Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1889-05-25
JUST ASIHAD DREAMED.
By EDWARD EARLE.

when brother Joe was lost. was very
young then, but the face she wore in
those wretched days comes up before
me at this moment. Morning, noon
and night, it was the same-nO sweet
smile came to that dear face
i used to think she could have borne
it better had she known he was lost
had she seen him lying dead. But she
did not know it-she knew only that
he did not come.
No one ever gives up friend lost at
sea, the time and manner of whose
death are unknown. But it is the most
dreadful of all mourning. A certainty
would steady the soul, so to speak, as
q breeze steadies n ship.
With my mother it was a dead and
awful calm. There was always off at
distance a ripple upon the water, but
it never reached her.
The reader will wonder how ] could
go to sea after all this: and | wonder.
too-but | went. | suppose mother
looked upon it rs kind of fate that
she must submit to. When a boy is
crazy for the sea he will go, and that
is all there is about it.
ne night before we SCI SAL, l
dreamed that | had been, and got
back. and that Joe was with me, go
ing up the yard to the house. | didn't
dare to tell mother of that dream-I
didn't dare to say a word about joe
but somehow it gave me hope of
something, | don't know what.
Our craft was the ship Eagle, of
New York. and we sailed from that
port for Smyrna, at the further end of
the Mediterranean Sea. She was n
good vessel of four hundred tons, and
as there was at that time great danger
to the American traders to the Medi-
terranean from the Algerine pirates,
she went heavily armed and very
strongly manned.
1t gave one sense of security to SEQ
the ten long mines, five on Q side, that
were confined by tackles to our bull
warks; and not less so to look upon the
twenty stout fellows who trod the
main deck. 1t would now be thought
preposterous for a ship of this size to
carry so large a crew, but the sequel
will show that we had not one to spare.
Nothing of much importance occurred
Oh the outward passage. We arrived
safely at Smyrna, where we loaded for
home with cargo of wool, which was,
and still is, one of the chief articles of
commerce at that place.
] remember the JOY | felt on the
morning when we got under way for
New York. 1T seemed to me as if we
were already going in past Sandy
Hook!
l thought what I would say to my
mother-just as if | were to get home
that same forenoon-just as if there
were not five thousand miles between
myself and herr
But while | was upon the main top
gallant yard, casting loose the sail, it
occurred to me that poor Brother Joe
might have thought the very same thing
when he set sail from Trieste, three
years before, i'll the old ship Rebccca.
The thought occasiOned me momenta-
ry pang, but this was soon lost in the
excitement of the hour.
We got down the Mediterranean
slowly against the westerly winds
which generally prevail there, but at
length we were almost in sight of the
coast of Spain. Oh, how we longcd to
see the Rock of Gibraltar looming up
over the waves!
But in the Mediterranean Sea a vov
ager bound to the United States must
bide his time. He can not hurry mat
tiers. His ship may be weeks and even
months at the back of Gibraltar" with
the west wind every day and every
night heading her off from her proper
course.
We were three weeks between the
coasts of Spain and Barbary, but at
last one morning the breeze became
fair.
AS the sky lighted up. however, an
object was discovered which gave lis a
great deal Of anxiety This was sail
upon our weather-beam. The vessel
seen was very large brig standing at
first on Il course parallel with our own.
but which she soon changed, heading
directly toward us.
Such maneuver showed her 10 he
no merchant craft, but still we hoped
that she might be nothing worse than
French or English cruiser bearing
down to see what we We're.
In few minutes, however, this hope
had to be given up. Her bulwarks
We're not very high, and our officers
could see with their glasses a multitude
of turband heads showing above it,
Her decks appeared to be swarming
with men.
"She's Barbary pirate" said the
Captain: there's no doubt of it. We're
in a bad fix, but this ship shall go to
the bottom before I'll be taken"
There was grim look ON his face as
he ordered us to double shot the nine
Founders and get all the small arms on
deck. He was brave man. and We
felt that he would tight while plank
remained afoat.
Soon the stranger sent shot across
our forefoot as hint that we should
heave to. But to this we paid no at
tention, further than to send up the
American ensign to the spanker peak
Then there came second shot, which
struck the water 4 few yards to wind.
ward of us, and, skipping from the sur
lace, went close over our heads.
As the smoke of this discharge rolled
away, an object n great deal darker
than smoke and far more terrible open
ed its folds at the briggs main truck. 1t
bad just been sent up abaft the sails,
SO that we did not see it until it thus
suddenly expanded aloft. 1t was the
fearful flag of an Algerine pirate, with
the deaths head priuuinp CHASTITY white