The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1867-03-29


usually abode some ways down on her
nose "you're shorter'n pie-crust seems
to me-"
nPerhsps," said Miss Robbins, with
small smirk, che didn't want to come.
'Taint necessary to come here unless
you enjoy it, Mister Balch."
"Well, wellr expostulated the dis
consulate Yankee. '.Don't go plaguin'
man, when he's in trouble already.
l didn't want to come, and it's the fust
time; and you know it, Marthy. But
IT wasn't cos l was MT glad to see you.
l s'pose l might jest as well out with it.
Them ere darned British has ketched
the boat, and Peleg and Zack along
with it.
An outburst of lalnentsiou from the
women interrupted the further progress
of the tale, which Ethan's awkward at
tempts at consolation did not avail to
quench. They gradually recovered
themselves, however, and proceeded to
inquire how it happened.
It was, Ethan said, by means of a
well known row galley belonging to
Admiral Hardy's flagship, the Ram
lies, seventy-four, which had already
captured many small coasting craft,
and which had secured its booty, in the
present instance, by "snakin out, as
he described it, with joint use of sails
and oars, the fair breeze with which
the Martha (as Ethau's boat was named
had set sail, having Unexpectedly died
away nearly to calm"
Miss Martha Robbins having cried a
! good deal, did now, as womankind are
often apt to do, experience a sudden
and not very reasonable reaction into
anger; and chose to insinuate, first,
that her lover had very cunningly
avoided any personal risk to himself
by sending her brothers of with the
boat alone; secondly, that anybody
who had not sufficient brains to keep
him from such losses as that was hard
ly likely to make a thrifty or pros
porous helpmate.
These aspersions Ethan vigorously
repeled, asserting that 81 the boys" had
chosen to go together, both desiring to
visit New London; and that, as three
were not necessary for managing the
boat, or for selling the cargo, he had
given them their own way; and as tc
the latter part of the accusation, ht
inquired:
"I want to know if you think maj
ort to hev brains enough to know ex
aetly when it's agoin' to fall calm OF
the Sound, ten hours ahead 7"
/ But Miss Robbins being as we. have
insinuated, womanly woman, vouch
safed no answer to these considerations
which he urged by way of argument
Argument being thing totally un
j, known and unintelligible to the majori
tv of the female sex-and of the male
too, for that matter And she accord
ingly said over again what she had
said before, rather more loudly and
earnestly; and having thus refuted
Ethan in the discussion, she informed
him that unless he could get her bro
theirs out of the captivity into which
he had been the means of their falling
be need not look upon her face again
Ethan demonstrated, and even Mrs
Robbins ventured few mild expostu
lations, but all in vain;. the Yankee
damsePs blood was up, and the dis
comfted lover, not considering that j
was highly complimentary to him tina
his lady love should take it for granted
that he was simply able to rescue thu
prisoners from the whole British feet
} pursued his homeward way iu mucl
detection of mind.
al wish to gracious they'd been fft,
men in herr. he exclaimed. ''Twoulc
; been fustrate fun to jump up and gil
'em volleyl"
Then his keen Yankee intellect, pur
suing the train of thought thus started
a scheme suggested itself to him whicl
seemed to promise him both fair re
z venge and the means of liberating tn
two brethren of his obdurate mistress
Fastening homeward, he consulte'
/; with bis father, and, after some difficult.
: succeeded in gaining bis cooperation
{ Early next morning the two men har
: nesseng up the old farmhouse, drov
S speedily over to New London, an
B procuring introductioDs from one O
8 two gentlemen of standing in tina
: place, who bore witness TO the trust
/. worthiness and abilities Of the bearer!
: they proceeded up the river to No
wich, near which place the three Amer
D can vessels were moored.
With the customary formslities, the
: we're admitted on board the Macede
9 nian, then Commodore Decatur's flag
ship; and, having introduced them
selves and presented their testimonial:
! they proceeded to request his assistanc
in carrying out the scheme which the
9 unfolded to him. After careful invef
:. tigation aud inquiry, the mode, tim
{, and manner of proceeding, were agree
upon, and Decatur agreed that suff
D cient number of marines should be q
: the appointed place upon the afternoo
of the succeeding day; and havin
partaken of the refreshments whic
the bospitable sailor set before them
the well-satisfied Yankee farmers Sc
out on their return.
We pass over to the next day, at
! little past noon. At that time ther
. crept out of Mystic river, taking tn
inside passage between Ram Island an'
d the main land, sail-boat, heavily la
: den, aud managed by two men. Wit
fine breeze from the west of north
they steered along, close hauled an,
hugging the shore, until they had pass
: ed Long Point, perhaps third of tn
!. distance between the mouth of tn
Mystic and New London light. The
could now see distinctly the lofty hull
! and towering masts and rigging of 81
q Thomas Hardy'S fleet, riding at singl
d anchor inside of Fishers Island; th
S two seventy-fours looming up in tn
q warm air, and attended, as it were, b
$ the smaller Orpheus and Eolus frigates
1 and by two or three gun-brigs an
tenders. After passing Long Poin
: the sail boat stood rather father GU
0 at sea.
a nnonit hAarou ouar too for fathar