The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-05-25

in q semicircular belt to a distance of from
two to three leagues beyond the land. This
reef is cut with winding channels which
can be navigated only by the native boat
men, who are familiar with the twists and
turns of the treacherous waterways. Many
vessels driven among these reefs by storms
have been battered and wrecked by the hid
den rocks, and in former days band of
men lived on the islands and subsisted by
plundering such unlucky craft as adverse
fate doomed amid the coral spurs. They
were called wreckers.
1t was some years before the war that the
trim little bark Arrow of New Orleans
commanded by Captain Walter Armstrong
was fairly caught amid the reefs, like fly
in a cobweb, and there seemed no possible
way of getting out of the scrape. The skip
per was beginning to despair when he saw
a boat approaching containing single
man. This man boarded the Arrow and
declared himself a pilot who was thor.
oughly conversant with the passages amid
the reefs. On being implored to render as
sistance by the captain the fellow said:
What will you give me to get you out
of this placer"
Anything you ask, }" was the immediate
reply. Name your sum-"
Five hundred dollars"
The skipper instantly recognized the fact
that he was dealing with scoundrel, but
as his situation was desperate he paid the
sum asked. The man kept his promise in
one way, for he took the bark out of that
place, but he simply steered it still deeper
amid the perilous reefs. Then, with mad
dening insolence, he declared he was not
compelled to pilot the Arrow to open water.
as he had made no such bargain.
But" he added, ''there never was YES
sci in this hole that was known to get out
again. In fact, there is but one man living
who could possibly extract you from this
trap-and am that man. For $500 more
will place you safely in the open sea.
The captain stormed little, but the ras-
cal was immovable, and he received the adj
ditional $780, Then he steered the bark,
with mastery skill, through passage be-
fore unseen, barely wide enough for the
purpose and with only six inches of water
beneath the keel at times. In half an hour
the Arrow was out of soundings, in blus
water, quite beyond danger.
Then the captain called his men, and
pointing at the treacherous pilot thundered:
''Seize that villain and put him in ironsl"
The order was promptly obeyed, despite
the resistance of the rascal, who demanded
to know what the captain meant.
No man ever fooled with me and got the
best of it, was Captain Armstrong; grim
| retort II see there is black blood in your
veins, and while am not slave dealer /
am bound to get my 81 600 back with inter
est. Such fine strong fellows as You are in
demand on American plantations, and /
am sure will be doing all seamen serv-
| ice by Kidding this coast Of one infamous
| wrecker"
The outwitted scoundrel begged SO pitt
fully that on the return Of the money the
captain set him free. dropped him into his
| boat, which was cut loose, with final
warning to the wrecker to mend his ways
or in future to be more careful about tbs
| kind Of man with whom he tampered.
Two of Kind.
| Old John TAFT of Bangor, Me-, q well
known character some years ago, was the
unenvied possessor of an enormous rubicund
nose. Indeed his nose was SO large that
wherever he went it attracted the notice
and wonder Of all beholders, much to the
unfortunate owners chagrin and mortifca-
| ton The old man grew so sensitive and
crusty that he constantly imagined people
were ridiculing his nasal appendage, and
this SO soured him that his neighbors were
won't to say he never smiled.
One day as old John was crossing Ken
| duskeag bridge he saw a stranger coming
toward him. The stranger also saw old
John, and he instantly clapped his hand to
his nose, taking hold of it as If it were a
handle and turning his head to the right,
away from the old man.
Nothing could have made old John more
furious than this, as he supposed, insulting
action on the part of one wholly unknown
to him. He fairly danced with rage as he
spluttered
"What do you meanp What do you meani
| You make sport Of my nosel I'm an old
man, but can't stand thatl Hanged il l
don't lick the stufing out of you In about
| three shakesl"
II beg your pardon, SIR" said the stran-
ger respectfully, comical twinkle in his
eyes. II had not the least intention of max
ing sport of you, but / observe this bridge
is not very wide, and for that reason Just
took hold of my own nose and held it out
over the rail, SO we might pass without a
| collision"
| With this he lowered his hand, and old
| John saw the strangers nasal organ was, if
anything, little larger and redder than
his own. The old fellow stared at the spec
tacle for some moments, and then all Of a
suddena he burst into roar Of laughter
such as he had not enjoyed for years. Then
he shook hands with the stranger and
turned back to accompany him to the Ban
gor side, where they found liquid refresh
ments and spent a long time surveying and
admiring each others noses.
From that day until his death old John
was cheerful man, and he always enjoyed
telling Of his encounter with the stranger
on Kenduskeag bridge.
WnLIAMG. PArrEN.