Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1861-05-11
While the prize masters were ear

While the prize masters were ear
nestly engaged in keeping up with the
clipper, very novel scene was being
enacted in the hold. One of the
boards, seemed to form part of a sta
tionary floor, was lifted from its place,
and the head of old Captain Enoch
Nightingale appeared through the ap--
erture. In a moment another board
was removed, and ere long forty stout
fishermen, all we'll armed, had come
up from their place of concealment.-
1t was moments work to leap on deck,
and ere the thunderstruck lieutenant
could see whence came the enemy, he
was bound hand and foot, and so were
his men, while the poor prisoners were
set free from the long boat. Obed
Nightingale took the helm, and his faith
er, pointing a cooked pistol at the head
of the English officer, said:
"Do you think we are in earnest, or
not ?''
ssI should think you were," replied
the trembling officer.
'Then if you do not obey me, you
will get bullet through your head in
an instant. Now hail that clipper"
"Scorpion, ahoy!" shouted the lieu
tenant, as if for dear life.
In the meantime the Yankee had
been let off little from the wind, so
that she was now within a little more
than a cables length of her captor,
while the bold fishermen were nearly
all crouched beneath the bulwarks.-
Some one from the clipper answered
call.
"Say the schooner has sprung leak,
and that the cussed Yankees must have
thrown the pump-breaks over board"
The poor lieutenant looked first at
the stern face of the old man, and
then at the muzzle of the pistol, and
then stretching his lungs to the utmost,
he obeyed the order.
"Now tell them to heave to, and
you'll run alongside.''
The frightened officer obeyed, and
on the next moment the clippers helm
was put hard down and her main boom
showed over the windward.
Seven of the Yankee fishermen were
stationed along the lee rail with stout
grapplings in their hands, and in less
than Eve minutes the Rh hody's bowsprit
doomed up over the clippers weather
quarter. 'Obed showed the helm down,
and letting 60 the sheets fore and aft,
the Yankee schooner shot gracefully
alongside.
"Why in-didn't you come up
under our lee quarter ?" shouted the
English captain as the fisherman thump-
ed against the side of his vessel; but
before he could utter any more Of his
wrath, with which he was literally boil
ing over, he found his deck swarming
with strangers.
The whole thing had come about SO
unaccountably, and, withal, SO sudden
ly, that hardly blow was struck by
the astonished Englishmen, and before
they were fully aware that they had
been captured by their own insignif-
cant prize, they were securely bound
and most of them slowed away below
under strong guard.
"Wal, cap'n,' said Jabe Haskins-
who had been released from durance
vile-as he came aft to where that
functionary stood by the side Of old
Nightingale" "when dew yeou think of
takin' us intew Halifax"
The Englishman looked very hard
at his uncouth tormentor, but he dis
dained any reply.
Il say. cap'n,'' continued Jabe, in
very unfeeling manner, 1 rather guess
as heow't that air exploit O yourn
won't amount to great deal, will it?
But, look b ere, don't for mercy's sake
go home an tell your king yeou got
took by Penobscot cod-fsherman, as
it might hurt his feelin's.'
This time the Englishma1.' answer
was more wicked and unfceling than
had been Jabe's, for he not only swore
terribly, but he even wished that every
Yankee in Cristendom was in the i'm
mediate kingdom of that horned and
hoofed individual who is said to reign
somewhere beneath the earth.
Before the sun had set on the next
day, the English prisoners were all Ian
ded at Belfast, and Captain Enoch
Nightingale found himself in command
of as handsome privateer as foated
in American waters, and until pea ce
was declared and the embargo raised,
he carried on most destructive trade
among the British merchantmen.
s|Oil diggers are often annoyed
by visitors who come along and make