The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-02-03
day or other, and it was best not to
NEEDLE with other folks matters"

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"Well, Anson,' said 1, {" if they
NEEDLE with us, we must pay them in
their own coin, and it will not be your
fault, presume, if they do not receive
to the full amount"
"No, it will not-but they said"
continued Arson, that the chief of
the gang killed a man yesterday, be-
cause he recog-recog -recognised /
think they called it-and charged the
fellow with being the robbcr of his YES
sci and cargo. 1 do not mean be stab
bed him in the dark, as Spaniard or
Frenchman would but he told him it
was false, so they shot at one another
like gentlemen"
The stranger again arose from his
seat and walked across the deck, but
remained silent. By this time Arson
had talked himself out of breath, and
concluded to take bit of nap on the
deck; and as the stranger appeared to
shun observation, and showed no dispo.
sition to converse, we dropped down the
river in silence.
Evening found us on board the fine
stout brig Cleopatra, laden with indigo,
cochineal, and quantity of specie. She
was British vessel just arrived from
Santa Cruz, and employed as cartel in
exchanging some prisoners by dircc tons
of the commanding officer on the West
India station. From New Orleans she
was to proceed to New York, and l
gladly availed myself of the opportu-
nifty offered to visit my native region,
from which business and war had so long
kept me. The stranger on parting with
us as we went on board the Cleopatra,
bid us adieu with the manners of gen.
tleman, and, while Arson Humber was
cursing some of the rigging which had
been procured at New Orleans, as a
mere Yankee contrivance, he in a half
suppressed tone of voice, whispered,
There arc rovcrs on the deep; should
difficulty overtake you, remember La
ftte" AS he pronounced these words,
he lcapcd into small boat which hoated
alongside the steamboat in which we had
descended the river, and amidst the
darkness of the evening was soon out of
sight among the craft which almost COW
cred the surface of the waters.
"By the powers ~ exclaimed Arson,
who had caught the tones Of The s:ran
gers voice, low as they were uttered,
that is the very man who killed the
other up at the levee yesterday ah l
smell another rat too he is the pirate
himself" continued Arson with kind
of shudder-" my head does not feel
half so safely seated on my shoulders
as it did ten minutes ago but can we
not overhaul him =? / should like to lay
alongside of him, well armed as he is"
If you should, Arson, brave as you
are, it is my opinion you would find
yourself in more disagreeable predca.
ment than when you was boarded by a
Kentuckian. If however we meet with
a pirate, We need fear nothing A doz-
en- such fellows as you are might enable
us to bid defiance to old Neptune him
self" You are right, sir" replied the
sailor: while that futters," (pointing
to the colors which streamed gaily in the
windy az will ensure the safety of the
Cleopatra. But I am so sleepy, that if
the vessel was strik ing on breakers, or
pirates were boarding, 1 could hardly
keep awake" So saying he slowed
himself in his hammock, and in few
minutes nothing was to be heard but
the waves of the Mississippi as they
dashed against the vessel, the measured
pace of the sentinel as he traversed the
quarter deck, or the heavy breathing of
those of the crew, who after hard days
labor were refreshing themselves in the
sweet embraces of sleep.
1 too threw myself on my bed, but
not to sleep. A thousand circumstan-
ces united to interest my mind, and keep
me wakeful. was about to return, to
the land of my fathers, the homo of my
childhood. Home that endearing
word what tendar recollections crowd
upon tho mind, when ten thousand
charms of that delightful place present
themselves I'm all their sweetness and