The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-11
A DROP OF BLOOD
How an Old Superstition Was Once
Most Strangely Verified.
THE PERIL OF CAPTAIN DRAKE
Pirates Attacked the Governor Clin-
ton Brigantine Off Cuba, and En-
ma brakes Lover. Sam spain.
Was Killed In the Fight.
From the philadelphia Times.

From the Philadelphia Times.
In l775 the brigantine Governor Clin-
ton left Philadelphia loaded with ffour
for Spanishtown, Jamaica 1t was the
18th of December. and Captain Ira
Drake. her commander, expected 10 eat
his New Year dinner on the Island
Everything was suspicious, and with
northwest wind he sailed down the
river He remarked long after that ne
felt unusually fiurried by his parting
with Mrs. Drake and his daughter EN-
ma on the wharf, but not being OF an
imaginative turn of mind, the impress
sions passed and ne saw the tall pop
lars and red-roofed farm houses in the
Neck fade away under the winter sun
set with professional indifference.
The Governor Clinton was only 430
TONS and she left port in company OF
26 others, foreign bound, most of them
square-rigged. At the present time
there are only two ships owned in
Philadelphia and neither sails from
here.
Mrs. Drake and Emma walked up
Second street to their home, which was
in the house then two-story, after
wards the tea store of the late eccen-
trio John Lamond. who died a few
months ago. To be a captains wife in
next below the magnates of Society
Hill. and Captain Drake was reported
a prosperous man.
Mother" said the daughter do you
feel any unusual anxiety in parting
with father this VOYAGE"
mo, my dear. Don't let such things
get into your mind"
Yes, but the Aggy Slade has been
out over go days. and she's bound for
Jamaica, too. Poor Mrs. Folsom is
just wild about her husband. How 1
do wish father would give up the sea
and stay ashore"
Shipmasters' wives had to have stout
hearts i'm those days; there were perils
on the sea then that are unknown
nova West India voyage meant poor
charts, lodging among the reefs and
keys of the Bahama Banks, northers,
hurricanes, and more deadly assaults
from the desperate ruffians that in
Tested the coast of Cuba and were Sc
cretly upheld by the Spanish authori-
ties. who shared their plumber, and at
this time both Tardy and the La Elites
were known to be cruising in the Gulf
Christmas passed and as New Years
came on a feeling of uneasiness and
dread entered into the Drake house
hold. Emma had an additional source
of anxiety. Sam Spain. although only
"a. was first officer of the Governor
Clinton. and a splendid specimen of the
American sailor, and before this voy-
age he and Emma had exchanged
vows. And so poor Emma fretted, and
made her mother anxious.
New Years day, 1896, was cold. blus-
tering and sleety, and after attendance
at early mass at St Joseph's, both wo-
men sat down to breakfast.
10
tell me anything about your dreams
You make me nervous. Your father
and the brig are all right, and when
the Quickstep comes in we'll hear from
Spanishtown. She sails from there to-
day" But, mother. there is some
thing in dreams and / never had such
dreadful ones before, and you know
good God. what is that?" and the girls
voice arose to a scream. "Oh, mother!
on your hand, on your hand!"
The mother looked and grew pale as
Death. There on her plump, white hand
was drop of rudy blood. She muir
INJURED, Maybe / pricked myself with
the fork" and with a shudder wiped
away the dread token. But there was
no wound, the skin being unbroken.
There, there. II has come again. on.
mother, let's pray. My dear father
and Sam are in peril. 1 know it.
feel It,"
And they knelt, and with heads bow
ed down prayed to Him who rules the
winds and tempests to spare their low
ed ones on the sea.
The Governor Clinton was an old tub
and did her best when she reeled off
eight knots on a bowline. but this time
under fair northeast wind, she was
cutting a feather through the waves of
the Bahama Banks on the 18th of De-
cember. Here her good luck ended. A
norther set in, driving them 200 miles
OFF their course. and then head winds
blew for a week. so that IL was the last
day in the year before they came i'm
sight of the Cuban coast, and not over
ten miles OFF Cape St. Antoine the wind
Failed and there came one of those
dead Gains peculiar to these ATTITUDES:
the sails hung without a shiver. and
the pennant was as straight down as a
yard of pump water. But this was
not the worst. Captain Drake knew
that he was in the track of the pirates,
and was practically helpless to keep
away from them, and at this moment
he was doubtless signalled off shore 10
some OF their vessels. Everything de-
pended on keeping a stout heart.
HIS six 24-pound carronades were
loaded with grape and kentledge. the
E-.n chest was opened cutlasses and
cts were loaded. and the cook filled his
coppers with hot water ready to repel
boarders. All hands kept watch that
night, and in the morning Mate Spain
went aloft with a glass. He at once
hailed the deck. There is a topsail
schooner lying behind that point of
land off the starboard quarter. can't
make out any sail on her."
"An right, come down. Wen have
breakfast. There's trouble ahead. Bur
there are % of US, all good men, and
we ought 10 make a tidy fight for our
lives"
A strict watch was kept at the mast
head. and at 10 O'Clock a hail came:
There's a boat full OF men putting off
shore. II is a yawl with tug. She's
coming fast under Heeps"
The ensign was seized union down
TO attract some passing vessel, and all
waited and watched. There were not
less than 40 men in the yawl