Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1872-08-17
The yankee ana the Pirate.

a large island OF the coast Of Maine,
an old fisherman by the name Of
Jedediah Spinnet, who owned a
| schooner of some hundred tons bur-
den, in which he, together with four
stout sons, was wont 10 90 about
once a year to the Great Banks for
the purpose of catching GOLDFISH
| The old man had five things about
| which he loved to boast-his schoon-
er Betseg jenkins and his four
| sons Ia.-
The four sons were all that their
father represented them to be, and
no one ever doubted his word when
he said that their like was not 10 be
found in fifty miles around The
/ oldest was twenty-five, while the
Youngest had reached his sixteenth
/ year, and they answered 70 the
names of Seth, Andrew, John and
| Samuel.
One morning q stranger called
upon Jedediah to engage him to
/ take to Havana some iron machinery
| belonging TO steam engines for sugar
plantations. The terms were soon
agreed upon, and the old man and
his sons Immediately set about put
/ lluZ NAAG 0A
ACCOMPLISHED, they set sail for Ha-
yana with a fair wind, and for sew
| eral days proceeded on their course
without an adventure of any kind
One morning, however, vessel was
| deserted of the starboard quarter,
| which, with some hesitation the old
man pronounced to be a pirate
There was little time given them
for doubling, for the vessel soon sa-
luted them with not a very agree-
\ able whizziug OF an eighteen pound
shot Just under their stern. -.
"That means for US to heave to, !"
remarked the old man.
"Then 1 guess we had better do 1t,
hadn't We" said Seth.
"Of course" 1.-F.
Accordingly the Betsey Jenkins
was brought up to the wind, and
her main boom hauled over 10 wind
ward. .a.
"Now, boys" said the old man as
soon as the schooner came to q stand,
call we can do is to be as cool as
| possible, and trust to fortune. There
/ is no way to escape that / can see
now, but If we are civil they will
take such stuff as they want, and
/ then let US 90. At any rate, there
is no use crying about il, for it can't {
be helped. Now get your pistols
and see that they are surely loaded,
and have your knives ready, but be
sure to hide them, 50 that the pl-
rates shall see no signs of resist
ance. In q few moments all the
arms which the schooner afforded,
with the exception of one or two
old muskets, were secured about the
persons of our down casters, and
they quietly awaited the coming oi
the pirate.
"0ne word more, boys" said the
old man, Just as the pirate came
round under the stern. "Nowt
watch every motion 1 make, and be
ready % jump the moment lspeak.' ,
AS Captain Spinnet- ceased speak
ing the pirate luffed under the fish
erman's leequarter, and in q mo-
ment more the latter's deck was
graced by the presence Of a dozen
as savage looking mortals as eye
ever looked upon. iilllll iel --l.
care you captain Of the yesselT
asked the leader of the boarders, al
he approached the old man.
ayes, sir"
'fWhat is your cargO?'
Machinery for steam inglns."
| Nothing else?" asked the pirate
with searching look.
| At this moment Captain SpinDets
eve caught what looked like sail
off to the south'rd aud easprd, but
not a sign betrayed the discovery,
and while brilliant idea shot thro'
his mind, he hesitatingly replied:
swell, there is q little something
else" 100 llu
''Ha, and what is it:"
| "Why, sir, p'r'eps l hadn't I ought
TO tell, . said Captain Spinnet eoun-
terfeiting the most extreme pertur-
baton. 'EYou see it was given me
as a sort of trust, an itwouldn't be
right of me TO give it up You can
take anything else you please, for l
can't help myself"
TYou are an honest cOdger, at any
rate" said the pirate; but if you
would live ten minutes longer, just
tell me what you've got on board,
and exactly the place where il lays"
The sight of the cooked pistol
brought the old man to his senses,
and in a deprecating tone he nut
tered:
aDon't kill me, sir, don't, PlIteH
you ali. We've got forty thousand
silver dollars nailed up in boxes just
for'ard o. the cabin bulkhead, but
Mr.. Defoe didn't suspect that any
body would have thought OF look
ing for it there"
HPerhaps so" chuckled the pirate
while his eyes sparkled with delight
And thea turning TO his own vessel
he ordered all but three of his mel
to Jump on board the Yankee.
In few minutes the pirates haC
taken off the matches, and in theil
haste to get at the silver dollar
they forgot all else; but not so witt
Spinnet; he had his wits at worl
and no sooner had the last of tn
villains disappeared below tn
hatchway than he turned TO tn
boys:
"Now boys for your lives. Seth
you clap your knife across the for
throat and beak halyards and you
John, cut the main. Be quick, now
and the moment YOU have done
jump aboard i-e pirate Andrev
: and Sam, you cast of the pirate
graphing, and then you jump-thel
Il We'll walk into them three chap
aboard the clipper. Now for it."
No sooner were the last words on
of the old mans mouth, than hi
sons did exactly as they were di
rected. The fore and main halyard
were cut and the two graphing
( cast off at the same instant, and a
the heavy gafts came rafting dow
our heroes leaped on board the pi
rate. The moment the clipper fel
; at liberty her head swung off, an
before the astonished buccaneer
! could gain the deck of the fisherman
, their own vessel was near half
cables length to the leeward, sweep
; ing gracefully away before the wind
. while the three men who were lef
, in charge were easily secured.
"Hello, therep' shouted Captain
Spinnet, as the IuekIess pirate
crowded around the Ice gangWay o
their prize, Hwhen you get them er
: silver dollars, just let US know, viii
yon?"
Half a dozen pistol shots was al
the answer the old man got, bu
/ they did no harm, and crowding o.
) sail he made tor the vessel he hat
ulSCOhCICA5 W n4Cu lay uGdu " III
leeward OF him, and which he mad
out to be large ship. The clippe
cut through the water like a dolphin
and in a short space of time Spinne
luffed up under the ships stern ant
? explained all that had happened
, The ship proved to be an East India
) man, bound for Charleston, having
all told, thirty men on board, q poT
ten of whom at once jumped int
J the clipper and offered their service
in helping to take the pirates.
Before dark Captain Spinnet wa