The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-03-01

Htall b thu MlHh"Al" VI wv NfhiA'hE El"h""
Of the Englishman,
Now, boys said the Yankee captain, As
be hove the schooner 10, i'm going 10 lay
this orait alongside OF that English brig VIII
you stand by moY
'Ay, ay,' came frpm every lip.
'Thon she's ours exclaimed Captain Pet
tingil, this wind will hold for several hour
yet, and ! intsnd 10 Tun down till get the
brig IN sight and then commence operations,
and II do not greatly miSjudgo, the plot will
easily succeed
Three man were stationed at the bows with |
night glasses. aud for over an hour the strict |
cat watch was kept up, while the schooner
ran down under easy sail, ull she must have
come within respectable distance OF the
Englishmnnl Just ~ q faint hireak of grey |
ish light began 20 Rlimmsr ia this eastern ho- !
riEuu, Frank Hardy, who was stationed on
the bowspriL rcpOrted'
i see the brig, sir
Where = exclaimed the captain, as hc
Kprnug forward 10 the night-hcad
There sir replied Hardy, right against
the light ihere - the eastward
That's the brig certainly, said Mr. TtpiU
gill and turning 10 the hcfm he iaid the
vessel broadside 20 the wiHd and then ORDER
ed some of the men 20 get ont the axes,
The weather shrouds and back-stays were
chopped m fore and an, and then the masts
were attacked with the same intent, and ere
long the two heavy sticks went over Ia the
lcoward, and were soon cleared from the lee
rigging The caboOsc was torn from its lash
ings and east overheard, and everything else
that conld possibly be supposcd 10 have offer
ed resistance To gale, was treated in the
same manner,
There exclaimed the captain, rs he sur
vcycd the sad 1rrcck Il guess the Englishman
II take \ halt Now 60 below, cVer,. man OF
YOU, except Frank aud myself and be- read,
Tor spring, and Whrn stamp three times
thus-upon the 'mhin-hAtch, grasp your cut
lhsscs, and start. BE cool, now, aud come up
regularly
The men were securely slowed away in the
hold, and our two fishermen kept watch
upon the brig, She was not more than four
miles distant, and as good fortune would have
IT, she was standing out from the harbor on
the starboarl tack, 50 that the line oC her
course was chose under the schooncr's bows
Z The sun was now up, and Captain Petungill
rugged red flannel shirt upon an old oar aud
stuck il into the stump of the ioremast, and
hc soon hHtl the satisfaction to see that hi
signal of fdistrcsS was noticed, for the English
mans weather hulwarks were crowded with
men who seemed TO be- taking a look at the
wreck and she also camo up 10 the wind I'LL
her sails shook, while her lee braces were
hauled ~ taut ~ possible.
The schooner was now drifting dirccily
upon the Enrhshman, as soon as our two
6iprrcckcd mariners saw the mo, cmcnts on
board the brip,thcy both sprang to the pumps
and seemed to be- working for dcar-lfe.
/ Wreck abcy shouted aa officer CIy,tn the
! brig. ~ ttse schooner driited down near g
/ nough to speak.
Halle returned Captain Pcttingill. as he
/ LEFT the pumps and wiped the big drops of
D
'Whcre do you belong2'
! Wal returned the Yankee captain assum-
! ing the pcculi9r dialect of Dcown East, we
Z briong Ufw hurtiAnd when 4ee aFa-tsls hum
How did YOU get wrecked ? asked the
Engishnan, as his main-toPssii eHmc TO thr
mast.
/ wal, ycw see we lefl Portland a week ago
! with Il load OF critters an night afore last we
got ketchcd in gale. IL snapped our sticks
! off les like pipe stems an swept oyerbnari
two of my men, an half o the sheep
Sheep, did you say, Jonathan 2 asked the
English officer while joyful chucke sound
I'd in his throat
Yes replied Captain Petungill, Tvo got
'teoat iifly te',, t.ot, ia th,, ir,,ld meow
Then turning to Frank Hardy, he said in a
low tone
There's Bill Buttrick can blaat like mad
Just put your head down the hatchway an gi'
him the wink
In moment moro the cars of the English.
men were Nssailed 10y the load bleatine of a
sheep, and the water actually stool upon their
lips in anticipation ofthc rich treat they sup.
posed to rc in store for them
Stand by To catch a line shouted the off.
Ger of the brig, and wen haul you alongside
Out with the tenders, fore and att
'Bah-a-a-a bah-ah-ah-aa,' went Bill But
trick
Throw your line said Capt. Pettingill, a,
he sprang forward to catch 1t.
The. schooner was now within forty fee
Of the brig. and as thc-h came raltlinG a
bout the head of our hero, he seized it, ano
having hauled the hawscr on board, he secur
ed It 10 the stump of the loremast and ther
sang out for them to haul in.
Meow look here, capting, 'futi save m,
sheep, darned if | wont give you four on 'eu
= tcw cook for yourself
, Thank you returned the Engishman, will
a peculiar wink of the eye, and inclination
, of the head. that seemed to indicate a desir,
to come some sort of joke on the confdinl
Yankee.
i gucss wc'll save en- for YOU
An hyou could only jest put me an my
; critters ashore somcwhar, ycon'd be don' IN,
! the greatest favor you can imagine
\ We'll see about that when we get YOU OF
A board, replied the Engishman \Iay at
here, men, aud stand by to jump on boart
this shccp-pen, Fend her of, some of you
, Steady-that's it. Bclay that hawscr.'
, The moment she touched, Captain Pettin
gill gave three heavy thumps upon the hatc'l
5 and up from tho hold, cabin, and forecastle
poured the we'll armed Yankees and beior,
the officers of the brig could regain thei
presence Of mind, her deck was swarming witl
our adventuters. Not soul on board tn,
Enplishman was armed for all hands had beot
, too busy with the wreck and though tn,
, arm-chests were handy and the masts bristlet
, with pixies, yet so sudden had been the attaci
, that before they could procure the means OF
defence, they were entirely overpowered; anC
as they saw that each OF the boarlers held
cooked pistol in his hand, they took the very
, wise pian of surrcndcring at discretion, 81
they were secured in double irons with yer,
: little trouble, and then very carefully place,
below
= Il say, capting,' quietly remarked Pcttin
gill, as the briggs head was turned toward