The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1883-07-19

4 and ammunition Tor TWO pTlNatccfS tual
were living at Bath. The loss of the
Polly Ann would have been a severe
| blow in two ways: 1t would have sadly
added to the want of the poor people of
| the Kennebec. and have prevented the
outfit of two stanch privateers, and II
would have also added much 10 the
power of the enemy by furnishing them
with things which they much needed.
The Polly Ann was new and valua-
/ bic craft: but not so the Eliza. The lat
ter was very old and very rotten, and
/ she was now upon her last trip. Her
owner had resolved to try the run to
Hallowcll, and then pull his old schoon-
er to pieces for tirewood, as that was
about all she was good for. On the
present occasion she was loaded with
provisions, but the load was necessarily
/ light one. as jenkins dare not venture
/ to sink her too deeply.
/ The two SchOOners sailed from Salem
/ together. In fact jenkins would not
/ have dared to sail alone, for he was not
/ sure his rickety old craft would carry
/ him through. The Polly Ann was
manned by Captain Wait; his son Ma
| than, youth of nineteen; a man of
/ thirty, named Jim Tufts, and Samuel
/ Locke. Young man of twenty-five.
/ The Eliza had beside her Captain, Da-
vid. a brother of the commander; Walter
| Davis and Charles Allen, both young
men and able.
When the two schooners reached
Wood Island, which lies at the mouth
of the Saco River, they were boarded
by some Yankee fishermen who resided
there, and who informed them that it
would be of no use for them to go any
further.
"Ye can't git into the river, said
one of them, ''for cussed brig-o'-war
lyin' off an on there all the time. An
! ken tell We one more thing, too: Them
Britishers are on the lookout for you.
They've hcered as how't yeou were a
comm in with provisions an arms for
pri,atcers. They've been informed
somehow
This was damper upon Captain
Ehcn Wait He had known that there
were British war vessels upon the
coast; but he had hoped that there
might be none in his way. He could
not turn back. He knew that those
whom he loved were suffering for the
want of the food he had with him; and
that the privatcers could not sail until
they had the stores he had in charge
for them. And. further, much of the
provisions he had in cargo might spoil
by being kept too long in the hold of
his vessel
What should he do? The loss to him,
if he failed to make his trip, would be
great; but he thought not so much
of that as he did of the loss to those who
were depending upon him for the very
means of sustaining life. He questioned
the fishermen very closely, and was
convinced that they spoke truly. Three
of them had come from Mauhegan only
two DAYS before. and had been robbed
of their fish by this same brig.
and" continued the informant,
cone of the officers asked us if we
knowed the Yankee schooner Polly
Ann. We pretended at we didn't
know anything about it. He said he'd
have We ef We come that way"
Captain Wait pondered long while
on the information he had received.
It's hard case he said to his
friend. Captain jenkins. ~ know how
these fellows watch. There's no getting
by them
" It's COMPOUNDED bad" returned
jenkins. Now if 'twasn't for the
cargo I've got aboard they might have
my old hulk in welcome. don't know
but I'd be willin' to pay 'em somethin'
to carry her off; for the firewood she'll
make won't hardly be worth the trouble
of cuttin' her up. She's half rotten,
and other half is as full of nails and
spikes as her sails are full of holes. But
with your vessel it 5 different. She's
new and valuable. BY thunder, Eben.
I'm afeared we'll have to 90 back. But
it's cu>sed hard, isn't it?'
But new light had cleaned upon
the bronzed face of Captain Wait.
Look We. Abner," he said. eagerly,
If could carry your cargo all safely
up the river would YOU give up your old
vrSscl?'
Would -" cried jenkins. "rn
bet | would. Yes, sir; I'd let her 60 to
grass in a minute
Then | think we can do it, At all
events, Wen try. My schooner can
easily carry all the load YOU We got, from
here to Bath. Wen drop in shore and
shift cargoes as quickly as possible
jenkins heard his friends plan eX-
planned. and his own face crew bright.
The two schoonerS were anchored, and
then dashed side 10 side; and then all
hands turned to with Il will. Before
night the Eliza was flying light,
with nothing aboard that could be posi-
bly, taken away. They left her hull,
her masts, her three sails, and such rig
ging as was absolutely necessary to
keep her on the wind.
The distance from Wood Island to the
mouth of the Kennebec is about thirty
miles; so the run was not long one.
Wait did not wish to start until after
midnight, as his plan was to bring the
war-brig in sight just about daybreak.
The wind was from the south I'd and
t'rd, and blew a fair breeze, and it
was likel y to remain so, at least until
the sun rose again.
AT one O'Clock in the morning the two
schooners again made sail, and at three
the light upon Cape Elizabeth was upon
the Iarboard quarter. AT $50 Seguin
light was in sight ahead. Seguin is an
island at the mouth of the Kennebec
At four o'clock the first CLEANS of tho
coming day appeared upon the horizon,
and in very few minutes afterward
the tall spars of British brig-of-war
could be distinctly made out ahead,