The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-06-02


be found u sbe streets Of Halifax, vsszirg
. blue jacket, in bis maiessy's servics>
; On she sssaiDg Of his asrrsi, Capsain
ErimshaU rseeiveA . pressing insisation
from the 6osesnoro Of Nova Scosis 70 pass
the esssipg ss shs gevssn1eas MANSION,
where Some impeFesst ent vas 70 be cels-
brssed by . bait, at which 10 uss expected
all the beauty and fashion, ID Ilalifax would
be preseut. But the grim csnosnass of
the Arsaxerxes, who held all balls but
cannon balls in ;uttes contempt, and Was
familiar with no other fancy dance than
the double- -shgl1e. which he could execute
with admirable skill, excase1 himaeif on
the ground that he had Important os5cial
business to traDsacs that eveDise which
would sdnit no dslsy.a The fass ~as that
Captain Grimshaw, true to his early tastes,
had inside up his mind to take 50 cruise in
Hslaaxp on his owD hook. rs @
He went on board his ship, and in due
time rugged himself oos 10 the neat and
becoming costume Of Q sailor IN the mer-
chant service. And be made nanly xp.
pearascs without his epaulestes, embroid-
cred coat, and cooked hat sporting .
simple blue jacket, duck srowsess, white
stockings, pumps, bandans seckkerchief
and glazed hat. Almost any Captain would
have shipped him as an $ able seaman y
without asking questions. He carefully
covered his costume by wrapping himself
with boat cloak, about nine O'Clock in the
evening stepped into his gig, and was soon
landed on the quay. u
Handing bis cloak to his faithful coz.
swain, who grinned intelligence, and order
ing him to wait at the landing place until
his return, Grimshaw walked briskly mp
the wharf and wended his way towards that
portion of the city where sailors most do
congregate--a section which he had visited
many years since, and whose latitude and
longitude he we'll remembered. .-sv
In his walk be encountered a couple of
blue Jackets, bound in the same direction,
and Grimshaw, hailing them as 'sbipmates,'
entered into conversation, and asked them
various questions about the number Of
merchant ships in port, the number of sail
ors ashore, and other matters connected with
their vocation, to which they replied eva
sively, and eyeing their new companion
somewhat suspiciously, asked him if he
belonged to any ship in port.
"Yes," said Grimshaw with apparent
frankness, 81 belong to the ship Nonsuch,
Captain Coke, which arrived here this af-
ternoon, having been chased into the harbor
BY Yankee privateer."
The men expressed some surprise at this
statement, inasmuch as they had heard
nothing Of the arrival of such ship. They
said nothing further, being evidently shy of
their stalwart companion, and under some
pretext, soon after left him, when he
turned aside and entered a house Of public
of music and the shouts of mirth and
jollity. 3 8 @
Grimshaw was in bis glory. He called
for something to drink, joked with the
landlady, frolicked with the guests, treated
all hands, and was in the act of attempting
the ingenious hornpipe known as the "High.
land Fling" to the great admiration of the
spectators, when his saltdtory fiourishes
were interrupted by the entrance of three
or four sailors, who surveyed him for few
moments with looks of intense disgust and
Indignation. At length one of them. a
thick-ses, burly looking fellow, with big
whiskers and bushy eyebrows. and a fierce
expression on his features which plainly
meant mischief, addressing Grimshaw in q
hoarse, croaking voice, at the same time
twitching his elbow said, ''you Mr.. Nonsuch,
have word to say to you" !" a..#
swell, say away then!" replied Grimshaw
in tone and manner not the most courteous
and conciliatory. tats -a = a.
"What have to say had better be said
outside the house, J" rel joined the peremp,ory
tar. st=Es -@s E +* sa
"No place like the present." exclaimed
Grimshaw casting bis eyes on the group
which had Just entered, among which he re-
cognized the two sailors he had fallen in with
in his walk. ''lf you have anything on your
mind, bowse it out with tch-tackle al
once." aas.=~s +r a@
$50 WILL" replied Jack. "Shipmates,
this fellow that's cutting such shines is the
leader of press gang, just come ashore
from the three decker that anchored ont in
the roads. He's snake in the grass; a
vagabond Of spy, shipmates, who only
wants to throw you of your guard and then
he will pounce upon you with his gang which
is lying to, somewhere to windward, and
drag on aboard that overgro wn hulk, where
you will find plenty Of fighting, a free use
of the cat and the colt, and precious little
grog." t.a an9 sa sa
The mirth, which was rapidly growing
fast and furious, was changed BY this pithy
harangue into storm of Indignation. which
was not allayed when Captain Grinshaw.
thrown off his guard by the hbellous
charges, roared out :--"fou lie, you rascal:
grog is aerved out every day, and no man
gets logging on board the Artaxerxes that
don't deserve it," ~
No more was needed to prove the truth
of Jacks charges. A great uptoar eusued.
The sailors gathered around Grimshaw. 4.
expressing in the most emphatic manner a
determination to teach him better manners
than to act as q crimp to q press-gang 10
future. A tall fellow with a hook nose all
askew and quene as long as his srm, con .
fropted Grimshaw, as in imitation of
Xeuophon and Moreau he was wisely medi-
tating a retreat from the enemy's country /;
but when the tall man grasped the con-
victed spy BY the collar, expressing an
earnest desire that they should not part
company so soop, that i'll treated gentleman,
with sudden and unexpected blow from
his Est knocked him down without cere-
monv. ..... ...~-
This was the sigma! for general row
men Swore ana women screamed, anu Whne
some of the more timid sailors vanished,
retreating to their hiding places in the
cockIoft or the cellar, to avoid being caught
BY the press-gang, which they supposed was
in the immediate neighborhood, others set
upon Grimshaw, who defended himself no.
bly,. But, although he left marks of bis
prowess on more than one case-hard ned
counsenance, and sen: three or four'of his
a.sailants With terrible 70 o, against the
wall or sprawling on the foor, be lid not
escape unscathed himself, before he cleared
himself from his enemies, and rushing
through the door, made of a, q furious
rate down the street, his foreheai vas cut
open by . powerful blow given By the
kuuckies Of bis thick-ses, big-whiskered an
tasoui.s, his starboard eye was closed By a
love token from another Of the enemies Of
prssa-esngs and spies, and his nose was
actually weeping, shedding tears Of blood, .,
the injurious treatment which the other fea-
tnres had received.
He was not followed BY the indignant
sailors, who we're apprehensive of being