presence of these overseers and this slave, before whom you have insulted me!'

"As I ended he snatched a whip from one of the men, and raised it as though to strike me, but changing his mind, he half turned and slashed it across the naked shoulders of the negro.

"Before they could seize him, Antonio lurched forward, struck his master a stinging blow with his fist, and the next instant had scaled the garden wall and plunged into the cane-fields close by.

"Disgusted with the way in which my visit had ended, and scorning, under the circumstances, to make use of a conveyance belonging to the plantation, I left the grounds without seeing the señora and her daughters, and made my way to the plaza in the city. Later on I made my way to the wharf where I had ordered the bark's boat to meet me.

"Several times, as the men pulled easily toward the ship through the hot night, I thought I heard, between the intervals of the strokes, a sound like that of labored breathing and the noise of broken water just astern; but in the darkness that prevailed I could see nothing, and thinking perhaps that it was caused by the sharks which abounded in the harbor, I paid no further heed to it.

"We had run alongside the bark, and I had stood up in the stern-sheets to leave the boat, when a black hand reached out of the water and seized the gunwale of the boat; then as one of the sailors uttered a note of alarm and raised his oar threateningly, an agonized negro's face was lifted above the rail, and a pitiful voice cried in Spanish, 'Save Antonio, master!'

"I didn't like the idea of stealing another man's property, but I trembled to think of his fate should he be caught, so I took the poor fellow on board the Northern Light, and when morning came I lifted anchor and carried him away from cruelty and slavery forever. To cut him adrift from the past I rechristened him 'Sam.'"