Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1892-03-02

some thing by you Ii you keep your
tongue between your teeth this schooner
VIII be a matter of $500 in your pocket.
Take another nip, and when the vessel
IS disposed Of you can spin me the whole
yarn"
About month afterward the schooner
was sold to old Eben Fish, who was the
owner of little fleet of fishing vessels
Some OF them used to fish on ST. Georges
bank for the Boston market. Others
were engaged in the codfisheries on the
Newfoundland Great banks, and it was
for this industry that the schooner was
htted out She seemed well adapted
Tor this work, being an excellent sea
boat and very fast, as was proved
by her remarkable passage to Glouces-
ter under jury rig. She was hauled
up on the ways and the necessary
alterations were made in her to fit
her for her new business. Her hull
was constructed of live oak and teak
and she was as sound in all respects as
on the day she was launched Old Fish
stuck two beautiful sticks of Oregon
pine in her and her new sails had as
much trouble taken over them as the
canvas of a yacht.
1t was proud day for old Fish when
the schooner slid off the ways, and his
pretty daughter Polly broke bottle of
wine on her sharp and graceful stem
and shouted at the top Of her sweet
voice, 81 christcn thee Albicore, and
may you be lucky"
An albicore is fish of tho funny
kind and of remarkable swiftness, and a
gilded head of one carved quite artistic
ally adorned the bows of the schooner.
A crew was shipped, about half Of
them being Portuguese, and under the
command of Captain Peter Ogden she
started out on her first trip to the Great
banks, was aboard, having shipped
as ordinary seaman. We piled the can
vas on her, and with splendid quarter
ing breeze away she few on her course
like some strong and beautiful bird of
the ocean All hands were delighted
with her.
The skipper went into ecstasies over
her behavior, especially as she passed
every craft she encountered. She made
an excellent passage to the banks and
let go anchor in favorite spot of the
shippers. where the Goldfish always were
hungry, The ten dories were put over
board, and the fishermen were soon haul
ing up their finny prey. We met with
so much SUCCESS that a few of us deter
mined to fish all night. 1t was lovely
night The moon shone on the placid
water which was as smooth as land
locked pool without ripple. There
was slight haze on the silyery sea, and
the stiffness and silence were actually
oppressive.
The good luck of the fishermen con-
tinued. The Goldfish were biting we'll
The phosphorescent CLEAN of the fish as
they were hauled from the dark depths
Of the sea Illuminated the water and
they could be seen struggling wildly on
the hooks many fathoms beneath the
| surface. There isn't very much senti-
mentalism in a fisherman, and the fell
lows in the dories smoked their pipes
and spun their yarns in the intervals be-
tween bites.
The striking of eight bells on French
fishing vessel anchored few hundred
| yards from the Albicore announced the
midnight hour. A dago on one Of the
schooner's dories began singing in a
melodious voice the "Hynn to the Vir-
gin It was either Spanish or Italian,
1 don't know which (having been edu-
| Gated in the forecastle, where there was
precious little book learning). But this
| do know, that the strains were the
sweetest and most thrilling had ever
! listened to. Of course the somber sur
roundings made the hymn more impress
sive.
Ny dory mate was Portuguese.
Suddenly he clutched my arm. "My
| God!' he cried. ''Look at the schoonerI"
And looked. She was about fifty yards
off, and in the brilliant moonlight every
thing was clearly visible. On her quar-
ter deck, which seemed to be enveloped
in luminous mist resembling the halo
| which encircles the moon and gives
warning of the coming tempest, armed
men were fighting, clad in picturesque
garb, with crimson sashes around their
waists and red caps on their heads. We
| could hear their cutlasses clash and
their imprecations ring out on the still
air.
"They are Spanish pirates, and they've
seized the schooner" said the Portu-
| guese.
Three bodies were thrown overheard
from the Albicore. We heard the plash
as they struck the water and saw the
bubbles rising as they sank. Then sud
denly the noise ceased and the midnight
assassins vanished into thin air.
Then a CHEEKY Esice sang out loud and
clear from the Albicore: "Come along
side, boys. I've got a steaming kettle
of coffee for you on the galley fire."
It was the voice Of the cook, and was
the most welcome sound that ever
reached my ears, We pulled alongside
and climbed aboard. The cook had beer
in the galley since 10 o'clock making
himself a suit of canvas clothes. He
had heard and seen nothing of the mys-
terious conflict on deck and laughed at
us as we described it. After drinking
our coffee we turned in, having had
enough fishing for that night,
At dawn next morning | had occasion
to go aft on the quarter deck, which
was raised about three feet from the
main deck. At Gloucester the decks,
which had become covered with slime
while the derelict was wallowing dis
masted in the trough Of the sea, had
been planed smooth. The skipper took
great pride in his little quarter deck,
and it had been holystoned until it
shone like hounds tooth. No fish were
allowed i'll that part of the ship, and the
sailors were made to wipe off their sea
boots whenever they took their. trick at
the tiller or went aft to haul in the
mainsheet Imagine my surprise when
saw deep crimson circular stain just
abaft the cabin skylight, 1t was about
three feet in diameter and it seemed to
have been made by pool of blood that
had soaked into the snowy deck planks.
At this moment the skipper came up
the companion ladder. The first thing