Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-05-30

a red fagp
"'Pshaw, dat amt nothin'.' he said.
GRIMM from ear to ear Il reckon l
knows whar dar's de reddest ting you
cher sot your eyes on
'Wherep wherep' we asked.
.Mammy's pettycut she wears Sun
days. It's redder dan blood.
1--WE must have it,, Ben cried.
"'Dunno how you gwine TO get it,
scratchin' his woolly head. Nanny,
she locks 1t up in her big press. and
wouldn't she cavort about and glib us
conniptions eff we fetched it. Why,
de house wouldn't hold us and her,
sure.
You're bound to got that petit
coat, Ben says, struttin' about rs if he
was real captain. He always did
have the bad habit of actin things, so
that he'd come pretty near KILN you
II 1t was in the play. I'm your cap
tain, and you're bound to obey me, for
you're pirate, remember, and musn'
be afraid of any thing but me. You
know where Aunt Dora keeps her
keys, She's busy in the kitchen now,
and you'll have time to get the skirt
Don't you come back without it.
"Then he shook his fist, and scowled
as il he was goin' to murder Nathan.
Now Nathan was tho biggest coward
you ever did see. He was scared to get
the skirt. and he was scared of Ben if
he didn't So he stood there, rollin'
his big eyes till Ben took him by the
car and led him out. In few minutes
they came runnin' back with the red
skirt.
"'Now for somethin' to eat, says
Ben. We ought to have bareback and
pork and pease-puddin'. That's what
pirates eat, but there amt any here.
OARS de beautifullest cold goose
in de safe, Nathan said, with his
mouth watering. Il seed nanny put
it dar. And dar's lots oh ham and
biscuits, and heaps oh tings.
"'You bring them along said tho
captain, lookin' as fierce as he could.
And, boy, if you stick your dirty fin
gers in the food, pll-Pll-boomerang
you!'
Nathan shook at the word, for he
didn't know what boomerang was, but
no said: Lord a-massy, Marse Ben,
you'll tell nanny you tuck EN-, won
your She'll murder me- outright eff
she s'pected me-.
"Leave me 10 settle that question,
Ben says, grandly March on. my
men, to the lake. I'll join you as soon
as / can fix my mustache with little
burnt cork. I'll bring Susy. Now
march, and get the skif' ready. Stick
up pole in the bow, and tie the red
flag to it..
"Well, we did have work gettin'
pas old fishin' skiff ready. The lake
was great big pond, made, ] think,
by brickmakers. IL was awful deep,
and in storm looked almost like the
sea, we thought. The two little is
lands had bushes and shrubs CROWN
on 'em and they were pretty far apart.
While we were working, up comes Ben
wrapped in pas big cloak, and Susy
trottin' by him suckin' big piece of
sugar cane. When he got up to us he
threw of the big cloak, and my! wasn't
he fierce-lookin'p He had the awfulest
black mustache, and he had tied ma 6
blue shawl round his waist, and stuck
in it an old horse pistol that used to be
grandpa's, and no was fiourishin' the
sword ms If he'd cut of our heads.
"'Men to the boat" he hollered, and
we all got In and pulled for the first is
land, where we put off Nathan and
Susy The other island was to be our
headquarters, and we were TO come
back to this one for our prisoners.
Nathan was to show fight with q
wooden sword we gave him, but he
was to be conquered and tied and car
ried to the other island Oh, we fixed
it up grand. tell you, only we left the
basket of provisions, as that was to be
part of the booty we were to take.
"Well, we rowcd to the other island,
and piled up some bricks that was
there for our fort, and then we set of
on our cruise round the lake, shoutin'
blood and murder and all kinds OF
awful things. ] declare to you, Ben
was that rugged up and looked SO
fierce and hollered so loud he made my
flesh crawl The lake was long ways
from any house, and nobody but fisher
men came there, and il wasn't iishin'
oaaenn On xro folt o,f,
Suddenly Ben stops rowin'. and
says: Il see figures on Murderers' Is
land, lieutenant SpiesP Tie the
black flag above the red, SO they can
have their choice, either to die or sur.
render. Now turn the boats head to-
wards the island, and let us surprise
them.
1--WE came up quietly, and my gra-
cious, what did we seep That greedy
Nathan a-sittin' by the basket of pro.
visions a-stuffin' hissclf, and Susy play.
in with some chips. Ben gave yell
that made me fairly jump. He was
pirate, sure enough, when he saw what
that black scamp was dom.
"'Traitor! wretch! monster! he hol.
Tered, jumpin' out and runnin' with hi:
sword whirlin' in the air.
Nathan looked round aud give an.
other yell. He turned somerset
backward from the basket, and run
screechin' at every step. He'd have
run in the water, II Ben hadn't caught
him and dragged him back.
"Tve secured the rascal. says the
captain. Tie him up, and take hin
to the boat with the young lady. Take
the plumber, too, as much of 1t q.
you've left, you greedy scamp shak
In his fist in Nathan's face.
"I 'clar' to gracious, Marse Ben,
amt fetched dc ham, he whimpered
De goose's leg was loose, and jes
pulled 1t off | was so hongry.'
Silence, sir, with your Mars,
Ben.' I'm captain, and Pm goin' t
take you to my stronghold, and try yo,
for Robin on the high seas. Yes, sir
/ uo,,f,.a If 1t