Litchfield enquirer., 1880-05-13
WHOLE NO. 2792

each hand and two more in my pockets. Six on 'em was there, with their heads laid to- gather Now, my lads, says I, them that's been making live mince-meat on this ship, just step out here and go into irons decent an well behaved Nobody said nothing, but 8 sort of low growl went around; nobody stirred appar- ent, but there was creep, creeping of the hull lot of them toward me. set my back to somethin cooked my pistols, an picked out my men. l thought of Molly hacking away at herself with that knife; thought of my pistols missing fire, an of the big nigger with the scar I'd made across bis face laying hands | on her-an' there, by the Lord she stood Molly with her head up, an light that I'd | see afore when she was little gal, flashing in | her eyes. As she stepped into that black den l turned sick dizzy couldn't scarce hear her, but she was making little sheech about Parks, an what they'd did. But, says she, he was bad, cruel man. Though you've did a terrible deed, that you must answer for | to your God; I'll swear to what Parks was in any court. Come, men, the Barnacles in an awful tight place. This may be the last trip for all of us, unless you git to work. Save the ship, an save yourselves 1 would 'a' opened my head to swear that no one should stir till they'd done as 1 told lem, when Molly gave me look that went clean through me. ''The trouble all blew over for a time; the \ an the devil on my deck,I am. What I've once said has got to be done, if die for it; the big nigger, he was sulky. gave an or der sharp-' here the Captain interpolated something unintelligible, save to his nautical listeners, land the black clod didn't stir. The next minute I'd flattened him outs if a mainmast had fell on him ; it was the signal for the hull devish lot to drop whatever they was at. t.- .. ..
 II stepped forward to meet 'em, slipped on the icy deck my feet went from under me, and there lay with the spine of my back broke believed SC then-at their mercy.
 "All got dark afore me, an when came to was stretched out in my own bunk, the mig ger was in irons and the rest of 'em was obey ing my wife's orders like clock-wOrk. It's a mystery to me to this day how Molly manag- ed 'em. The long and short of it is, was lying there yet when we reached Valparaiso, where we reported the vessel badly knocked about. the Captain disabled, the first mate murdered, an Mrs. Molly Misgil in com mand. She's been Captain Molly ever since.
 '"The big nigger We took him back to New York, where he was tried for the mur- der of Parks Molly, she went into court, and testified to Parks little pecooliarties, and the black dog would "a got off with light sen- tence but some of the others give him away for matching plot to seize the Barnacle an Inahe Ou Lo SOlne one Ol Cne oOuCn TaCluC lS- lands with her. My back was lame a long stretch. That's all. Thanks to the bravest girl ever trod ships deck, here we are where we started from, ain't we, Molly?"
 And that was all, save glimpse of heavy gold medal, which was inscribed:
 To CAPTAIN MOLLY MIsaILI,
 WhO SGDed the BGrnGcle and her Cdrg0,
 .. -..r Dec. 25th, 1853
 Presented by Many Ship Owners.
 E. M. LUDLUM. -Fbo DoI;fprn10n