Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-04-05
A SEA CAPTAINS STORY.

some years ago | run an old schooner
out of Mobile. She was 4 small craft
not more than $50 tons burden-and had
originally come from some northern port.
called her the Eutaw, and | made many
profitable runs along the coast of the Gulf,
and two or three times 1 doubled the caPeS
Of Florida
While we lay in Mobile, taking in 4 load
for New Orleans, two Of the most desperate
villains in Alabama were apprehended
Their names were AdoIph Leroy aud Matt
Vickers, and they had committed good
many robberies and more than one murder
in the country between the big rivers. They
were locked up in the Jail at Mobile and
rs soon as they were thus secure the evi-
denCe came in against them fast and strong {;
,he number Of burglaries and highway rob
berries they had committed were almost be-
yond compute, and at least FIVE murders
we're fastened upon them. But ONE morn
ing it was found that the prisoners had es-
capped, and those who had been 80 free to
testify against them turned pale when they
received the information, and turned away
IN mortal terror. A reward of $1,000 was
offered for their recapture or $4,000 for one
Of them. But they were not to be found.
No one had seen them, and no traces of
;hem could be discovered.
On the second day after the escape Of
these rascals was ready to sail, and got
under way about o'clock in the afternoon.
,f ,,,v--alfs and
sons, Stephen and John Stephen was 20
wears old. and Jack was IS; and they were
both of them stout rugged boys. Our runs
were so short and our craft so easily ham
died that ! found this crew to be enough,
though very frequently | took one or two
more hands. But on this occasion We had
promise Of a quick, fair passage, and We
three concluded to run her through. We
had a fair wind for a start, and run down
the bay at good rate, opening the passage
between the Dauphin and Mobile Point a
little after 6. We were Just passing the
lighthouse, and | had the helm, when |
sung out FOR the boys to stand by the
sheets Stephen went to the main sheet,
but didn't see Jack. | waited a few min
Utes, and then sang out again. Presently
the boy came up from the forepeak, but in
stead of going to the sheet he came aft
and | was Just going to tell him to 60 back
TO the fore-sheet when discovered that he
looked kind o startled and fearful
What is il? says |, forgetting the
sheets, for ] knew that when one of my
boys showed a quiyering lip, there was
something more than ordinary to pay
lie uUt MS finger to his lips, and told
me to speak low. For said he we've
got passengers aboard"
" Ha-ruDaway niggers I" SAYS |.
Not quite 50 simple returned Jack,
with dubious shake Of the head. We've
got Two villains aboard
What two?'
LEROY and Vickers -
Get out - said |, thinking he must be
iokiug.
Father said he-and when he spoke
father In that way | knew there was
nothing bat sober seriousness in what was
10 come after til tell you, they're
aboard this schooner! They're in the
mold. chock tor'rd and what's more, they
mean 10 come out when we get we'll out
side Pvo heard it all y /
steered straight out and listened TOT
lack. for knew it must be rs he said. We
aai no torec4stle parted oft from the hold,
as all of Us that ever wanted passage had
plenty Of room in the cabin; but We had
55re-peak parted of, chock in between the
bows, where We slowed all rigging and tar
buckets and such kind of stuff. While We
we're running Jack had gone down into
his place 90 pick out some rope yarns, and
A. ne found al easy seat upon an old sail,
he sat down there, with his back against
The bulkheac, and began to mlay piece
Of rope for the warns He hadn't been at
work great while before he heard a noise
among the boxes in the hold, and after lis
'ening "A few minutes he knew that some
body was In there. He knew il could not
Ike either ~ Stephens, for he had heard
us both or deck. so he thought it must be
q niger Presently he heard Il voice, and
then an answer. There were two OF them,
and they were white men, too. Jack sat As
stlI as p mouse, with his ear to the thin
h-lkhead. and he could hear nearly all that
was said He soon discovered that they
were the two villains who had escaped
from the lookup in Mobile, and that they
meant to sill us and throw us overheard as
soon rs we got outside, and then make
run right across the gulf to Cuba
q was all lust -, for he could repeat the
very words they had spoken. They had
Crawled into the hold two nights before,
and as we had commenced to fill up for
ward before that. they had not been dis
turbed They had weapons with them,
and had managed to get some bread and
water. And they had kept the run of the
time pretty well. for Jack heard them tell
Il, .
would set In, and they had it to B very few
minutes They knew that We should be
outside by dark, and then they meant to
come on deck. | asked Jack if he was
sure they hadn'; heard him in the fore
They couldn't" he said, for never
made bit Of noise after | knew they were
there They had been further aft when
tirst went down. and were crawling back to
their old nest when | heard EN- No they
don't suspect that they're discovered
When first began to reflect on this,
must confess tina; | was more than both
cred. | was startled and fearful. thought
Of what notorious blood-thirsty villains
they were, and with what perfect readi-
ness they would cal our Threats and toSS Us
overheard.
stephen said I, rs | saw how thought
ful he was what do you think Of il p
Why" said he, raising his head, and
-peaking rs cooly as though he'd been
laiking about ordinary business. j think
l,e'l pocket that 1000"
" Eth p said l.
uNye'ye got EN- hard and fast" he
added; and We can lay low and take EN-.
There amt but one way for EN- 10 get ont
Of the hold while the matches are on, and
that's through the forepeak; and suppose
they've already got 3 passage nSraed cat