The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-04-16

two hundudn fifty ton OF stone fence aboard
thet schoon'r."
Conjecture was wasted over this unnecessary
amount OF ballast. The owners OF the Judas
Iscarot stood up well under the consolidated
wit OF the village; they returned witticism for
wlttcism. and kept their secret. " III you must
know. I'll tell yo." said the Captain. Il hear
thar's n stonewa famine over Machlas way.
I'm goin' to take mno over'n peddlo 1t out by
the yard" On this fine sunshlny Friday morn
ing while the luckless schooner lay on ono side
OF the wharf. looking as bright and trim and
prosperous as II she were the bcst-paying
maritime investment in the world the tug Pug
OF Portland lay under tho other side. with
steam up. She had come down the night be-
fore in response to n telegram from the owners
of the Judas Iscariot. good land breeze was
blowing, with the promise OF freshuning as the
day grew older.
At half past seven o'clock the schooner put Off
from the landing carrying not only the Cap
tains pasture wall but also large number Of
his nclghbors and friends, including some OF
the solidcst citizens Of Newaggcn. Curiosity
was stronger than fear. You know what tho
crttcr air" the Captain had said, in reply to
numerous applications for passage III
you re mind TO rCsk her antics como along,
an welcome" Capt. Cram put on white shirt
| and holiday suit for the occasion. AS he stood
at the wheel shouting directions to his boys and
Andrew Jackson' $ son Tobias att the halyards. his
guests gathered around nina fair rcprescn
tation of the responsibility the business enter
prise, and the piety of Newaggen Harbor. Never
had the Judas Iscarot carried such a load She
seemed suddenly struck with sense of de-
cency and responsibility for she came around
into tho wind without baking. Owed her nose
playfully into the brine. and skipped off on the
short hitch to clear Tumber Island all In the
| propercst fashion. The Pug steamed after her.
The crowd on the wharf and the boys in the
small boats cheercd this UNEXPECTEDLY ortho-
! doX behavior and they now saw for the first
| time that Capt. Cram had painted on the side
| Of the vessel in conspicuous white letters each
three or four feet long. the following legend
| THIS is THE SCHOONER JUDAS IsCARloT.
| Np.-crE uKu 4 WIDE pEnrHl
Hour after hour the schooner bounded along
before the northwest wind. holding to her course
| as straight as an arrow. The weather continued
| hne. Every time the Captain threw the log he
| looked more perplexed. Eight. nine nine and
halfknots! He shook his head as he whispered
to Deacon Plympton: She's meditatn' mis-
chief o. some natur or other But the Judas
led the Pug wonderful chase. and by half
past two in the afternoon before the demijohn
which Andrew Jackson's son Tobias had
struggled on board was three-quarters empty.
| and before Lawyer Swanton had more than
! three quarters finished his celebrated story
! about Gov. Puringtons cork leg. tho schooner
and the tug were between fifty and sixty miles
from land.
Suddenly Capt Cram gave a grunt OF intelli-
| gence. He pointed ahead. where blue line
Just above the horizon marked distant fog
bank. She smelt it an she run for it, he re-
marked senteItiously. Time for business"
Then ensued n singular ceremony. First
| Capt Cram brought the schooner to- and trans
ferred all his passengers to the tug The wind
| had shifted to the southeast and the fog was
rapidly approaching. The sails OF the Judas
Iscariot tapped as she lay head to the wind;
her bows rose and fell gently under the inlu-
ence of the long swell. The Pug bobbed up and
| down half a hawsers length away
Having put his guests and crew aboard the
tug Capt. Cram proceeded to make everything
ship-shape on the decks OF the schooner He
neatly coiled loose end Of rope that had been
left in a snar He even picked up and threw
overheard tho stopper OF ANDREW Jackson's
son Tobiass demjohn. His face wore an eI-
preston Of unusual solemnity. The people on
the tug watched his movements eagerly. but
silently. Next he tied one end OF short rope
to the wheel and attached the other end loosely
! by means OF running bowine TO a cleat upon
| the rail. Then he was seen to take IN an axe.
and to disappear down the companionway.
| Those on the tug distinctly heard several
crashing blows. In moment the Captain re-
! appeared on deck. walked delibera tely to the
wheel, brought the schooner around so that her
sails flied. pulled the running bovine taut.
and fastened the rope with several half bitches
around the cleat thus lashing the helm. jumped
| into dory. and sculled over to the tug.
| aEt al,, 10 80, ,l,- aIlol
once or twice, tossed few bucketfuls OF water
over her dancing bows. and started of toward
the South Atlantic. But Capt. Trumbull Cram.
! standing in the bow Of the tu;boat, raised his
| hand to command silence and pronounced the
/ following farewell speech. being sentence,
| death warrant. and funeral Grafton. all in one:
Il amt advancin' no theory to count for her
cussedness. You all know the Judas. Mehbe
thar was too much fore an ar to her. Mebbe
the incSerty Of vessel S in the fore an aft
and the vartue in the sluaI' rigsin'. Mebbe
two masts ,ons masts enough. Let that go
bygones is bygones Yonier she goes. carryin'
all sail on top two hundred n odd ton O. stone
fence in her holt. an holo good two foot
acrost stove in her belly. The way OF the trans
! gressor is hard. Don't YOU see her settlin? 1t
should be lesson. my friends. for us to profit
| by; there's an end to the longsufferin est
mercy, and unless o. yer maxim
straight for the fog are ye: Well it's your last
TO: bank. The bottom Of the sea S the fust
port you'll fetch you crtter you Git and be
| id to yc !"
This, the only occasion on which Capt. Cram
was ever known to say such word was after
ward considered by "a committee Of discipline
| ofthc Congregational church AT NcwaSscn and
the committees. after pondering all the clrcum-
stances under which the word was uttered,
voted unanimously 10 take no action.
Meanwhile, the fox had shut in around tho
tug. and the Judas Iscariot was lost to view
| The tug was put about and headed for home.
! The damp wind chilled everybody through and
| through. Little WAS said. Tho contents, Of the
dembohn had long been exhausted. From n
! distance to tho south was heard at intervals the
! hoarsc whistllng of an ocean steamer
hope that f9ler's we'll underwent" said
the Captain grimly. for tho Judas |! never go
down afore she sarchcl him out Il sunk him"
And was the abandoned schooner ever
! heard OF r ASKED. when my informant had
| reached this point in the narrative.