The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-12-19

dollars instead of quoits firing blunder- buses out of the window ws; shooting al. 6 mark or some unhappy dog, or cat, or pig, or barn door fowl, that might hap pen to come within reach.
 The only being that seemed to relish their rough waggery was old Pluto and yet he led but dogs life of it; for they practiced all kinds of manual jokes upon him kicked him about like football shook him by his grizzly mop of wool and never spoke to him without coupling curse by way of adjective to his name, and consigning him to the internal re- giens. The old fellow, however, seemed to like them the better, the more they cursed him, though his utmost expression of pleas uTe never amounted to more than the growl of petted bear, when his ears are rubbed.
 Old Pluto was the ministering spirit at the orgies of the Wild Goose; and such orgies as took place therel Such drink ing, singing, whooping, swearing, with an occasional interlude of quarreling and fighting. The noisier grew the revel, the more old Pluto piled the potations, until the guests would become frantic in their merriment, smashing everything to pieces, aud throwing the house out of the win dows. Sometimes, after drinking bout, they sallied forth and secured the village, to the dismay of the worthy burghers, who gathered their women within doors, and would have shut up the house. Van. derscamp, however, WAS not to be re- buffed. He insisted on renewing ac- quaiutance with his old neighbors, and oa introducing his friends. the merchants, to their families swore he was on the lookout for wife, and meant, before he stopped, to find husbands for all their daus ushters. So, will-ye, nil ye, sociable he was; swaggered about their best par lors with his hat on one side of his head 1; sat on the good wife's nicely-waxed ma. hogany table, kicking his heels against the carved and polished legs; kissed and tousled the young vrouws; and if they frowned and pouted, gave them gold rosary, or sparkling cross, to put them in good humor again.
 Sometimes nothing would satisfy him, but he must have some of his old neigh bors to dinner at the Wild Goose. There was DO refusing him, for he had got the complete upperhand of the community, and the peaceful burgherS all stood in awe of him. But what time would the quiet, worthy men have among these rake. hells, who would delight to astound them with the most extravagant gun-powder tales, embroidered with all kinds of for eign oaths; clink the can with them |; edge them in deep potations bawl H Hrin iv,kA ha;r casionally fire pistols over their heads, or under the table, and then laugh in their faces, and ask them how they liked the smell of powder.
 Thus was the little village of Commu- nipaw for a time like the unfortunate wight possessed with devils ; until Van derscamp and his brother merchants would sail on another trading voyage when the Wild Goose would be shut up and everything relapse into quiet, only to be disturbed by his next visitation.
 The mystery of all these proceedings gradually dawned upon the tardy intel lectS of Communipaw. These were the times of the notorious Captain Kidd, when the American harbors were the re- sorts of piratical adventureres of all kinds, who, under the pretext of mercantile voy- ages. secured the West Indies, made ptundering descents upon the Spanish Main, visited even the remote Indian seas and then came to dispose of their booty, have their revels, and fit out new expe- di,ions. in the English colonies.
 Vanderscamp had served in this hope tance among the buccaneers, had pitched upon his native village and early hone as a quiet. out-of-the-way, uususpec;ed place, where he and his comrades, while anchored at New York, might have their feasts and concert their plans without molestation.
 At last the attention of the British gov ernment was called to these piratica, en- terprises, that were becoming SO frequent and outrageous. Vigorous measures were taken to Lheck and punish the:n. Several of the most noted freebooters were caught and executed, and three of Vanderscamp's chosen comrades, the most riotous swash-bucklers of the Wild Goose, were hanged in chains on Gibbet- Island, in full sight of their favorite re- sort As to Venderscamp himself be and his man Pluto again disappeared, and it was hoped by the people ot Communi- paw that they had fallen in some foreign brawl or been swung on some foreign gallows.
 For time, therefore, the tranquility of the village was restored the worthy Dutchmen once more smoked their pipes in peace, eyeiug with peculiar compla- cency, their old pests and terrors, the pi- rates, dang!ing and drying in the sun on Gibbet-lsland.
 This perfect calm was doomed at length | to be ruffled. The fiery persecution of the pirates gradually subsided. Justice was satisfied with the examples that had been made, and there was no more talk of Kidd and the other heroes of like kid ney. ca a calm summer evening boat, somewhat heavily laden, was seen pulling into Communipaw. What was the sur prise and disquiet of the inhabitants to | see Van Yost Vanderscamp seated at the | helm and his m an Pluto fin rninc at fha