The Portland daily press., 1878-02-02
THE PRESS.
New York SUM-
With the Entrees.
Once when WAS a pirate -
BY BRET HARTE.

"Once when was pirate ="
The speaker was an elderly gentleman in
correct evening dress, the room tasteful
one, the company of Infinite responsibility,
the locality at once fashionable and exclusive,
the occasion an unexceptionable dinner. To
this should be added that the speaker was
also the host.
With these conditions selfevident, all that
good breeding could do was to receive the
statement with vague smile that might pass
for good-humored incredulty or courteous
acceptation of simple fact. Indeed, think
we all rather tried to convey the impression
that our host, when he auas pirate--if he
ever really was one-was all that self-re-
specting pirate should be, and never violated
the canons of good society. The idea was,
to some extent, crystallized by the youngest
Miss Jones in the exclamation, "Oh, how
nicep
1t was, of course, many years ago, when l
was quite lad"
We all murmured Certainly" as if piracy
were a natural expression of the exuberance
ofyouth.
81 ought, perhaps, explain the circum-
stances that led me to this way of life"
Here Legrande, courteous attache of the
Patagonian legation, interposed in French
and an excess of politeness, ''that it was not
of necessity" a statement to which his
Quiz
''There ess boke," he continued, in a
well-bred, rapid whisper, "from Captain
Canot-a Frenchman-most eenteresting-
he was o, fine man of education-and what
you call a 'slavair'" but here he was quietly
nudged into respectful silence.
Il ran away from home," continued our
host. He paused, and then added, appeal
ingly, 30 the two distinguished foreigners
present: 81 do not know if can make you
understand that this is peculiarly American
prediction. The exodus of the younger
males of an American family against the pa
rents wishes does not, with us, necessarily
carry any obloquy with it. To the average
American the prospect of fortune and bet
ter condition lies outside of his home; with
you the home means the estate, the success
sion of honors or titles, the surety that the
conditions of life shall all be kept intact.
With us the children who do not expect,
and generally succeed in improving the for
tunes OF the house, are marked exceptions.
Do make myself clear?"
The French-Patagonian attache thought
1t was charming and progressif." The
Baron Won Petzel thought he had noticed a
movement of that kind in Germany, which
was expressed in single word of seventeen
syllables. Vicount Piccadilly said to his
neighbor, "That, you know, now the young
er sons, don't you see, go to Australia, you
know, in some beastly trade-stock raising or
sheep-you know; but, by JoVe! them fell
lahs--o
"My father always treated me WELL" con-
tinued my host. 81 shared equally with my
brothers the privileges and limitations of our
New England home. Nevertheless, 1 ran
away and went to sea-"
''To see-what?" asked Legrande.
"Auer sur naer," said his neighbor, hastily.
go on with your piracy!" said Miss
Jones.
The distinguished foreigners looked at each
other and then at Miss Jones. Each made a
mental note of the average cold-blooded fe-
rocity of the young American female.
"Ishipped on board of a Liverpool siner,'"
continued our host
''What ess liner p" interrupted Le-
grande soto voce, to his next neighbor, who
pretended not to hear him.
81 need not say that these were the days
when we had not lost our carrying trade,
when American bottoms"
"Que est ce. 'bottoom,'" said Legrande,
imploringly, to his other friend.
"When American bottoms still carried the
bulk of freight, and the supremacy of our
flag"
Here Legrande recognized patriotic sem
timent and responded to it with wild repub-
lican enthusiasm, nodding his head violently !;
tCCduluJ uOtiCcu its GOO, anu SS0luS al Op6U-
Ing for some general discussion on free trade,
began half audibly to his neighbor, "Most ex-
traordinary thing, you know, your American
statesmen-''
ST deserted the ship at Liverpool-''
But here twOperfunctory listeners suddenly
hurried toward the other end of the table,
where another guest, our Nevada bonanza
lion, was evidently in the full blood of pion-
eer anecdote and narration. Calmly disre-
garding the detection, he went on:
II deserted the ship at Liverpool in conse-
quence of my ill-treatment by the second
mate-a man selected for his position by rea-
son of his superior physical strength and rec
ognized brutality. l have been since told
that he graduated from the State prison. On
the second day out saw him strike man
senseless with Delaying pin for some trifing
breach of discipline. l saw him repeatedly
beat and kick men"
'rDld you ever read Dana's Two Years Be.
fore the Mast?' asked Lightbody, or heavy
literary man, turning to his neighbor, in a
distinctly audible whisper. sAh! there's a
booki Got all this sort of thing in it. Dew
'lishly well written, too"
THE Patagonian, alive for information) J,
'sWho ess this Dana, eh?''
(His left hand neighbor, shortly. sob,
that man who wrote the Encyclopedia and
edits the Sum-"
(His right hand neighbor, curtly.) "The
fellow that was put up IN Boston for the
English mission and ddt get it,"
(The Patagonian, making mental diplo-
matte note of the fact that the severe disci-
pine of the editor of the Sun, one of Ameri-
cas- profoundest scholars, while acting from
patriotic motives, as the second mate of an
American BOTTOM, had untitled him for di.
plomatic service abroad) "Ab ciel!'
II wandered on the quays for a day or two,
until l was picked up by Portuguese sailor,
who interested himself in my story, offered to
procure me a passage to Fayal and
Lisbon, where he assured me / could find
more comfortable means of returning to my
own land. Let me say here that this man
although l knew him afterward as one of the
most inscriptions and heartless of pirates
in fact, the typical buccanneer of the books
was to me always kind, considerable, and al
times, even tender. He was capital sea
man. 1 give this evidence in favor of much
ridiculed race, who have been able seamen fol
centuries"
ibid you ever read that Portuguese Guide
Book?" asked Lightbody of his neighbor
otis the most exquistely ridiculous thing
Twill the great American pirate kindly &C
on, or resume his original functions" sale
Miss Jones, over the table, with significant
look in the direction of Lightbody. But hel
anxiety was instantly misinterpreted by thu
polite and fair play loving EDgishman. 60
say now, don't you know that the fact il
these Portuguese fallahs are always ahead Of
us on the discovery business. You know
81 shipped with him on brig, ostensibly
bound to St. Kits and market. We hat
scarcely left port before discovered the tru'
character of the vessel. 1 will not terrify yol
with useless details. Enough, that all tina
tradition and romance has given you of the
pirates life were ours. Happily, thorugh the
kindness of my Portuguese friend, was KEPT
from being an active participant in scenes O.
which 1 was an unwilling witness. But
must always bear my testimony on one fact
Our discipline, our esprit du corps, III may
SO term it, was perfect. No benevolent soci
ETY., no moral organization was ever so per
sonally self-sacrifcing, so honestly loyal Il
our one vice. The individual was Away
merged in the purpose. When our captain
blew out the brains of our Quartermaster, ON
day.
"That reminds me-did you read of tina
Georgia MURDER" began Lightbody; sit wa
in all the papers, think. Oh, beg par
don''-
'For simply interrupting him in CONVEX
sation with our second officer" continued GU
host, quietly. "The act, although harsh ant