The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-10-05
THE MYSTERIOUS COFFIN.


THE MYSTERIOUS COFFIN.
During the summer of 1S41 the Brit
ish had laid claim to all that portion of
the district of Maine lying east of the
Penobscot. Shortly before the arrival
of the English squadron, Commodore
Samuel Tucker had been sent around to
Penobscot Bay to protect the American
coasters, and while the British sailed up
to Castine he lay at Thomaston.
It was q schooner that the Commo-
dore commanded, but she was a heavy
one, well-armed and manned; and she
carried the true Yankee "grit" upon
her decks, of which the enemy had re-
ceived from them rather too many
proofs. On the morning of the 28th of
August messenger was sent down from
Belfast with the intelligence that the
British frigate was coming from Castine
to take him. Tucker knew the British
feared him, and also that Sir John Sher-
brooke had offered large amount for
his capture.
When the Commodore received the
intelligence his vessel was lying at one
of the low wharves, where he would
have to wait two hours for the tide; but
he hastened to have everything to get
her off as soon as possible.
The schooner was Just cleared from
the mud, and one of the men had been
sent upon the wharf to cast off the bow
line, when wagon, drawn by one horse,
came rafting down to the spot. The
driver, a rough-looking countryman,
got out upon the wharf, and then assist
ed a middle-aged woman from the We
hicle. The woman's first inquiry was
for Commodore Tucker. He was
pointed out 10 her, and she stepped up
on the schooner's deck and approached
him.
Commodore, )" she said, "when do
you sail from hereP"
"We sail right off as soon as possi-
BILE, madame"
ssOh, then, know you will be kind
TO me-" she urged in pensive tones.
"My poor husband died yesterday, and
1 wish to carry his corpse to Wiscasset,
where we belong, and where hisparents
will take care Of it.''
"But, my good woman, shan't go
to Wiscassett."
mouth of the Sheepscot, I will ask no
more. can easily find boat there to
take me up"
"Where is the bodyP" asked Tucker.
SIN the wagon, returned the woman,
at the same time raising the corner of
her shawl to wipe away the gathering
tears. ssI have some money with me,
and you shall be paid for the trouble" {"
.Tut, tut, woman; If / accommodate
you there won't be any pay about it."
The Hnd-hearted old Commodore was
not the man to refuse favor, and though
he liked not the bother of taking the
woman and her strange accompaniment
on board, yet he could not refuse.
Some Of the men were sent upon the
wharf to bring the body on board. A
long buffalo robe was lifted off by the
man who drove the wagon; beneath ii
appeared q neat black coffin. Some
words were passed by the seamen as
they were putting the coffin on board
which went to show pretty plainly that
the affair did not exactly suit them. But
it may have been but prejudice on their
part, but the seamen should be allowed
prejudice once In q while, when we
consider the many stern realities they
have to encounter. Ere long the coffin
was placed in the hold and the woman
was shown to the cabin. In less than
half an hour the schooner was cleared
from the wharf and standing out from
the bay. The wind was light from the
eastward, but Tucker had no fear of the
frigate now that she was once out of the
bay.
In the evening the female passenger
came on deck, and the Commodore as
sured her that he should be able to land
her early on the next morning. She ex
pressed her gratitude, and remarked thai
before she retired she would like tolool
. and see that her husbands corpse wa:
safe. This was, of couse, granted, ant
one of the men lifted off the hatch tina
she might go down into the hold.
at declare" !" muttered Daniel Carter
an old sailor, who was standing at tn,
wheel, ss she takes on drefuli"
"Yes, poor thingi" said Tucker, a!
he heard her sobs and groans.
"D'ye notice what'n eye she's got;
continued Carte.
ssNo," said Tucker, "only 'twa
swollen with tears.'
"My eyesl but they shone, though
when she stood here, looking at tn
COMPASS
Tucker smiled at the mans quain
earnestness, and went down to tn
cabin.
When the woman came up from tn
hold she looked about the deck of TIA
aft. There was something in her coun
tenance that puzzled Carter. He ha,
been one OF those who objected to tn
coffin being brought aboard. TIL
woman's eyes ran over the schooner
deck with strange quickness, an
Carter eyed her very sharply. 500
she went and stood by the taffral an
she came and stood by the binnacl
again.
"Look out, or you'll jibe the boom,
uttered the passenger.
Carter started, and found that tn
main-sal was shIvering- He gave tn
helm couple of spokes apart, and the
cast his eyes again upon the woman.
"Thank'e ma am" said Dan. "Ha
hold on-why, bless my soul, there's
big spider right on your hair Mono
there. Here-In-Ugh!p
The last ejaculation Dan made as h
seemed to pull something from the VIC
mans hair which he threw upon the dec
with the ssUghl" above mentioned.
Shortly after the passenger went be
low and ere long Tucker came on deck
Commodore" said Carter, with
remarkable degree of earnestness i
his manner, ssis the 'oman turned inP
"I rather think so," said Tucker
looking at the compass. "Look oui
look out, Carterl Why, man alive
you're two points to the south'ard Q
your course
.sBlow mel so am,n said the man
bringing the helm smartly aport. "Bu
say, didn't you notice anything Pecoo