Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-08-13
AT THE CROSS KEYS.
An Interesting Story Of the Revo
lutiOnary War Times.

chin. leaned against the framework of
the open door, and lazily launched a
ring of tobacco smoke on the balmy air
of the September evening. Good wife
Van Buren, reclined against the OPP
posite side of the door, glad to get a
mouthful of the cool breeze, for the day
had been sultry. Jacobus passed to
and fro. between the bar and the trees,
with tankards of frothy brown ale;
taking good heed not to tread on the
toes of his master and mistress; pot
boys positions were not going a-beg-
ging in Flatbush town in the year of
grace seventeen hundred and eighty
one.
The inn-keeper was in the act of
shaping another ring, when loud
burst of laughter from the trees caused
him to turn his head so suddenly that
the smoke was elected in shapeless
cloud.
1.-The Cross Keys" said he, ''has
never known livelier company"
THAT fat pirate" replied the wife,
would make Quaker laugh!''
''Ay, it's a merry rascal, and right
welcome to all the liquor it can gulp.
But remember, my dear, it is the dunn
host that draws the most ale. Let the
congress and the king fight out their
own battles
Folk say remarked his helpmeet,
Howe has written to King George
that we Long Islanders are ready to
take the oath of allegiance 1 amt
ready to take such an oath, Joris.''
bah! you're not a Long Islander;
you're woman AS for me, am too
. old to fight on either side, so I'll live in
peace, with my customer for my king -
This English major certainly do
bring us plenty of business, Joris.''
''Oh. Shelton knows on which side
his toast is buttered: he quarters the
sAmerican prisoners in this neighbor-
hood, and boards at the Cross Keys
himself free of charge
And you allow him per cent. on the
prisoners ale. don't you, Joris?"
Mrs. Van Buren," replied her lord
CURLY, that's state secret
In the modern warfare of civilized
nations the parole, as it existed in the
time of our revolution, finds scant
recognition; it has gone out with the
slow match and the boarding pike II
was customary then for large numbers
OF prisoners of war to be given the
freedom of certain district, their
word of honor being accepted that they
would not attempt to rejoin their
friends until given permission to do sc
by the terms of a mutual exchange. :
Generally these prisoners were at
tended by single officer: and in the
pregnant period of the revolution the
life of a prisoner of war with the GER
tain shameful exceptions blotting the
pages of Britain's history was by nc
means devoid of pleasurable incident
Much has been written regarding the
whalebO privateersmen of those
days, and, perhaps, considerably more
to their disparagement than circum-
stances justify. They were but the
natural offspring of unnatural con-
ditions. OF these rangers none achieved
n wider reputation than Capt. Mariner
An old record tells us The was a man
of eccentric character witty and in
genious, and Astounding in anecdotes -
careful perusal of such of his re.
markable adventures as are preserved
in the chronicles of his time enables
us to form good idea of his person
atty. He was as short as Dutch
skipper: SO fat that the ransacking OF
stolen Gle thes chests formed no part OF
his piratical amusements, and his face
mig III NC lIheneU TO cOpper-cOlOreO
moon in a state of general volcanic
eruption. The hollow tone of his voice
led to the pleasantly that 1.-The captain
had swallowed nOrtheaster and was
peddling it out in cupfuls.''
1t was indeed a jovial party that sat
at the long table beneath the maple
trees.
''Silence, gentlemen cried one.
s'Capt. Mariner, for a song
A score of tankards beat a tattoo on
the board as the captain arose and
Bowed, first to the major (who sat.
modify, u few PAGES from the head of
the table,, then to his audience. TAX
ing the average and speaking relative
~; Capt. Mariner was not half seas
over" although certain premonitory
einks conferred upon his opposites as
he rose Ito oblige" were given with q
vim that i'll consorted with perfect So
orlety. In voice husky with porter
or emotion he announced ''The Yankee
sword, and proceeded to sing the fol-
lowing, to the air of an old sea song:
Hurrah! hurrahi for the Yankee sword,
In Heaven it was made;
IL nasnes bright in Freedoms light:
Hurrah for the patriot bladel
The tyrant from his castle sees
Its glimmering afaF,
And toddles about
And todoles about
And toddles about with shaking knee..
For the Yankee sWord-huyrah,