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Show 50 PERSONAL ADVENTURES haste for the shore. I-Iis escape 'vas soon discovered, and the second lieutenant roared out to him most lustily to come back. But the delinquent thrust a piece of money into the hand of the boatman, who, puzzled what to do, had ceased pulling, and folding his arms, stood upright in the boat, whistling " Yankee Doodle." Again the officer shouted, again the boatman stopped, and a second piece of ,.-noney again induced him to continue pulling towards shore. Perceiving that shouts availed nothing, half a dozen men were ordered to the side of the ship; the second lieutenant gave the word to "make ready ; " still the boat proceeded: "present;" she quickened her speed: "fire;" and fire they did, but at some imaginary object somewhere about a mile above the head of the fugitive, for your true Atnerican volunteer knows better than to shoot his brother-in-arms, under such circumstances. When the smoke of their pieces had blown aside, the bold fellow who had put us all in such a fright was seen, still erect in the boat, with his thumb to the tip of his IN CALIFORNIA. 51 nose, his fingers playfully keeping time to the tune he was whistling, and extended towards the spot where the second lieutenant was standing, rating the men for being such bad shots. A few n1inutes more, and the runaway was capering about on the beach, like a drunken Indian. It so chanced that my turn ashore came next in rotation, and that I and two others received instructions to arrest the culprit, and bring hi1n back with us; but I soon discovered that, whatever might be my own ideas on the subject, nothing was farthet· from the intention of my companions than to obey these orders. Indeed, the mutinous spirit on board had developed itself to such an extent, iu consequence of the restrictions imposed on the liberty of the volunteers, that one morning there can1e from the Ohio, with other articles, an extra supply of handcuffs for the special use of the refractory. With reference to the errand on which we were sent, I finally reasoned myself into the conviction, that it would be best for me to prove myself a n2 |
