Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-07-17

yawl, or jolly boat hove in sight, up went
the telescope, and he examined it with
the most scrupulous attention.
All this might have passed with
out much notice, for in those times
the province was so much the
resort of adventures of all charac-
ters and climes that any oddly in
dress or behavior attracted but little at
tention. But in little while this strange
sea monster, thus strangely cast up on
dry land, began to encroach upon the
long established customs and customers
of the places to interfere in dictatorial
manner in the affairs of the ninepin
alley and the ba room, until in the end
he usurped an absolute command over
the little inn. 1t was in vain to attempt
to withstand bis authority. He was not
exactly quarrelsome, but boisterous and
peremptory, like one accustomed to
tyrannize on a quarter deck; and there
was daredevil air about everything he
said and did that inspired a warineSs in
all bystanders Even the half pay officer,
so long the hero Of the club, was soon
silenoed by him; and the quiet burgers
stared with wonder at seeing their in
namnabie man-of-wGr SO readily and
quietly extingIshed.
And then the tales that he would tell
were enough to make peaceable mans
hair stand on end. There was not sea
fight or marauding or free boot
Ing adventure that had happened
within the last twenty years but
he seemed perfectly verscd in
it. lie delighted to talk Of the exploits
of the buccaneers in the West Indies and
on the Spanish Main. How his eyes
would glisten as lie described the way
laying Of treasure ships, the desperate
fights, yard arm and yard arm-broad-
side and Lroadside-the boarding and cap
turing of large Spanish Galleons! with
what chuckling relish would he describe
the descent upon some rich Spanish col
ony; the rifling OF a church; the sackng
of a convent You would have thought
you heard some gormandiznr dilating
upon the roasting u savoy goose at
Michaelmas as be described the roasting
of some Spanish Don TO make him dis
cover his treasuTe-a detail given with
minuteneSs that made every rich Old
burgher present turn intentionally in
his chair. AL this would be told with
infinite glee, as If he considered it an ex-
collent joker and then he would give
such tyrannical laer IN the face OF his
next neighbor That the poor man would
be fain to laugh out of sheer faint-heart-
edness. If any one, however, pretended
to contradict him IA any of his stories he
was on fire in an instant His very
cooked hat assumed momentary fierce
ness, and seemed to resent the contra
diction. How the devil should you
know as well a I? tell you it was as |
say!' aud he would at the same time let
slipa broadside of laundering oaths and
tremendous sea phrases, such as had
never been heard before within those
peaceful walls.
Indeed, the worthy burghers began to
surmise that he knew more of these
stories than mere hearsay. Day after
day their conlectures concerning him
grew more and more wild and fearful
The strangenes5 of his manners, the mys-
terry that surrounded him, all made him
something incomprchensible in their
eyes. He was a kind of monster of the
deep to them-he was mcrman-he
was behemoth-he was l.viathan-in
short, they knew not what he was
The domincering spirit Of this bolster
GUS sea urchin at length grew quite in
toleraDlc. lio was 10 rcspectcr Of per-
sons; he Coutradicted the richest burgh-
Cr5 without hesitation; he took possession
Of the sacred elbow chair, which time
ont OF mind had been the scat Of soycr-
eighty Of the llustrious Ramm Rapeye.
Nay, be even went so far in one Of his
rough jocular moods, as to slap that
mighty burgher ON the back, drink his
toddy and wink in his face, q thing
scarcely to be believed. From this
timo Ramm Rapelye appeared no more
at the inn; lis example was followed
by several Of the most eminent
customers, who were too rich 10
tolerate being bullicd out Of their
opinions, or being obliged to laugh at
another mans JOKES. The landlord was
almost in despair, but he know not how
to get rid Of this sea monster and his sea
chest, which seemed TO have grown like
fixtures or cXCresCcnces on lbs establish
ment.
Such was the account whispered eau
tiOusly in Wofert ear 10y tho narrator,
Pecchy Prauw, IS lie lcll linn By the
button in a corner Of the lul, casting a
wary glance now and then towards the
door Of the barroom, lest he should be
overheard by the terrible hero Of his tale
Wolfert took his seat in remote I.rt
Of the room IN silence, impressed with
profound awe Of this unknown, SO vcraed