The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-02-20
A HAUNTED SCHOONER.

Her name was the Albicore and she
hailed from Gloucester, Mass. She was
one OF the prettiest and sweetest looking
schooners that ever crossed harbor bar
bound to the banks for fish or safely
weathered wintry sea. She had lines
like yacht, and many time l have
seen her sail past a gaudy pleasure craft
and leave her astern as though she were
becalmed. She had sheer that was de-
hghtful to look upon and saucy rake
30 her masts that gave her coquettish
appearance.
Her history was remarkable. She had
been picked up deserted in the Spanish
Main by Gloucester brig engaged in
carrying salt fish to the West Indies.
She was rolling in the trough of the sea
with only the stump of her mainmast
standing. The skipper of the brig low
cred boat and went aboard of her.
She was as tight as bottle, and why
her crew should have abandoned her
was one of those inexplicable mysteries
of the ocean upon which not even faint
light is shed.
There was nothing on board to give
any clew to her history or nationality.
She had been left in hurry as was
shown by unmistakable signs, but her
commander had taken all his documents
with him, as we'll as his nautical instru-
ments and chronometers. She carried
two long brass carronades, and there
was a stack of fifty muskets and the
same number of cutlasses in the between
decks-all highly suggestive of piracy.
The hammocks of the crew were swing
ing to the beams, and the bags and
chests of the sailors were left behind. In
her lower hold was quantity of pig
iron used for ballast, but no trace of
treasure or cargo was to be found. Her
boats were gone and the davit falls were
trailing in the water, while two big
tackles with which the long boat had
been lowered into the sea hung from
the wreckage of the rigging.
Old Billy Cuddington, the skipper of
the brig, rubbed his horny hands with
glee. 1t wasn't often that he found him.
self playing in such luck. He took all
his crew but two aboard the schooner
and all worked with will and soon
rugged jurymasts. That night he took
her in tow and at daybreak next morn
ing all hands got to work again and got
her in shipshape order. There was
spare foresail in her sail locker, which
was bent as mainsail, while a storm
trysail did duty as foresail. The bow
spirit was uninj and after setting up
the forestry a small jib was bent to it.
There were casks Of salt beef and pork
down below, three tanks full of fresh
water and any amount of bareback, -four
and rice. The skipper put the mate and
four sailors in charge, with orders to
keep him in sight and steer for Glouces-
ter, Mass. The brig was in good sailing
trim, having quantity of rum and mo-
lasses in her lower hold, while the tween
decks were full of green cocoanuts.
Captain Cuddington, who was a
thrifty New Highlander that did not be-
ieve in giving anything away, opened
his heart on this occasion. He filed a
ten gallon key with rum and broke out
200 or 800 cocoanuts and sent them
aboard the schooner, with Instructions
to the mate to take his nip regularly and
always to remember to mix it with
cocoanut juice, which had the effect of
mellowing it and making it less heady.
There was lovely whole-sail breeze
when the mate and his men made sail on
the prize. After they got the foresail,
mainsail and jib on her she began to
scoot through the water like steam
boat. The mate, seeing what a clipper
he had under him. thought he would
play practical joke on old Billy Cud-
dington. The wind was on the star
board beam and both vessels were head
ing about N. N. w. The schooner was
moving about three feet to the briggs
one. Calculating his distance very
neatly the mate tackled the schooner and
ran down to the brig to leeward of her
with lifted sheets and bellying sails.
Then lufiing sharp under her stern he
went on the other tack and blanketed
her. Then he hailed the brig.
"Goodby, captain" he yelled. 'I'll
tell the Gloucester girls you're coming.
guess III get there three weeks before
you. Your burned old hooker can't get
out of her own way
tell you old Billy Cuddington was
madden than March hare. He always
had thought his brig was hummer,
and to see this schooner. with her jury
rig and meager sail spread, walk away
like witch was too much for him. de
hailed the schooner and ordered the
mate to heave to, but that worthy was
as full of mischief us a wagon load OF
monkeys, so he only laughed at the old
man. An hour later he set a sort OF
apology for a spinnaker. 1t seemed to