Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-01-13

ssked the old man. pouring himself out
half tumbler Of rum and passing the
demijohn to the mate.
I'm tell you what's the matter" no.
piled the mate; shat internal schooner
IL haunted. My God. what time put
In aboard OF herr
"Avast therei Johnny. my lad, soft
iy, softlyl There are no such things as
ghosts. Besides. II there are, II Is no
use making a song about those ON the
schooner. am going to sell her for q
fisherman. and want no ghostly yarns
spread abroad about this craft. so inst
clap stopper on your jaw tackle until
we get good price for her. And bark
ye. my lad. I'm going to do the hand
some thing by you. II you keep your
tongue between your teeth this schooner
viii be matter OF 5000 In your pocket.
Take another nip. and when the vessel
Is disposed Of you can spin me the whole
yarn
About n month afterward the schooner
was sold TO old Eben Fish, who was the
owner OF little feet 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 1t was
for this industry that the schooner was
fitted out She seemed well adapted
for 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 AZ 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 a.
much trouble taken over them a. the
canvas Of q yacht
II was n proud day for old Fish when
the schooner slid of 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. "a christen thee Albicore. and
may you be lucky"
An albicore IL . fish OF the funny
kind and Of remarkable swiftness, and q
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 Grea,
banks was aboard, having shipped
as ordinary seaman We piled the can.
vas on her. and with a 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 20 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 mp their finny prey. We met with
so much success that few Of us deter
mined TO fish all night. II was lovely
night The moon shone ON tho placid
water. which was M smooth as land
locked pool without q ripple There
was slight haze ON the silvery sea, and
the stiffness and silence were actually
oppressive.
The good luck OF the fishermen con-
timed. The Goldfish were biting well
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 fathorns beneath the
surface. There isn't very much senti-
mentalism in fisherman. and the fel.
lows IN the dories smoked their pipes
and spun their yarns In the intervals b.
tween bites.
The striking Of eight bells on q French
fishing vessel anchored a 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 Hymn to the Viz.
GIN II was either Spanish or italian.
don't know which (having been edu.
Gated In the forecastle. where there was
precious little book learningl 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
My dory mate was a Portuguese.
Suddenly he clutehed my arm. my
GodP' he cried Look at the schooner
And looked She was about fifty yards
of. and in the brilliant moonlight every.
thing was clearly visible. On her quar-.
ter deck. which seemed 10 be enveloped
In a 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 tmprecations 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
~ 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 voice sang out loud and
clear from the Aibicore; Come along.
side. boys I've got a steaming kettle
Of coffee for you on the galley IRE
II was the voice Of the cook, aud WA
the most welcome sound that ever
reached my cara We pulled alongsids
and climbed aboard The cook had been
In the galley since 10 o'clock making