Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-09-30

Heart-sick at the sight, John retreated
to an unmolested quarter of the cabin, where
he remained till long after nightfall, occh-
pied with his own thoughts, and watching
Ihe progress Of the vessel as the cloven bill
low flashed before her PROV. Twas love-
II tropic niglit-the intense heat Of the
spent day was cooled by the brisk wind-the
moon shone like tempered sun-one by
one the stars upifted their shining eyelids
from the horizon, and the hot, bloody glare
flung BY the dying orb upon the waters,
had given place to q silvery radiance which
far and wide, was broken up into thou
sand spangles Above-around him all
spoke Of serene and soothing repose, and as
The magic influence Of the hour overnowed
the young mans mind, memory carried him
back to the hills Of Devon and the bright
thoughts Of his youth. "Alas !" said he,
"what was | then--what am | now ? Where
is the shy, fancifnl enthusiast Of former
years, with whom hope was synonyme for
certainty? Have I been dreaming all this
while, and 40 / Now for the first time wake
to the stern truth Of thingsa Yes, all has
been vision-a false, feverish creation,
and nought remains Of my former self but
my love for Mary p
He was reused FROM this sad reverie by
the sound Of voices in the state cabin, and
the hatches being open, lie could distinctly
hear the conversation that was going on
between the Captain and those Of the crew
who were holding revcl with him.,
''And pray, Captain" ghduired morose
voice, which John recognised as that of a
grim, old, one-eyed buccanier, who had
honored him with many a special glance Of
contempt" pray, who is this here young
fellow you have got hold Of? Can't say |
like the trim Of the vessel. In the good
told ines Of
-s'And yet tbs tight, clean-built craft
enough;" Interrupted Captain Davis-"hot
as hell ahd as bold as a lion," in proof Of
which lie detailed the circumstances Of his
last conversation with John, dwelling with
particular animation oh bis gallant bearing
when the pistol was levelled at this head
depend on 1t, Ton;" he added, ''we'll
make something Of him yet. He requires
only little management to become as
choice 4 spirit as TIE best Of u.s.
''May be So" rejoined Tie Cyclops, sulki-
"" nevertheless ! never Knew any good
come Of this here sort Of live lumber In
the old times of Ulohois ard de Gramltiont
such jack-a-dandy scarecrows would have
been made to walk the plank or run up at
the yardarm. But all's changed now, and
For The worse, I think"
''Avast there, Tom; avast-we're wiser
1ow than we were when you first stepped
'twixt stem and stern"
''Wiser !" growled Tom, 'swhy, we havn't
fingered a piastre for month past. These
sleepy times quite ruins me. I arn't half
the man was. As Olonois Used to say,
I'D rather DC cutting threat than doing
nothing. Itkeeps ones hand in
'sSurcly, Tom,' said Captain Davis, ''you
won't compare your Olonois with our. Nor
gan! Mounseer, brave as he was, did but
half understand his duties. Where was tie
use in faying his prisoners alive when lie
might have obtained handsome ransom
for them? I hate such mode Of doing
brsiness-there's nothing to be got by it
that can see."
cay, that faying alive was foolish af-
fair, and SO I told Olonois. lisa shame,
said I, to waste the time of the ships crew
in that manner. Howsomever, the best
Of us have our weak side, and take him for
all in all, the Frenchman was as stout. a
heart as ever broke biscuit Ah," contin-
ued Tom, with sentimental sigh, "we
shall never see his like again, d-n my
eyes"
''Your eye yet mean" retorted the Cap
tain, With prodigious chuckle at his own
wit:
Tom it will BE observed from this brief
dialogue, was croaker IAN idolater Of the
good old times, as is usually the case with
those whose opportunities of Distinguishing
themselves either fof good or evil, are we'll
nigh past. His commander, On the contra
ry, whose greatest triumphs were to be yet
achieved, was an advocate for the times pre-
sent. The one, in short, was d Tory, the
other Wing; but despite this difference,
both held equally the fundamental article Of
the political cfeed-that is to say, were
stauch advocates for the propriety Of taxing
the community FOR the benefit Of their own
party.
The evening after this conversation, as
John stood on deck, looking down on the
unwrinklcd waters which, the breeze having
gone down, now lay in perfect calm, Cap
tain Davis came UP to him and said "what
still sulking, youngster I should have
thought you would have been in high glee.
Come, cheer UP, man, cheer UP; in Porto
Bello, capture the place; and ill our pock
cts with piastres p
Captain Davis replied frevanion, lay
ing his hand on the pirate S arm, t'have you
a hearth"
''Heart p exclaimed the buccanier, cay,
should think SO, and pretty soft one too,
or you would not be standing here to ask
the question. Havb't I done every thing
for you that one man can Go for another,
treated you just as if you were one of us;
given YOU berth to yourself, and as much
grog as you can stow away z
II have every thing, captain; but Chat
which man most loves-liberty."
Liberty nonsense, if liberty is hott be
found here, where is it to Be found In
England where they keep you poor, and
punish you for being 50; send you across
seas for taking fancy to a stray hare or
partridge; aud clap you in the bilboeS for
looking like d man in the face Of great
lord 7"-he spoke thus with ineffable bitter
ness 'No, no, this is your only liberty,
the liberty of seeing your ship 60 bounding
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