The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-08-08
THE NANCY LEES CAPTAIN.

We were we'll into the GulfOf B"n-
|gai, bound for Madras, when one
morning, just as night was falling
Eiato dawn, | thought | beard a y0ice
|hailing US fronl the surface of The sea.
There are sea birds who cry out al
most like human beings, ana al
Though was startled by the hail, |
dismissed it after few second, as the
ferry of bird. Scarcely had [ done
$50 when ii came again, and mis- ti,np
L knew it was the voice OF a woman.
There was no need To hail The mate
Ion watch, for he heard the cry as
well. We were jogging along under
easy sail, aud he SEIZED the glass and
ran up the forerigging. There was IA
sort of steam rising from the water,
hut the mate had not climed 80 feet
when down ne came lgafn. and Ia.
one breath ordered the ship into the
Wind, the Captain aroused, aud IA
boat lowered. We Of the watch had
no doubt that the ship mad been
haihd by castaWays, but the boat
wasdoWn before any of Us made out
a lMe woman in sort OF IA cat Up
craftab0ut two cab,es' length away
on oar port bow. She mad neither
padi e nOr oar and her craft wa,
driNh9 with the wind and sea, while
s'e bt covering i'll the etern. Our
bOatkaS soon alongside Of her craft,
and FOtnau ana canoe were soon
abOar OF the Admiral Nelson. The
WatctbrIOW had been Turned up, and
every dy Was on deck to see VI hat
was piug on. The woman was
whitd and, as we soon asrertaine,l,
Amerian. | say white, hut bronzv
WOuidpe the better term. for it was
eNideii that she had long been ex.
posed b tropic,I weather. Sac was
OF medium ~ regular features, ;;n,f
at'uut . Jtais OF age, and ha;t at unp
time be'n good looking.
"Wh( ana where Is The captain Of
this oht:" she su;id 'nly snapped. It's
she reached the ueck.
Here, ma 'am," galIantIy replied
our old Ran, aa he siepp,d brl-kly
forward.
II want 10 talk 20 you in your
cabiu," she continued. her finScro
working ncrNoueiy and her eyes
afire.
They had no! been gone 4 quarter
of an hOur " hen both reapptared ON
-deols--sA- -Nsslss, at tfie -lHheeL~ailu here
fore heard all mat Wa, said. 1t APP
peared that the woman, WHOSE name
was MIS-. Thomas, owned ana sailed
IA trading schooner, Which had nt en-
lett her ut her husbands death. Ii
Was a strange vocation for d woman,
but il seemed she liked It ana also
had IA good business mead ON her.
She had a crew Of six. her mate being
an Engiishman ana the Others Las
cars, and she had been sailing be-
tween nearly all the towns on the
gull. Three days before we picked
her up her schooner had left Sumatra,
bound for the Indian coast. The
crew seemed to be perfectly quiet and
content, but at 10 O'Clock of the prey
iJus night, headed by the mate. had
suddenly laid violent hands on her
and sent her adrift without water
food, or IA paddle. The intention was
to run away with the schooner and
cargo aud sell them, and this plan
might have been carried out but tor
her rescue.
She was the spunkiest little woman
| ever saw. Sne Was go mad she
couldn't stand still for three seconds
at time. What she wanted Was for
our ship to 60 in pursuit. Her
schooner was armed with Two brass
6.pounders while we had four tWelves
and she expressed her entire
willingness to see her craft sent TO
| the bottom before the mutinous crew
should benefit by their acts. Captain
| Wheeler Was pretty we'll along in
years, yerv careful on the question OF
insurance, and his mind was not
made up until after breakfast. Then
he decided to lutf up towards the
Adaman Islands Gin search of the
schooner. and he almost promised to
give her taste of our metal if she
would not surrender.
The little woman managed to eat
a dozen mouthtuls of breakfast, and
then returned to the deck to almost
assume control. She ordered ID man
aloft, bossed the Job of casting loose
the guns and getting up powder'and
shot, and every ten minutes she was
hailing the lookout to know if any
thing was in sight. Lnck Was III her
favor. While we had been jogging
along all night, the schooner, being
further to the east, had been almost