The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1858-11-04


"No, it will not-but they said, T" continued
Arson, that the chief of the gang killed man
yesterday, because he recog-recog recognized /
think they called it-and charged the fellow
with being the robber Of his vessel and cargo.
[ do not mean he stabbed him in the dark as a
Spaniard or Frenchman would; but he told him
it was false, so they shot at one another like
gentlemen"
The stranger again rose from his seat and
walked across the deck, but remained silent.
BY this time Ansoh had talked himself out Of
BREATH and concluded to take bit of q nap on
the deck; and as the stranger appeared to shun
observation and showed no disposition to con-
verse, we dropped down the river in silence.
Evening found us on board the fine stout brig
Cleopatra, laden with indigo, cochineal and a
quantity of specie She was British vessel
Just arrived from Santa Cruz, and employed as
cartel in exchanging some prisoners by direc-
tion of the commanding officer on the West India
station From New Orleans she was to proceed
to New York and [ gladly ayailed myself of the
opportunity offered to visit my native region,
from which business and war had so long kept
me- The stranger, on parting with us as we
went on board the Cleopatra, bid us adieu with
the manners of gentleman, and, while Arson
Humber was cursng some of the rigging which
had been procured at New Orleans, as mere
Yankee contriyance, he, i'll half suppressed
tone Of voice, whispered there are rovers on
the deep; should difficulty oyertake you, re-
member Laftte" As he pronounced these
words, he leaped into small boat which floated
alongside the steamboat in which we had de-
scended the river, and amidst the darkness OF
the evening was soon out of sight among the
craft which almost covered the surface Of the
waters.
"By the powers y exclaimed Arson, who
had caught the tones of the strangers voice,
low as they were uttered, that is the very man
who killed the other up the levee Yesterday
morning ah | smell another rat too; he is
the pirate HIMSELF continued Arson, with a
kind of shudder my head does not feel hall
so safely seated on my shoulders as it did ten
minutes ago but can we not overhaul him? j
should like to lay alongside Of him, well armed
as he is"
I" If you should Arson, brave as you are it is
my opinion you would find yourself iii more
disagreeable predcament than when you were
boarded by Kentuckian. If however we meet
with pirate, we need fear nothing. A dozen
such fellows as you are, might enable US to bid
defiance to old Neptune himself" /" You are
right sir" replied the sailor, "while that lut-
ters" pointing to the colors which streamed
gaily in the wind, " | will ensure the safety OF
the Cleopatra. But am 50 sleepy, that if the
vessel was striking on breakers, or pirates were
boarding, could hardly keep awake" So say
ing, he slowed himself in his hammock, and in
few minutes nothing was to be heard but the
waves of the Mississippi as they dashed against
the vessel; the measured pace OF the sentinel as
he traversed the quarter deck, or the heavy
breathing of those of the crew, who, after hard
days labor, were refreshing themselves in the
sweet embraces of sleep
| too threw myself on my bed, but not to
sleep. A thousand circumstances united to in
terest MY mind and keep me wakeful ] was
about to return to the land of my fathers, the
home of my childhood. Home that endearing
word what tender recollections crowd upon
the mind, when ten thousand charms Of that de-
lightful place present themselves in all their
sweetness and freshness. Long as | had been
separated from my native state long as | had
trayersed the various regions of the globe; long
as it had been since half the wide world had III
tcrposed between me and the place, where / had
first tasted the pleasures and pains Of life, had
not forgotten single scene around which mem
ory fingered with such interest The village
spire, which threw its shadow over the green,
where with the companions of my boyhood we
WTeSlIetl, JuHlpcu, IduSHeu, Itn anu oPolecet,
while the ball flew rapidly round the circle -
the gloomy church yard, which when truant
boy / had so often shudderingly passed, when
the pale moon glimmered athwart the marbles
which crowded the sacred enclosure, and to my
affrighted imagination appeared to people the
dreary place with the tenants of that world
from which no traveller returns-the hills | had
often climbed the green valleys | had often
sed-the mountains among which had so
often royed in pursuit of such game as they
afforded; all passed in review; and | even
thought with rapture on the huge rock which
was shaded with the branches Of my favorite
walnut tree, and where, happy as the squirrel
which barked over my head, / had spent many
an hour cracking the nuts which every wind
made to rattle down around me.
The various countries and scenes through
which | had passed since first became wan
derer from the land of my childhood now that
my imagination pictured those wanderings as
drawing to a close. rose in all their various
shades before me, and the pains and pleasures
of my peregrnations were again presented in
bold relief by the powerful effect Of memory.
Over the civilized plains of Europe, and the