Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-11-08
THE NANCY LEE.

the surface of the sea- There are sea
birds who cry out almost like human
beings and although l was startled bv
the hail | dismissed it after few sec
onds as the cry Of bird Scarcely had
| done so when it came again, and this
time knew it was the voice of A wo-
man. There was no need to hail the
mate on watch, for he heard the cry "a
we'll We were jogging along under
easy sail, and he seized the glass and ran
up the forerigging. There was sort of
steam rising from the water, but the
mate had not climbed thirty feet when
down he came again. ;,ll in one breath
ordered the ship into the wind, the CAP
tain aroused and boat lowered.
We of the watch had no doubt that
the ship had been hailed by castawavs.
but the boat was down before any of MS
made out a lone woman in a sort of
canoe craft about two cables length
away on our port bow She had neither
paddle nor oar, and her craft was driv-
ing with the wind and sea, while she sat
covering i'll the stern. Our boat was
soon alongside Of her craft, and the
woman and canoe were soon aboard of
the Admiral Nelson. The watch below
had been turned up, and everybody was
on deck to see what was going on. The
woman was white, and, as we soon ascer-
tanned. American. l say white, but
bronze would be the better term, for it
was evident that she had long been ex-
posed to tropical weather. She was of
medium size, regular features and about
40 wears of age, and had at one time been
good LOOKING.
WHO an where is the captain of this
ship" she suddenly snapped, as she
reached the deck.
Here, ma'am," calamity replied our
old man, as he stepped briskly forward.
Il want to talk to you in your cabin, )"
she continued, her fingers working merry
Ously and her eyes atire.
They had not been gone quarter or
an hour when both reappeared on deck
was at the wheel and therefore heard
all that was said. 1t appeared that
the woman, whose name was Mrs.
Thomas, owned and sailed a trading
schooner which had been left her at her
husbands death. 1t was a strange vo-
cation for woman, but it seemed she
liked it and also had a good business
head on her. She had crew of six. her
mate being an EEghshman and the
others Lascars, and she had been sailing
between nearly all the towns on the
Gulf. 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 previous night, headed
ny the mate. had suddenly laid violent
hands on her and sent her adrift without
water, food or paddle. The intention
was to run away with the schooner and
cargo and sell them, and this plan might
have been carried out but for her rescue.
She was the spunkiest little woman 7
ever saw. She was so mad she couldn't
stand still for three seconds at a time.
What she wanted was for our ship to go
In pursuit. Her schooner was armed
with two brass six Founders, while we
had four twelves, and she expressed her
entire Willingness to see her craft sent
tothe bottom before the mutinous crew
should benefit by their acts. Capt.
wheeler was pretty well along in
years, very careful on the question of
insurance, and his mind was not made
up until after breakfast. Then he de-
.1ded to huff up toward the Andaman
Islands IN search Of the schooner, and he
almost promised to give her taste of
our metal if she would not surrender.
Inc little woman managed to eat I;
dozen mouthfuls of breakfast, and then
returned to the deck to almost assume
control. She ordered a man aloft, bossed
tne loo OF casting loose the guns and get
ung up powder and shot, and every ten
minutes she was hailing the lookout to
Know If anything was in sight. Luck
was In her favor. While we had been
logging along all night the schooner, be-
ing further to the east, had been almost
oecalned. We raised her almost dead
snead about noon, and as luck would
nave II again we had plenty of wind,
"lil1e she had none until the vessels were
not over two miles apart. The schooner
was aboard Of us, and we flew a signal
'nat we wanted TO speak her. She at
once lay to, and as we ran down to her /
saw Mrs. Thomas grit her teeth, clinch
ner hands and show other evidences of
Her FEELINGS. She had borrowed the
mates SIX shooter, donned hat and
ooat TO disguise herself, and az we lay to
ABOUT cables length away nc eye could
nave made out her sex. Schooner
"noy! called our captain.
Ay, ay, sir! This is the Nancy Lee
0ound from Sumatra to the mainland"
Are you the captain:"
NO, sir. He's very sick in his berth.
Kun out these gunsr' whispered the
"" man to us, ind down went the port
shutters, and out went the big bankers,
@Au such OF the crew as were not at the
guns rested their muskets along the rail.
I've got your captain here, and she'll
oe put aboard Of you,'' shouted the cap
U AN III you attempt any resistance
I'll sink you"
Inc Nancys mate ordered his crew to
que OF the guns, but they refused 70
o0ey every man of them sulking for
T TSra and disappearing down the hatch.
nno ieliow left the deck long enough to
am himself with a cutlass, and as we
'owered boat he called out that he
"ouid split the head of the first man
VINO attempted to board the schooner.
Iur nrst mate, the boatswain and two
y US foremast hands went in the boat
"'.n Mrs. Thomas, and as we hooked on
~ uhe schooner's chains the boatswain