The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-06-17
,urn mypocx-upon the angels 1 cam

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| timbers naked 10 the sun, and exposed q
brown solid deck rendered ugly by several
dark patches, which, scrapc as we might, we
could not obliterate. We struck the guns
into the hold for the better ballast ing of the
vessel, got s;uddngSail boomS aloft, over
hauled her suits Of canvas, and found a great
squire sail which proved Of ineStinable i'm
portapcc in light winds and in running
After the ice was wholly melted ont % her
| frame she made little water, yet not so
much but that half hours spell at the pump
twice a day clsily freed her Bat, curiously
enough. at the end of "A fortnight she became
tight again, which attribute To the swelling
oil her tirnbcrs by their direct contact with
the water.
We were a slender company, hut We man
aged extraordinarily We'll The men were
wonderfully content: | never heard 50 much
rs "A murmur escape from oue of them; they
never exceeded their rations nor asked for
a drop more of liquor then We had are d
among Us should b. served ont. But, rs had
anticipated, our security lay ia our slender
mes We were too few for dislliecton. The
negroes were a. simple rs children. Wilkinson
looked 20 find his account in happy arrival;
and il was not, strictly Speaking, their cap-
tain, was their navigator, without whom
their case would have been as perll0us as
nine vas on the ice.
Ii was on the sih Of December that we
sighted the Sicily Isles. guessed what that
land was. but so vague had been my nayiva-
ton that durs; not bo sure, until, spying q
smack with her nets over. | stored Tor her
ia. I "A I..r
peoplc. They answered Us with an air of
fear. and. truth, the fellows had reason, for,
besides the singular appearance of Che ship
the four Of Us were apparoiot IN odds and
ends Of the antique clothes. and have Little
doubt they considered rs lunatirs Of another
country, who had run away with ship be
LONGING TO parts whore the tastes AID fashions
were behind the agc.
Now, as YOU may suppose, by this time
had settled my plans, and as We sailed vi
channel unfoldcd them 70 M companions.
! pointed ont that before We entered the
river 10 would be necessary 20 discharge our
lading into some little vessel that would
smuggle the booty ashore for Us The figure
The schooner made was so peculiar that She
would inevitably attract attention; she would
instantly be boarded in the Thar.cs on our
coming TO anchor and if told the truth she
would be seized as a pirate, and ourselves
dismissed with a small reward, aud perhaps
with nothing
My scheme. said |. sis this: | have a rel
alive in London to whom | shan commuui-
cate the news Of my arrival and tcll him my
story. You, Wilkinson, must h. the bearer
or this letter Tie D. shrewd, active man,
and ! viii leave II 70 him 20 engage the help
We want There is no lack of the right kind
of scryiceahc men 40 Deal. and d. they arc
promised q substantial interest in smu- ding
our lading ashore. they wiii run The good
successfully, 10 not fear As there is sure
To be "a man-of-vd stationed IN the Downs.
We must keep clear OF th.t anchorage. /
will land YOU az Lydd. whence YOU viii
make your way to Dover and thence to Lon
don Cromwell and Pift wi return and
help me % keep cruising. Ny letter 90 my
relative viii tell him - mere to seek mo. and
1 snail know his boat by her flying jack.
When We have discharged our l1lng We
Will sail % the Thames. and thon De- vino will
come aboard. for We shall have % clean hold.
This" continued !. "is tine best scheme
can devise The risks of -mu Cling attend
IT, tO be sure. but against those risks we
have 20 put the certainty OF oar FORGETTING
our Just claims 20 the property If We carry
the schooner % the Thames. Even suppose,
when there. that We mould not bee immedi-
ately visited. and so b. provided with an OPP
portuity 10 land our stuff, whom have We 70
trust. The Thames ab0Inds with river
thieves. with Jumpers. seattle hunters. mud
larks. glu.mcn. roeues oi ali sorts 10 Mre
whom would mean to hrbc thom with the
value of half tine lading. and go risk their
stealing b, other half But this is tLe lesser
difficulty. the main one Dies iu this. There
are some go mon employed in tlc London
custom house. most oi whom are on river
duty us Watchmcn. thirty of these people are
canred aboard am East lutaman. 1--we or six
o. West India SHIPS ami e. l4ae proportion ln
other vessels So strange a Graf, as ours
would be visited, depend ont, and snarty,
too. Dye sec the danger. lads What do
YOU say. then. 10 my scheme.
The negroes Immediately answered that
they left ii 70 mel knew best; they would
be satisfied with whatever did.
Wilkinson unused while and then said:
Smuggling was risky work. How would
IL DC II We ltlicsthtFi ilht We htNA iHhAh
the schooner washing about with nobody
aboardH
THE tale wouldn't be credited said l.
"Thc age Of the vessel would tell against
such story, even if You removed all other
evidence by throcing the clothes and small
arms overheard. and whatever else might 20
to prove that the schooner must have been
floating about abandoned s.nce the year
1907
Mustn't lose DE clothes, massa on no nc
countm cried Pitt
"Wcll, sin. - says Wilkinson, after another
spell of reflection. II reckon you're right
II SO h. the law would seize the vessel and
goods on tie ground, that she had been a
pirate and all that's i'm her Wa plumber, why,
then. certainly, don't see u1thiu else but
TO make a smuggling job Of IL, as yoa say,
sir
This being settled ,Wilkinson's concurrence
being rendered the easier by my ceiling him
that. providing the lading was safely run, /
would adhere 10 my undertaking To give
them : go each for their sLgrcl, | went
below aud spent half an hour over q letter TO
Mr.. jeremiah Mason. There was 800 ink,