The officers had found that I was good at handling a rowboat, and told me to get into the jollyboat, a little, round-bottomed yawl belonging to our ship. This yawl was very easily swung around. It would turn about like a tub. I was told to take the tow-line up ahead. One end of the line was fastened in the ship, and as I rowed away the coiled line went out until I reached the place where the other end was to be fastened, where I jumped ashore and belayed it. The ship, in the meantime, had swung out into the stream with the current. The whole crew stood ready aboard to haul in; the boatswain foremost on the line, singing the heave-ye-ho. I rowed back to the ship. Noticing an orange floating in the water I reached out and grabbed it. It appeared to be good, but, on inspection, I found it had a bad spot. It stuck me that I would try to fool the boys on ship by throwing it up to them and see who could first get hold of it. I threw it with full force and called out: 'Here is an orange.' And just as the boatswain opened his mouth to sing the 'heave', the orange hit him in the mouth, went to pieces, bespattered his face and spread around in all directions.
It was so comical that nobody could help laughing, though I felt very bad about my poor aim. The boatswain spat and wiped his face, grumbled and assured me repeatedly he would take it out on me, even though I called to him and tried my best to assure him I had not meant it to hit him or any one else, and that it was an accident.
However, he seemed to think I had to be punished for this misdeed. When I came onboard and into the forecastle to eat dinner, he jumped onto me and was about to give me an overhauling, though I asked him pardon and assured him I had not meant to hit him.
I was not exactly ready to take a trouncing from him or anybody else, so I defended myself, at the same time not trying to hurt him. The scuffle continued until he was pushed into one of the lower bunks. Here I secured a good hold on him, so he could not get up. Then I said to him: 'Now I have you where I can hold you and abuse you if I want to. I tell you once more I did not mean to hit you. If you will leave me in peace, I will let you up. If not, you know what I can do.' Then he promised to let me alone, and I let go of him.
We were, of course, much exhausted from our struggle, but neither of us had received any injuries except a few scratches; and it was not long until we were good friends again. I have never forgotten how amusing it was when the heave-ye-ho was stopped short by the orange, and how a little joke and sport, by a mishap, may have the most serious consequences.
But, what was worse, this event had more far-reaching effect, so that I was destined to have several scrapes later.
I was still ordinary seaman, which I had been for the space of only three months before this voyage, and I was the youngest man in the forecastle.
It was customary in the sailships that the older men would impose little duties of personal services to themselves on the youngsters, or would exercise their authority over them. This I did not like; and, sometimes, when they ordered me to do things for them I told them to do it themselves, and that I was not hired to be their errand boy. This they thought was intolerable obstinacy in a 17 year old boy, and youngest of the crew. And the fact that I had gained upper hand in the fight with the boatswain, the eldest and greatest authority in the 'castle, made the situation so unbalanced it could not well be maintained.
So, later on, at any seeming fair opportunity, and on one pretext or another, there were attempts made, now by one and now by another, to try putting me in subjection. It went the same way every time. They had to give up. Yet, remarkably enough, each one with whom I had a fight, after it was over became a much better friend, and the comradeship finally became most excellent. We could do little services for each other, but never on command.
This, also, had a beneficial influence on the officers, who knew all about what happened. They understood they could not address me like a little boy, but that I was 'a man for my hat.' I do not write this to show pride, but that the reader may have a view of the life aboard ship in those days.