Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-05-05

lot the Buccaneers of the Tortugas hac
been broken up, and Kidd was believed
executed, continued to infest those seas,
to dart upon the rich Spanish galleons
which waited to the mother country the
glittering treasures of the South. His
form, his step, and his commanding
presence would have done credit to
Pierre lie Grand, the great Norman pi-
rate, or to his daring successor, Gram
mont. His temperament was moody
and melancholy, and be anne more SO
daily. Such, as Mr. Hoyt and his com
panions afterwards learned, was the
character of Capt. Warner, as 1t had
been disclosed mp to the time the sur
vivors of the crew of the Dove were re-
ceived on board his ship; and the mo-
mentary glance at him, altogether with
his studied seclusion in the cabin, gave
rise to various suspicious.
On the Sunday morning already refer
red to, the captain came upon deck with
disturbed manner, end with quad
rant in his hand. He frequently took
observations; tut his manner was
strange, and his motions prceipitant. =
The crew soon became afraid of him J;
and at times his department was such
hat they almost shuddered as he pass
ed them. No one could catch full gaze
of his quick glancing and tremnlous eye,
beaming wildly at times from beneath
his heavy frowning eyebrows. He was
often discovered to be engaged in deep
and earnest soliloquy, now giving
strange orders, and now still stranger
counter-orders. % j.
In the course of the afternoon, while
the mate was below, and the ships crew
and others had so disposed of themselves
as not many of them to be near at hand.
Capt, Warner, after gazing intently
through his spy-glass, and looking eau
tiOusly around, as If to ascertain wheth-
er he was observed, stepped to the side
of the ship, and suddenly taking a
handkerchief from his pocket, proceed
ed to tie it over his face. The man at
the helm, however, had narrowly watch
ed all his motions, and now gave the
alerm.-''The captain is going over
boardr' With panther's agility the
latter sprang over the side of the ship,
and In almost the same instant was
seized by the mate by his legs. He was
drawn on board, and after n short strug-
gle in which he fought like demon, he
was thrown upon the deck, In another
instant he was again upon his legs, fly
ing to the fofecastle, where he once
more attempted to plunge into the sea,
bat was prevented. A consultation was
held; the mate and crew Knew not what
to think of their captain, nor did they
dare to put him in close confinement
1t was finally determined TO place him
aft, and keep close eye upon his move
ments.
Matters went on thus for some time,
the gloom and the mystery which hung
over the captain increasing from day to
day. He became more quiet for a short
period, but was still at times exceeding
" agitated, and was often engaged In
earnest and audible prayer. At the
close of his supplicatiOns lac would ex-
oh, If am TO he buffeted.
/ must bel" As his agony increased he
would pray with greater earnestness and
frequency, ending with the same du-
bious words. At length, during one
dreary and forbidding night, when the
crew supposed that they had almost ar
rived ut their destination, while the
thunder was rumbling heavily, and the
crinkled lightning playing wildly upon
the pillowy cloud rising III the dis
lance, the captain called the mate aside
and communicated to him the awful
disclosure that he had once, in an I'M
dertaking of such a terrible description
that supernatural aid was necessary to
its accomplishment, entered into n
solemn league with the devil, by whose
assistance all his enterprises, for TIE
time being, had been successful. Bat
the time of the agreement was now about
to expire, and the devil was coming for
his bond. 1t was the certainty of his
coming, and the consequent horror of
his situation, which had preyed upon
his feelings so much of late, increasing
his anxiety with very hours nearer APP
proach to the dreadful moment, until
he already felt the agonies of fire burn.
ing within him. "The contract" said
the unfortunate captain, twill expire
precisely at-twelye O'Clock on Friday
night next. / shall then be sent for,
and must go, though fioated away in a
river of flame" The tale was uttered
with the emphasis of fearful sincerity,
and the captain was listened to by the
crew, who had silently gathered near,
with mute amaZement and terror. Sail
ors are always superstitiOus, and under
the circumstances of the present case,
the wildness of the night, the angry wa
ters beneath them, and the agitation of
the captain, upon whose face large drops
of sweat stood trembling, induced them
to yield a ready belief to the dreadful
tale.
During the two succeeding days, the
same strange and suspicious conduct
marked the behavior Of the unhappy
captain, and his agitation and distress
visibly increased. The weather, mean
while, became lowering and gloomy. 1t
was November; the clouds hung heavily
above, and the wind blew III fitful gusts.
As the evening of Thursday drew dusk
lily on the captain was observed, in deep.
er agitation than ever, to be intently
looking towards the north with the glass.
He looked again and again; and was
sometimes heard, in half suppressed NUT
tiers between his clenched teeth-sE It's
sher' ''She nearsP' ooh Godl There,
do you see her, Seward?" exclaimed he
to the mate, handing him the glass;
The mate looked, and strangely enough,
he did see, or thought he saw, a trim
ship with all her rigging set, yet with
out sails, Just in the edge oflthe horizon.
The captain said it was a fire-ship, and
directed the wheelsman to change his
course, as though he would escape from
il. The mate, however, had q stout
heart, questioned the order, and endeav-
ored to pacify the captain. But Capt.
Warner still insisted that he saw a fire.