The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-09-08

ger, I saw sight that gave me considera-
ble alarm. About three miles away were
a fleet of large canoes crowded with natives
coming directly before the wind down on
us, and 1 we'll knew what it meant.
Captain Snell," shouted, "there is
mischief ahead for us. Load your guns
with punches, give revolvers to your men,
and be ready for a muss v'
cay, ay, sir" came ringing back.
Big Ben, our gunner, Immediately began
to look after his battery, while saw that
our ammunition was placed in handy posi-
tion, and gave the men firearms, together
with loaded revolvers, and warned them
that now they must prove men, or we
should run chance of losing our lives,
as the men on Mr.. Snell's vessel had lost
theirs.
Nearer and nearer came the canoes, and
Big Ben was getting ready to swing his
swivel into position to give them dose,
when the approaching flotilla hauled ON the
wind, shot off, and then hove to.
"What does that mean?" I asked anx-
iously.
Before my question could be answered
saw canoe with two men in it leave a
large one, and come toward us, one pad
ding, one waving green bough.
"That is a little encouraging" l NUT
tered.
The canoe went to the Stub first, passed
few words with Captain Smell, and then
came to me.
"What do you want?" l asked, in my
purest Kanaka.
"Speak English if you can, can under
stand that, said the native with the green
branch.
"David Whippey, how are you ?" l
shouted, recognizing the man as soon as he
spoke.
"By George! have you come back
again ?' he asked, excitedly.
81 think have. Come on board" was
my answer.
In few minutes, David Whippey, the
Nantucket renegade whaleman, was on my
quarterback, and we were shaking hands
as sociably as you please.
The first thing we did was to 90 below,
where extended the hospitality of my
cabin without delay.
"Ah this is better than cdCa, after ALL
he murmured, as pint of fine old port dis.
appeared down his throat.
"You need only to say the word, and
you can leave this country instanter, and
never touch their caVG again." was my re.
mark, as he put his glass down for the sec.
ond time, empty.
"I suppose so but am too we'll identi.
fed with my present life, as you well know,
to ever think of leaving it; and besides,
am getting entirely too old to dream ol
abandoning my wives and children whom ]
love."'
/ looked closely at Whippey as he spoke
and saw that he was too old to entertain
the idea of returning to civilization again
His hair was thin and gray, while his coun
tenance gave every indication that his voy
age Of life was nearly over, and knew that
if he were to return to his home in Nan
tucket he would find his old friends scat
tered and gone, while his family was en-,
tirely extinguised, he being the only one
left.
"What are you doing here, with this
fleet Of canoes?" I asked, as these thoughts
flashed over me.
"We are looking for your old enemy
DaInsford," !" was the somewhat unexpected
reply.
"Darnsford is he alive?" shouted, in
surprise.
HE was, couple of months ago such
men as he, as my grandmother used to say,
are like chickens, who with curses, come
home at night to roost"
81 thought whenyou took him from US
that the natives would brain him without
delay"
$50 did ]" said Whippey; "but the
rascal was too smooth with his tongue fol
the chief, who contemplated burning him
alive as soon ashe got on shore; but the
half-breed actually talked him out of that
idea, by laughing at the chief telling him
he had paid altogether too much for him,
and that he could have been got cheaper,
and now it was too bad to lose so much foI
so little, when he could keep him while,
get partly paid by work, and then carry out
his revenge; and, after all, it was only
for a woman, and women were CHEAP
there.
"The blackguard talked that way, told
the chief what he had seen in foreign
countries, and actually, in the time it took