The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-08-10

boa, while the Lieutenant in command ant
Eve OF his men had The first watch. WheT
the clipper struck two bells, the vessel
were not more than two cables Length
apart, the prize being little 10 the wind
ward, as owing 10 her bad sailing, the Lieut.
wished 10 weather guase. The night wa
quite dark, and the wind, which had ialler
some since sundown, had veered slightly
10 the norihward.
While the prize master was earnestly en-
gagged in keeping up with the clipper,
very novel scene was being enacted in the
hold. Oae ofthe boards which seemed Ia
form part Of stationary floor, was lifted
from its place and the head Of old Captain
Enoch Nightingale appeared through The
aperture. In a momen, more another board
was removed, and ere long forty stout fish.
ermen, all we'll armed, had come up from
their place OF concealmant. u was hni 8
moments work 10 leap on deck, and ere
the ,hunder-s,ruck lieutenant could see
from whence came the enemy he was bound
hand and foot, and so were his men, while
the poor prisoners were sci free from the
long boat. Obed Nightingale took the
helm, and his father, pointing dcocked pis-
tol n, the head OF the English officer, said :
"Do you think we are in earnest or
mott"
al should think you were," replied The
trembling officer.
"Then IL you do not obey me, you will
get bullet through your head in an in.
slant. Now hail the clipper"
q" Scorpion ahoy," shouted the lieutenant
as il for dear life.
In the meantime the Yankee had been
let of a little more than cables length Of
her capior, while the bold fishermen were
nearly all crouched beneath The bulwarks.
Some one from the clipper answered The
lieuienan,'s call.
"Tell them tho schooner has sprung q
leak and that the cussed Yankees must
have thrown the pump-breaks overheard" !"
The poor lieutenant looked first at the
stern face Of The old man, and then at the
muzzle Of the pistol, and then stretching his
lungs 10 the utmost, obcyed the order.
"Now tell them 10 heave TO, and you'll
run alongside"
The frightened officer obeyed, and the
next momen, the clippers helm was put
hard down and her main boom hove TO wind
ward.
Seven OF the Yankee fishermen were
stationed a, the lee-rail, with stout graplings
in their hands, in less than five minutes the
Rhody's bowspit loomed over The clippers
weather quarter. Obed showed the helm
down, and letting go the sheets lore and af,
the Yankee schooner shot gracefully along.
side.
"Why in - didn't you come up under
our lee quar,er'" shouted the English cap
tain, as the fisherman ,humped against the.
side ofhis vessel bu, before he could utter
more Of his wrath, with which he was liter.
ally boiling over, he found his deck swarm
ing with strangers.
The whole thing had come about SO un.
accoun,ably and, wilhal, so suddenly that
hardly blow was struck by the as,onished
Englishmen, and before they were fully
aware they had been captured by their own
Insignificant, prize, they were securely
bound and mos, Of them slowed away by
strong guard.
"Well, Captain" said Jabe Haskins-
who had been released from vile durance-
as he came aft 10 where that funclionary
stood by the side ol old Nightingale, "when
dew you think Of taking us into Halifax q
The Englishman looked very hard at his
uncouth tormentor, but he disdained any
reply.
- say, Caprn," continued Jabe, in a
very unfeeling manner, al rather guess as
heow't that ero exploi, o yourn won't amoun,
10 great deal, will ill But look here,
don't for mercy sake, go home an tell your
king AT you got took by Penobsco,, cod
fisherman, cause it might hur, his tender
est feelings.
This time the Englishman's answer was
more wicked and unfeeling than had been
Jabe's, FOR he not only swore terribly, but
he even wished every Yankee in Chrisien-
dom was in the immediate Kingdom of that
horned and booied individual who is said 10
reign somewhere beneath the earth.
Before the sun had set on the next day
the English prisoners were all landed n,
Belfast, and Captain Enoch Nightingale
found himself in command Of as handsome
pIiva,eer as Aoa,ed in the American
waters, and until peace was declared and
the embargo raised, he carried on a most
destructive trade among the British mer.
chanlmen.