The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-10-20
The Yankee for Fun,

bIi, lie JJbbIEi > DlEL
While the old frigatc Brandywinc lay al
/ Gibraitcr, the American consul, Spraguc
came on board with a man who wished tu
join the ship, aud, after some consultation
said man was received 10y the captain as q
/ kind of steward, he having agreed to work
for his passage and board, and some slight
consideration besides. His name was DO,
/ Lattit, and he was regular specimen OF Ia,
/ strOling Yankee. The moment | put my
eyes on him knew had seen him before
aud hen had an opportunity to speak
with him, | found that he had been a per
| former Of legcrdemaln and yentrlIoquiam il
/ the United States.
lie brought his whole kit on board in q
large chest, which he stowcd away in bcl
room. He had quite "piio' OF money
which he placed in the purscra hands ioI
safe keeping, but he would tell none Of u,
how much He was liberal and open-heart
ed, and the very soul OF Wit and humor.
At length the ship went to Port Mahon
and here our Yankee tars were at home
[ One pleasant morning party OF US went
ashore, and doc Lattt was among our mum
/ Der lie was dressed in a perfect shOre-go
/ ing rig and appeared gentleman Of conse'
| qucncc. Near ten o'clock in the morning a
| lew Of US entered a drinking saloon, and the
only occupant. besides the keeper, was q
Spanish officer, evidently an infantry cap
/ tain. We cal ed for wine, and had 1t served
| upon table next to the one ut which the Of
/ iicer sat, Joe seating himself 30 that hl,
/ back came against tnc back OF the opauiard
/ Our laugh and jest ran hSn, and Just a.
Joe SAID something unusually idnny, hc
/ threw himself bach, and thereby hit the
Spaniard With 80 much force as to caus,
/ hIu 10 spill glass OF wine upon his bosom
The fellow lgapvd to his feet, and before doc
could beg pardon tor the unIntcntonal ms
/ hap, he commenced torrent Of oaths and
| inycctlvcs, partly in Spanish and partly IL
| broken English. His Ian suaSe was SO abu
/ siye that Joe's temper was up IN a moment
and instead of asking pardon as hc had IN
/ tended he surveyed the rayng man from
head to foot, and then said
"Go on, sir. Your language Is beautiful
very beautiful for gentleman
"Ah' you call me gentleman, ch :' sal.
! the officer, in towering passion
"ll were going to call you should cal
you ja"ha,s," camly and contcmp,uousIy
answered Joe,
"Aha, aha" half growlcd the Spaniard
"Now, 10y St Maria, you shall answer for
tat. You little, cursed puppy Now yoC
Stall fight"
Joe would have laughed the matter of, b,
found that the Captain was determined L
/ fight, and he resolved 70 accommodate him
! 'ihe keel cr OF the ca,G called the to on,
S de, ana informed me that the man wa,
| Captain .intuu,a Bizr, one Of the most no
| tonous duc.i,ts IN the placu--that he wa'
away, qqarrcisomy when uuayI tho inliu
| cncc of uqulr-aud tnat his coupauuu, al
| ways loft INN alone, rather tAan have 4 !us,
VITA him.
Not live minutes b fore you camc in,
add, d the bartender "iOur OF his fellow vi
| iiGcrs lett Inn bucaIsv tuly a'I nc "ao rye
for fuss. So you had J..ter tdAe yOui
| fIgnd away"
Eu, cd Joe away and tod him what had
been told me, but ne only smiled, and assn
red ms that there was nothing 10 fear.
felt certain at once, from his very manner.
that he had some fun IN his head, and let
him go
"My name is Joseph Lattit, sir-a citizen
%! the United States, and General Oi the
Ord,r OF Sublime Darkness sad Joe, v,ry
romrou'iI, tuning to the spana'd,
your nainc, SIR,
"Antohia Blzur, Captain IN her Most Ca.
tholic MaJcs,y's S,ycnth Regiment VI lnian'
Try. But your Office, sIy don't comprc-
head ~
ooh, you wou.dn'tknow if should tell
you. am simply General OF a body OF men
who have sold themselves to the gentlemen
who burns sinners and heretics down
there and Joe pointed mystcrlously down
toward the floor as he spoke.
The Spaniard smiled sarCasticay, and
thereupon Joe pi kcd up two large knives
which lay upon the bar, and tossed them,
one after the other, down his throat, max.
ing several wry faces AS they took then pas
sage downward. The fellow had evidently
never seen anything of the kind before, for
he was astonshed.
"Now, sir" said Joe, making one or two
grimaces, as though he felt the knives IN
the region Of the diaphragm, 'you will wait
here until go and bring my pistols, and
you shall have satisfaction. Will you
wait :"
81 can procure pistols" said the officer,
forgetting his astonishment, and coming
oaok 10 ms anger
Il sha'l hsht win my own IL you are
no coward you WIN "a't' ,.
JOG turned 10 US ana oade US wait ior nm
'here! mere oh' gen''emen, cfied inc
keeper, "where be mine knies."
am pay you for them when | come
oack, sa'd Joe, ana theh nc Deckoheu ior
me to come out. ! ana so, and nc look @ .ns
hn'cs-oi'e from us BOSOM anu the o.'e'
from ms s'ee'e-Iahd to'u me 10 keep 'he'h
untl' he returned
IL seems tnat Joe iouha ooat reauy 70
ake '','n Oh 10 'he sh'p al once, Tor nc was
"o, nv' So". o'e' my. Il"'''e,a vi At, n1u'
ana Wnen nc came back ne had Two spltnulu-