The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-08-12
A DROP OF BLOOD.

49, A''o hao VI i6Aueiuo uoNoEuUr Sllu
ton left Philadelphia loaded with fou
for Spanish Town, Jamaica. 1t was tn
18th Of December, and Captain Ir;
Drake. her commander, expected to ca
his New Years dinner on the island
Everything was suspicious. and with {
northwest wind he sailed down the river
He remarked long after that be felt un
usually Hurried by his parting with Mrs
Drake and his daughter Emma, on thu
wharf, but not being Of an imaginative
turn Of mind the impressions passed
and he saw the tall poplars and red
rooted farmhouses in the Neck fade
away under the winter sunset with pro
fessional indifference.
The Governor Clinton was only 4SO
tons, and she left port in company with
30 others, foreign bound, most of them
square rugged. At the present time there
are only two ships owned in Philadel.
phia, and neither sails from here.
Mrs Drake and Emma walked up
Second street to their home, which was
in the house then two story, afterward
the tea store Of the late eccentric John
Lamond, who died few months ago.
To be captains wife in those days
was to hold social position next below
the magnates of Society Hill, and Cap
tain Drake was reported prosperous
man.
Mother" said the daughter, edo
you feel any unusual anxiety in parting
with father this voyage?"
"No, my dear. Don't let such things
get into your mind"
Eyes, but the Aggy Slade has been
out over 80 days, and she's bound for
Jamaica too. Poor Mrs. Folsom is just
wild about her husband. How do wish
father would give up the sea and stay
ashore!'
Shipmasters' wives had to have stout
hearts in those days; there were perils
on the sea then that are unknown now.
A 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 ruflians that infested
the coast Of Cuba and We're secretly up,
held by the Spanish authorities, who
shared their plumber, and ut this time
both Tardy and the La Elites were
known to be cruising in the gulf.
Christmas passed, and as New Years
came Oh feeling of uneasiness and
dread entered into the Drake household
Emma had an additional source of AK.
iety. Sam Spain, although only "a, was
first officer Of the Governor Clinton and
a splendid specimen Of the American
sailor, and before this voyage he and
Emma had exchanged VOWS And SO
poor Emma fretted and made her moth.
er anxious.
New Years day, 1896, was cold,
clustering and sleety, and after attend
ance at early mass at st. Joseph's
both women sat down to breakfast.
"Tor the Lords sake, Emma, don't
tell mo anything about your dreams.
You make me nervous. Your father and
tho brig are all right, and when the
Quickstep comes in We'll hear from
Spanish Town. She sails from there to.
day"
But, mother. there is something in
dreams, and never had such dreadful
ones before, and you know-good God,
what is that2" And the girls voice
arose to scream. "Oh, mother On
your hand, on your hand !"
The mother looked and grew pale "a
death. There on her plump. white hand
was q drop Of rudy blood She MUIR
INJURED, Maybe ! pricked myself with
tho fork" And with u shudder she
wiped away the dread token. But
there was no wound, the skin being
unbroken. "There, there it has como
again. Oh, mother, let's pray! My dear
father and Sam are in peril. know it,
l feel it..
And they knelt and with heads bowed
down prayed to him who rules the winds
and tempests to spare their loved ones
on the sea-
The Governor Clinton was an old tub
and did her best when she reeled Off
eight knots on bowlino, but this time,
under fair northeast wind, she was
cutting feather through the waves Of
the Bahama banks on the 10th Of Do
cember Here her good luck ended. A
norther set i'll, driving them 200 miles
off their course. and then head winds
blew foG week, go that it was the last
day In the year before they came in
sight Of the Cuban coast, and not over
ten miles off Cape St. Antoine the wind
failed. and there camo obe Of those dead
Gains peculiar to those ATTITUDES. Tho
sails hung without SILVER, and the
pennant was as straight down as yard
Of pump water. But this was not the
worst. Captain Drake knew that he was
~ the track Of the pirates and was prac
tically helpless TO keep away from them,
and at this moment he was doubtless
signaled off shore to some of their YES
sells. Everything depended on keeping
stout heart.
His six "a pound carronades were
loaded with grape and kentledge, tho
arm chest was opened, cutlasses and pis-
tolls We're served to the crew, muskets
were loaded, and the cook filled his COP
pers with hot water ready to repel board
ers. All hands kept watch that night,
and in the morning Mate Spain went
aloft with glass. He at once hailed !
ha Ip,,lr l..