The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1882-04-06

There was Timothy and Eben and Noah
and Nathan and David and O5ed and Sal
mon and Heberan Jared, all stout, healthy
fellows: never had days sickness among
,em. s. ss
Every one Of EN- had his gun and his
axe, and could hit q bird flynn or deer on
the jump. and could cut down trees about
as fast as trees could be cut. tell you, il
was rattlin', stompin', livly sort Of place
down to Uncle Jabez'; q Teller couldn't help
workin' there jest for company. There
warnt no two ways about that down there.
Most any on EN- could turn his hand ia
most anything. There was Noah; he tool
to be shipcarpenter and learned his trace
in Bath and got to be master hand; and
all the boys, more or less, learned to
use tools.
Wal, the summer I was there, they'd
started to build q schooner on creek that
put up from the sea about stones
throw from the house. They called hel
The Fortune, cause the fortunes Of the
hull OF. EN- was in it, and they all calculat-
ed to make their fortunes by her, for every
one Of them Main fellers is born sailors,
and know how to swim and row and haul
ropes as soon as they can tread shoe leather.
"Deacon Jabez had lumber camp, and
he calculated to make shocks, headings
and hoop poles, and rum EN- over to the
West Indies for them to make hogsheads
Of and carry over salt Goldfish and sich-so
make money hand over hand.
But jest as they got the keel laid and the
work we'll along news come that the war d
broke out, and sure enough, fust we heard
there was British ship o. war skittering
up and down off our Maine coast; and we
heard that if they found any American
vessels, they took EN- and burned 'em.
."'Wal, boys says the deacon, we've got
to stand to our guns. We won't let them
Britishers burn our schooner, will we2'
And so after that, sure enough, every Teller
slept with his gun loaded at the head Of his
bed, and took turns keepin' watch by the
ship every night.
"Well, ye see; the creek run in through a
heavy belt O. timber land, and it kin led
and crinkled round SO, that we calculated
there was a fair chance that nobody would
know where twas; We see there's tide
enough in all them creeks to float q pretty
large craft.
But one morning, when they was all to
work, hammerin' and sawin for dear life.
sure enough they ses boat with four sail
or fellers in it comm cruisin' up the
creek.
." Boys" says the deacon, they've found
us out. I know what they're arter' SAYS
he.
"For all that the old deacon spoke EN-
fair. He showed EN- all round the works.
and come dinner-time he invited 'em up to
dinner, and give 'em right square meal;
cider and beef and pork and pumpkin pie
and doughnuts, all they could eat; and the
young Teller that commanded the boat he
was struck up the minute he was introduced
to Cerinthy. In fact, the minute thev
looked at each other could see there was
a-goin' to be suthin' between them two.
"He was nice, handsome young fellow,
mighty sociable, and he told the boys he
used to be carpenter in the old country
till one day he was took by press gang an d
carried off to sea without askin' leave or Ii.
cense, and nat'ally he didn't like it.
He took the deacon aside and told him
that he felt as if he'd come on real mean
business, but the fact was, the captain had
heard they were building some sort of a
vessel and had sent them up to look into it.
They jest burn every vessel they fnd,'
says he; but thought mebbe if you went
down and offered him some money, he'd
shut his eyes and not know anything about
this one.'
Deacon Jabez he Strengthened himself
~ = SsAA y VIC A4oA W AAV0 VI tAA0 d DEAU0,
says he. The schooner is private proper
ty, and it is not right that he should burn
it. III go down with you and have q
straight out talk with your captain about it.
says he; that's what I will do As to
burning the schooner, there's considera-
bio chance he cart do it.
There's nae and nine boys, and come
that, there's my wife and Cerinthy can
handle gun with the best of us; and
there's all the fellers in our lumber camp
are ready to come down when they hear
guns fred
WE'LL says this young Graham, you
Jest go ana set this all before our cap
tain
Wal. the deacon he called Eb and Tim
and told en- how things stood and where
he was going and says to EN-, You jest
90 to the numbering camp and get some fell
lows there, and camp along in the woods
e.ch side of the Devils Grip, and wait there
till they come back with me in the boat. If
:! sing out All right'-why, all is right, but
# you see me sitting still with pretty stiff
boats crew along-why, then, bows, let fly
II amt afraid Of your hitting me; but turn
en- back-don't let 'em through the Grip
When the deacon started to go, Germ
thy she begged he wouldn' t; and then young
Graham steps up and says to her, Miss
Sewel, I'll bring him back safe-I pledge
my life for it,! says he.
She jest looked ct him and said,. Ill
trust you, sir erinthy had pair Of eyes
that alters said more than she did-it made
Teller feel taller to have her say she trust
him, and SO off the boat went with the dea-
con in it.
Wal, come to get the old man on ship
board, the captain was pretty up and down
with him. He must put down hundred
dollars he said, or he'd burn the vessel;
and the deacon, he said he hadn't got no
hundred dollars for no such purpose, and
as to burning the schooner, he'd find he'd
have to eetit fust, and 'twouldn't be as
easy as he thought.
The captain he swOre ct him and ordered
up long boats crew Of fellers and told
them to goStraight upand burn that .schoon-
or. unless the old man paid down the
money when they got there.
! warn you, cap'n, said the deacon,
you're sending these boys right into dan.
ger of their lives But the captain he
swore the harder and told 'em to be off:
he'd teach the Yankees to come down with
their civility money.
4 Cant you pay down the money! says
young Graham, when they got started.
Il hain't got no money to pay down for
that; can't pay without takln' poor mems
wages, and shan't do that besides right