Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-12-19
|HAUNTEDSCHOONER

AsE ---<~@------->- - 80 .Nse - a.lsifH- n
Ter name was the Albicore and she
He'd from Gloucester, Mass. She was
Of the prettiest and sweetest looking
boomers that ever crossed harbor bar;
and to the banks for fish or safely
athered wintry sea. She had lines
a yacht. and many a time have
h her sail past gaudy pleasure craft
4 leave her astern as though she were
ealmed She had a sheer that was de-
Ehtful to look upon and saucy rake
her masts that gave her coquettish
pearance.
her history was remarkable. She had
n picked up deserted in the Spanish
in BY Gloucester brig engaged in
irving salt fish to the West Indies.
was rolling in the trough Of the sea
kh only the stump Of her mainmast
hiding, The skipper Of the brig low
q boat and went aboard OF her
was as tight as bottle, and why
crew should have abandoned her
: one of those inexplicable mysteries
|the ocean upon which not even faint
hit is shed.
There was nothing on board to give
clew to her history or nationality
had been left in. a hurry. as was
bwn by unmistakable signs. but her
nmander had taken all his documents
In him, as well as his nautical instru-
Ints and chrononeters She carried
B long brass carr,nades. and there
: stack of fifty muskets and the
he nun her of cutlasses in the between
cks-all highly suggestive of piracy
e hammocks Of the crew were swing
to the beams, and the bags and
ests of the sailors were left behind. In
lower hold was a quantity of pig
h used for ballast, but no trace Of
asure or cargo was to be found. Her
ats were gone and the davit falls were
Killing in the water while two big
ckles with which the long boat had
In lowered into the sea hung from
wreckage of the rigging
Did Billy Cuddington. the skipper OF
brig, rubbed his horny hands with
Be- 1t wasnt often that he found him.
Ii playing in such luck He took all
crew but two aboard the schooner
ID all worked with will and soon
kged jurymasts. That night he took
r in tow and at daybreak next morn
all hands got to work again and got
q in shin-a,. "a, order There was a
are foresall IN her sail locker, which
hs bent as a mainsail. while storm
ysail did duty as a foresail The bow
5rit was uninjured, and after setting up
Se forestry small jib was bent to it.
fThere were casks of salt beef and pork
bwn below. three tanks full of fresh
Rter and any amount Of bareback, flour
I'D rice The skipper put the mate and
ur sailors in charge. with orders to
Dep him in sight and steer for Glouces-
b Mass The brig was in good sailing
i'm having quantity of rum and mo-
fsses in her lower hold. while the tween
ecks were full of green cocoanuts
captain Cuddington. who was
brifty New Highlander that did not be-
|eve in giving anything away, opened
Is heart on this occasion He filled
en gallon keg with rum and broke out
Do or 800 cocoanuts and sent them
board the schooner, with instructions
the mate to take his nip regularly and
ways to remember to mix it with
pcoanut juice, which had the effect of
following it and making it less heady
There was a lovely WHOLESALE breeze
then the mate and his men made sail on
be prize. After they got the foresail
hainsail and jib on her she began to
loot through the water like a steam
pat. The mate, seeing what clipper
e had under him, thought he would
lay practical joke on old Billy Cud-
ington. The wind was on the star
oard beam and both vessels were head
ng about N. N. w The schooner was
loving about three feet to the briggs
be Calculating his distance very
leatly the mate tackled the schooner and
Pm down to the brig to leeward of her
Fith lifted sheets and bellying sails
'hen uffing sharp under her stern he
vent on the other tack and blanketed
er Then he hailed the brig.
'Goodby captain" he yelled I'm
Pill the Gloucester girls you're coming
guess I'll get there three weeks before
ou- Your burned old hooker can't get
at of her own way"
tell you old Billy Cuddington was
ladder than March hare. He always
ad thought his brig was hummer,
nd to see this schooner, with her jury
70 and meager sail spread, walk away
Ike witch was too much for him. He
allied the schooner and ordered the
nate to heave to, but that worthy was
9 full OF mischief as wagon load of
monkeys, SO he only laughed at the old
nan. An hour later he set sort of
pology for spinnaker 1t seemed to
ave the pulling power of several dray
orses, and under its influence the
chooner forged ahead and by nightfall
7as out of sight, much to the surprise
nd disgust of Captain Cuddington, who
ut no faith in humanity and was not
nre that his mate would not put into
pine southern port and sell the craft
nd run away with the money.
That's what Cuddington would have
one If he had been in the mates sea
oots, but the mate was constructed on
and fairer lines. The sailors
n the brig had hard time of it the
est OF the voyage. 1t was clew up and
DIST up continually The old man gave
ne boat no rest, but cracked on canvas
the hope of catching up with the
cnooner' making sail between the
auails with no regard for his scanty
rev The sailors said he was like a
'ortuguese devil; when he was good he