The Press., 1892-04-14
AHAUNTEDsCHOONER

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 a sheer that was de- lightful to look upon and saucy rake to her nasts that gave her coquettish appearance.
 Her history was remarkable. She. had 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 beon left in a hurry, as was shown by unmistakable signs, but her commander had taken all his documents with him, as well as his nautical instru- ments and chronometers. She carried two long brass carronades, and there was 8 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 It 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 rigged jurylnasts. 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 storm trysail did duty as foresail. The bow spirit was uninjured, and after setting up the forestay 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 hardtack, flour 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 Englander that did not be- ieve in giving anything away, opened his heart on this occasion. He filled ten gallon keg with rum and broke out 200 or 300 cocoanuts and sent them aboard the schooner, with instructions to the mate to lake 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 iib 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 bel1ying sails. Then lufing 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. I guess I'll get there three weeks before you. Your durned old hooker can't get out of her own way"
 l tell you old Billy Cuddington was madder 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. He hailed the schooner and ordered the mate to heave to, but that worthy was as full of mischief as a wagon load of monkeys, so he only laughed at the old man. An hour later he set sort of