The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-10-07

We had a good boom brace on the
stun-sail boom, and we toggled the
lower halliards and made a jumper out
of them, but it weren't no use, and al
about five bells the chap at the wheel LEI
her come to bit, and snap went the
boom Jest at the boom-iron. Well, its
about the easiest way for to git topmasi
stunsail in arter all, and we wasn't LONG
gittin' the pieces of boom on deck, and
we thought then that the old man would
shorten sail, but he didn't, and we
hung on and went below, leavin' whole
topsails and main to'gallan' sail on to
her, she wallowin', for the sea had got
up and everything a-crackin' like mad.
I've always had my idee that the old
man-his name were Jones' had been
a-takin' little of somethin' in honor of
the fair wind and gittin' out of the dol
drums, cause once, when 1 went aft for
to take in the slack of the wheel ropes,
L seen him slappiu' her on the weather
quarter, and a-talkin' To her, sayin':
"Go it, old gal, go it, old gal do your
prettiest, my lady % and sich talk as
that, and it appeared to me kind of q
sign that the old man had been takin'
somcthin'.
Well, sir, when our side were relieved
L went into the fore hatch house, where
this here Billy Corr were, to give Jack a
spell at the watchin', and let him 90 on
deck.
"Well, Jack, my boy" says 1, chow
III he by this time I"
"Well, Tom," says Jack, "he's been
still for half hour or so =; the ravin' has
left him, but I'm afeared he's too far
gone to build up agin."
Well, sir, Jack goes on deck and
sits down q dozin' by the side of the
bunk, when all of sudden this here
Billy Corr says in a whisper, "Tom, is
that you ?" and this was the first rational
word he'd spoke for upward of three
weeks ?"
"Tom," says he again, and l had for
TO bend over him for to catch what he
said, how long have L been here?"
tells him, and then says he agin:
Have you took care of me all this
while %
Me and Jack Wilson has," says I.
He was silent for minute or SO, and
then he says agin: "Tom, I've shipped
for the long wage. 1 knows L can't git
up agin, but afore I slips my wind I'd
like forto tell you somethin' that'll make
you and Jack Wilson rich.'
" Well, clap stopper on jist now,
old chap" says 1, "and by-and-bye
when you're stronger you shall spin me
the twister, and me and Jack will be as
rich as ever you can make u.s."
"No," says he, :" it must be now or
never. Tomorrow shall go over the
side feet fustwards."
every well, old chap" says 1 /; 6" if it
will ease you to reel it off, go ahead, and
if gifts asleep, why give me a rouse
once in while"
She were called the Charlotte and
were brig bound from Jamaica to
Havana in ballast. She were goin' to
buy cargo in Havana and go to Europe,
and the last thing we took in afore we
left were six kegs full of gold, which
were slowed down in the run.
There were a chap aboard of that
brig that they called 'Carrotty' Brown,
cause he had red hair, and me and him
helped to stow away this gold. When
we was one day out Carrotty proposed
to me-him and me was in one watch
that we should kill all hands and capture
this gold. At first refused, but at last
consented, and Carrotty at once went
into the forecastle and stabbed the other
two men. l then killed the cook, and
at four bells L relieved the wheel and
Carrotty killed the man 1 relieved-the
third man in our watch. Afterwards he
came aft to where the mate was dozin'
on the rail, and together we pushed the
mate overheard. Carrotty then went
into the cabin and killed the captain.
He then proposed that we should keep
the steward to lend us hand in remov-
in the gold, which we done.
"We had intended for to land on the
south side of Cuba, and bury our treasure,
markin' the spot, SO that we could come |
and get it when we could do so without
suspicion but in the mornin' the Little |
Cayman We're in sight, and we resolved |
to land there. We ran the bark close in,
and then hove to and got the boat out,
and then we turned to and got the gold |
up out of the run aud lowered it into the |
boat. There were six kegs of it. and
hey weighed about three hundred |
pounds each, so that by the time we got
our water and provisions in the boat
we're pretty full.
Carrotty and me then went down
md bored some holes into the brig, and
hen We come up and got in the boat.
Then Carrotty says to the steward:
You git up lot more provisions, and
md we'll soon be back arter it; we've
got as much rs we can carry now.'
Then we showed off. leavin' the steward,
Who didn't know the brig were scuttled,
gittin' up provisions. It were eight
BELLS when we left her, and at ten O clock
We seen her go down.
" There's little cove on the west side
If tho Little Cayman, and there we
anded. We rolled our gold up to GER
ain spot that I'll tell you about present.
y, and there we buried it.
That night, somehow, Can rotty and
ne got to be afeared of one another,
nd we laid down to sleep with the boat
between us, and the last thing Carrotty
aid to me was: Bill, we'll stick to
ach other, won't we p to which / an
wered: I'm "jonhuck," if you are
5ut L slept with one eye open, and along
bout ten o'clock seen Carrotty COMM
ound my side of the boat with his knife
n his hand.
+" 1t were hard fight, Tom, and only
'ut he lost his knife in the first of it I
vouldn't be here now; but when it ended
were alone on the island, and Carrotty
out in the moonlight with my
nife in his heart.
"The next day the vessel come along
yhich fetched me to Rio. 1 stuffed my
ockets with gold pieces, and l got
board of her. What good has it done