Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1861-10-10
THE REPUBLICAN
WITH A PIRATE.
By ANoRTHERN RANGER.

Early June of this year found me in the
city of New Orleans. That paradise of
rebels was one scene of mad excitement
Mslevolence towards the North was ulcer
ating the heart of its mongrel denizens-
An escaped convict sneaking through its
sun-devoured thoroughfares. with cropped
head and prison dress complete, would
have been an object Of venefation in com
parison to the loathing bestowed upon a
discovered Northerner. To mention the
''Stars and Stripes" unaccompanied by
an expression at contempt. would have
subjected man to the irown OF suspicion
and the7scrutiny of the police. il it did not
point him out as tit victim for the ready
knife of the assassin. 1t was. difficult to
imagine that the city's population Of Span
ish. French. AMI American creoles had
ever looked with other eyes than those OF
intense hatred upon Yankee" much
less that they ever esteemed him as broth
er. or exchanged with him the courtesies
that grow ont of commerce and the arts Of
. highly civilized community. The very
negroes, whose grandsires were born and
reared on American plantations. wore the
hostile look of an armed horde. 1t was
dangerous for storekeepers to produce for
sale the hated fabrics Of the North. for
they would have been torn from their coun-
tiers and dragged by reckless crowd Of
ragged ruffians through the dusty and stag
naht cutters.
One evening. weary of the eternal clam
or of Southern 'braves," making every
bsrroom reecho with vaunts, I saunterel
through the streets and took my way to
the levee. where bales OF cotton and tobac-
CO, barrels Of pork and Aour, and hogs
heads of sugar. in monstrous tiers, lined
the wharves. all as plainly visible in the
moonlight as at MONDAY. / stood near
the edge OF the levee. where. as no vessel
was moored. / had an unobstructed view
towards the river, near the center of which
ssmsll. sharp schoonerlay at anchor
As I reclined on a cotton bale, gazing
upon the tranquil scene. the monotony oil
which was unbroEen save by few words
of song uttered by the not unmusical
voice Of some river boatmen, or the sud
den splash. from its Shiny perch andcr tbs
levee. of q startled alligator. the langour Of
the situation took hold upon me. The
ripping breeze sweeping the river. gave 8
refreshing Gampless to. the brow, snd
seemed to yield new vigor to my weary
limbs. perceived that the schooner
although apparently not much over hun
dred tons burthen. was an armed vessel
Her low bulwarks enabled me to detect
brass piece. evidently of heavy caiibre. or
sswivel amidship. aa,iithe glittering bay.
onets of sentries at the gangways revealed
her character. The graceful. birdlike look
ing craft was lawless pirate.
"a smart little craft, If she is little.
said voice at my side. / turned andsav
man in the dress of seaman, with
tinge of the soldier. He wore the red fe;
Of the Zouave. with a gray shirt and flow
ing pantaloons of the same color. III
was completely armed; huge "bowie'
and a navy "Colt" secured in his leatherl
belt, were hidden by the ample folds o
the red scarf which he wore round hi
waist. At the sudden sound OF his vote
Tforsook my recumbent posture on the cot
ton. bale; which be at once took possessio
of, reclining at full length upon it. hi
arms crossed under his chest and hea
thrown back. allowing me to scan ever
line of his face, whilst his keen eye wa
searching mine with an undisguised earn
estness. He was man apparently abou
forty. and from the suppleness of his lint
and easy play of his uncurbed muscles
perceptible in the rounded outline Of h
naked, swartoy throat and brawny should
ers. might well have passed for ive-and
twenty. But there was a contradiction
all this in a massive moustache, silvery.a
the whiskers of wild cat; by deep line
of thought. haggard cheeks. and innume
able wrinkles, indented on his brow an
every portion of his sallow face, plainl
telling Of past hardships. lasyless, passion
an indomitable will. and the wild Weiss
tudes of a reckless career
"a piratel" l muttered between m
teeth, at the same time making an inclin;
ton with my head towards the schoone
and watching closely the effect OF m
words on the stranger. His face Instant
sweIled and darkened; the veins of h
throat became like knot OF small writ
ing snakes. His fingers were clenchsd +
gether. and his eyes glared with all Il
ferocity of a Wild animal; his form dilat.
and became restless with ill-subdued e,
element. But singularly was this threa
ening storm contrasted by the smooth a
cents Of his voice. as he said:
Gan not the accuteness of Yankee
there he paused for at least five second
after laying strong emphasis on the n
sional cognomen. distinguish betwe'
privateer and a pirate?"
MOP
Your defective vision is a calamity
recent date. my friend" was prevent
from replying to the insinuation contain
in these words (spoken in tone perfect
serene. with trace of mockery scarce
perceptible.) by the approach of boat
that part of the levee on which we were.
II was gig. manned by four m en-. pulli
from the direction Of the piratical vess
and on reaching the wharf two OF her m
sprang ashore and approached us. saluti
- superior the man by my side. One
them spoke in q low tone some words, (
tenor of which / could not catch, b
which evidently had reference to I
schooner. as he pointed towards her a. t
same time with his hand. All three til
made movement towards the small DO
As the two seamen disappeared over I
side of the wharf to recmbark, my co
panion turned towards me, and with
frankness in strange contrast with