The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-03

towards tho equator, and repentipg for Its
rude behaviour, would blow them back as
far northward. Sometimes they crept along
upon their proper course, sometimes the
other way So they drifted, here and there,
and longed for the land, and hoped and
prayed If piously inclined, and those who
we're not may have swore "a prayer or two"
And they went on and on, or stood still, as
the waves and the wind determined, but
still no sight Of land. The passengers
strained their eyes In vain for the sight OF
passing ship, but none came. Porpoises
swan near to see them, sharks followed IN
their wake and dolphins played around
them, and now and then whale spouted In
the distance Even these "strange deni'
Zens OF the deep were company TO the
lonesome and land-deserted emigrants!
And thus the days came and went, and
the time heightened Into weeks the weeks
grew into months again, as on their first
hapless trip. Spring thawed and warmed
into summer, summer blazed into autumn,
and autumn ripened and mellowed into
winter, and still around them nothing but
dreary waste OF limited sea-no land, nor
signs of any, save the delusive ones which
only appeared and finally faded away into
nothing.
TERRIFIED BY A PIRATE.
Long the passengers had been longing
and praying for the sight of ship. One
morning formidable black cruiser APP
peared in plain view, and flying from her
masthead the excited crew made out the
emblems OF her fearful trade--a black
flag, with skull and cross bones in the cen.
ter. She was veritable pirate! Imagine
the commotion which followed among
these seven hundred almost helpless peo
pie. They brought out decayed old
swivel gun; they sharpened up their few
rusty swords and cutlasses, and gottogether
their axes and marlin spikes, and resolved,
| if they must perish, to die bravely, and
they breathlessly watched the approaching
foe. On came the ominously black and
red ship, nearer and more near, while the
old emigraat tab, in spite of all the add.
tional canvass that could be tied upon the
masts, crept along at her old rheumatic
gait, At length the pirates fired gun, the
signal of blood, robbery, murder and food
for expectant sharks. A wall of terror
went I'D from the women and children and
the more timid of the men. The captain
took his constant pipe from his mouth to
make his final speech and strike a tragic
attitude while saying his last words. "Ship
ahopw was shouted from the piratical
craft The emigrant vessel responded by
rather timid shout of defiance. "The
robber of the sea" hove alongside and
proved to be--a fishing vessel In pursuit of
whales! The transition from the depths of
gloom to the heights of Joy to the fear
oppressed emigrants Was truly marvellous.
The stranger was friend indeed, supply
ing the lost kvoyagers with fresh water
and provisions and directing them on their
nearest way to port.
THEIR LONG VOYAGE CONTINUES.
The excitement caused by the pirates
queer, yet courteous visit, and the hope
they had inspired, lasted for several days,
till at length 1t became certain that the old
tub was lost again. 1t had tried to follow
the direction pointed out by the visitors,
but, owing to the incompetency of the Off
GERS, or the unmanageableness of the yes
sci, or both, they we're literally las much
at sea" as ever. They were lost again !!
The old routine OF sailing on, day after
day, was resumed without abatement or
change, save in the weather, which had
grown very cold for 1t was now winter,
and they were drifting they knew not
whittier, and still looking for land that
seemed as If II never would be found.
Now and then fragment of an iceberg
came In sight and passed away; then a
whale or two spouted in the distance. Cold
gray clouds overcast the sky, and snow
storms came, and still they breasted the
waves; on and on, seeking the unknown
land. At length, one cold morning, Janu'
airy 18th, 1919, they arrived, wholly unex,
pectedly, at Baltimore. They had started
for Philadelphia May LIST, 1918, and, conse-
nueptIy. had been eight and half months
on the ocean.
SETTLING DOWN TO WORK.
As soon as the family had gotten on
shore, Mr. Natinger sr., lost no time in
securing employment. He went to work as
a glass blower, having learned that trade
in Germany when boy. Gottleib obtained
place In the country. John G. was toe
young to stand much heavy labor, but maize
himself useful In different ways. Two
years afterwards the glass works ceased &c