rish boy; his name was Volney
Beckner, the son of a poor fisherman. His father, having always intended
Volney for a seafaring life, took great pains to teach him such things
as it is useful for a sailor to know, and tried to make him brave and
hardy; he taught him to swim when a mere baby.

[Illustration: VOLNEY BECKNER'S FIRST VOYAGE.]

Volney was only nine years old when he first went to sea in a merchant
ship; the same vessel in which his father sometimes sailed. Here he
worked hard and fared hard, but this gave him no uneasiness; his frame
was robust, he never took cold, he knew not what fear was.

[Illustration: VOLNEY BECKNER AT SEA.]

In the most boisterous weather, when the rain fell in torrents, and the
wind howled around the ship, the little Irish boy would fearlessly and
cheerfully climb the stays and sailyards, mount the topmast, or perform
any other duty required of him. At twelve years old the captain promoted
the clever, good tempered, and trustworthy boy; spoke well of him before
the whole crew, and doubled his pay.

Volney was very sensible to his praises. His messmates loved him for his
generous nature, and because he had often shown himself ready to brave
danger in order to assist them; but an occasion soon arrived in which he
had an opportunity of performing one of the most truly heroic deeds on
record.

The vessel in which Volney and his father sailed was bound to Port au
Prince, in St. Domingo. A little girl, the daughter of one of the
passengers, having slipped away from her nurse, ran on deck to amuse
herself. While gazing on the expanse of water, the heaving of the vessel
made her dizzy, and she fell overboard.

Volney's father saw the accident, darted after her, and quickly caught
her by the dress; but while with one hand he swam to reach the ship, and
with the other held the child, he saw a shark advancing towards them. He
called aloud for help; there was no time to lose, yet none dared to
afford him any. No one, did I say? Yes, little Volney, prompted by
filial love, ventured on a deed which strong men dared not attempt.

Armed with a broad, sharp sabre, he threw himself into the sea, then
diving like a fish under the shark, he stabbed the weapon into his body
up to the hilt. Thus wounded the shark quitted his prey, and turned on
the boy, who again and again attacked him with the sabre, but the
struggle was too unequal; ropes were quickly thrown from the deck to the
father and son; e