Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-05-12
TOM CRAB:

An Old Salt, Atl0af an0 ASn0le.
BY GUS. coMsrOCK.
GROCER srARBUoK.)
DOWN from alof like the far-of scream OF piro In
l the sky. came the cry of :" Sail or ., s,ood
He Who uttered it, TALL swarlhy fellow, s'o hss
long serpentne body swayng to and no. away up ~
the golden mist. -, r,r,,sh Merchant
mann ane CAPTAIN Band bound from New York
the situation. ten leagues or SO hor'no"'' -
or sWay shouted Captain Band
p p ts% abBs the weather about two
miles off; there in the edge Of the fog"
ashe Under full sail and bearing down upon US
me ook through nqulr
confronted Richard Merton-a young man. an Ameri c
can who, with his sister, had taken passage i0f
fellow than Richard So%ld searS wn Ds
aeep round Chest rmy Knit limbs good
spirited brown eyes dark wavy hair sntle
noble well.cut features expressive Oh nins''N s''
ne 70 describe his sister who stood by his sde
hr more Of trust and confidence
charmingy blended with the sweet dignity OF early
hair Ola dark chestnut color fell in wayy
her h one y Of
protection wolf while at other
Of Young maiden, Confident ofsecnrity
With such features regular yet full OF ve
5 with sh the lyssd sr1sss
re It Of ooksa SroSs the
tains glass; Grace Merton then noticed tha' nc
something y In 1w xeed ' the
but didn't like do you see' to speak Oh IL 0eo''
yomhns wards were too low for Grace to hear but ac
alnd e That soSyes
NOW her curiosity and and sh rew rom Kim
doubtless French ee or e var the crew
and
There were however, plenty Of mnskets annas O.
while the captain and crew We're pray
men, and Richard Merton. having had eXRerenGe
ally ahH a assist in defense Of the ship o,.,,v had
On the other hand the nnG II he Wished and go
near enough to the hnglish craft sink her WIN ~"
Captain Band resolved keep far enough off, If pos
sibie to avoid such catastrophe WHICH, h&ws ha III
much fear a. tne ret Of his
"ousv " ay " Exclaimed the mastheader who hat
ths aont the dee
Frenchers they did us good farVlce IN INC
"How ookee here Tom Crab r. exclaimed lined the nc s eaa
being hnaw ba aa ba sar me won't
you through If you back DOWN "nen JIG Asn'''
serpsnne body 70 might hssha sua
them Chaps SI unless choosed!" ...
This s' man says he won't fight" answered Band
The c IS answered tnrusng HI
F1Sss Re sasy hR but cruiser
captain sr reared Rana an
| turn pp n
's II guess you are one too, ain'tye?"
$50 am I; Tom Crab Of Sag Harbor st your ;, sal
vice. who is sound on the stars ana nc
on the hasty pudding and punphlh pic que'uo"'
shosi from the stranger, now less than mile Of
passed, with whizzing sound, over the speaker
!, lin went the French flag at her gaf-aboye that
black one, hoisted the next moment, proclaimed III
vesse rRsh bta.e cried Crab buckng belt around h
waist, that determines me- I'm always ready 10 hsn
Merton went forward and attended to the pointin
of the two nine Founders. WHICH being well aimee
Q brought down, when discharged, the Frenchman
STEADY !! hoSled land, now hoping to escape
Meanyyhile Grace Merton in the cabin, whittier s
by her brother ssn 81 upon pprayn
teriific crash suddenly brought her TO he, fee
large splinter flew past as ,r ner anu
. The miszen mast had been struck and just tnocke
to pieces the eek lay along side dragging inc W.
saptain Band. Selling ak, sprang to clear =
:, when another ball from the enemy carrieu HIS e"0
w AN Unfortunate circumstance " said Tom a Graz raj
e cecilia TO- so d R,sn'h tie y" Wrse k
The Frenchman now was booming along as II ln'en,
hg sS alive with R armed to Il
teeth and cheering after the usual manner OF frehc
seare ' tSs Week could be cleared the French
sSns.S sy SnE snVa'
combat nS% tSoS as e
The hnglishmans crew. thirty In number, heade
Merton and the mate fought IN IKE Hons Of snv,
lar beauty fancilully attred andby another tall fe
fought II their usual dogged resolution their grll
aces expressive Of the utmost contempt Tor the
supple fellow spvang like tiger upon the back
M Ses' ABOUT wn DRIVING dirk IN the back Of
Crab with ash e tne nnss ne ha
One after another: the merchantmans brave &c ere re-
70 the SO ha.
these prisoners Merton and Tom .a sra
tall man. who had OF the leaders OF the BE- arr
Ing party ava, and shoot me" said Tom Crab COOL
-.better die that way than tother.'
full to %h nav sister, s?' said aH Merton t
The younger leader Of the outlaws looked at I'll
' I'VE viii not harm your sister,, he sad in voice
He moyad ntS the cabin followed by his taller
panion who soon after reappeaaea anr coes down an
- Before the OLcT parL VI tho Gun SoSS uV"ns w
must all udik the plank ~ -,
And INV sister p said Nerten, "You will spare he
and enable her to safely reach home. a,
! 1--WE will spare her." answered the younger OF Tn
pirates.
= versation with him. during which he spoke in plead
ing voice.
The other. however, soon broke away
''The sun is oown-ITeY0Te Tor death|'
CHAPTER II.
Il | UNFORTUNATE wretches
Splash! splash splash one after the other, al
had afked overheard to go down IN the dark waters
= | except Merton and Tom rab.
The former, conducted TO the edge OF the planking
was about to sufferthe fate of his companions, whe
u e Young captain sprung forward, and tn one Wig
orois push, sent the plank over Into the water; .
THE taller man uttered cry Of rage, but the othe
hung upon his arm, pleading In his native tongue, 10
! the lives fthe two remaining.
cried in Engl sh as he glanced at the prisoners .
l. al your sar vice. answered Tom Lrab "but what