The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-10-22
"a Drop Of Blood

In 17I5 the b%rigantine Governor Gin
ton left Philadelphia loaded with flour
for Spanish Town. jamaica. 1t was
the 18th of December, and Capt. Ira
Drake. her commander, expected TO
eat his New Years dinner on the ISL
and. Everything was suspicious, and
with a northwest wind he sailed down
the river. He remarked long after that
he felt unusually Hurried by his part
Ing with Mrs. Drake and his daughter
Emma. on the wharf. but not being OF
an imaginative turn of mind the I'M
preSsiOnS passed, and he saw the tail
| DCplarS and red-roofed farmhouSeS in
the Neck fade away under the winter
| sunset with professional indifference.
The Governor Clinton was only 40
tons. and she left port in company with
twcnty-siX Others. foreign bound, most
of them suumre-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 a two-Story. after
ward the tea store OF the late eccentric
John Lamond. who died n few months
ago. TO be a captains wife in those
days was To hold social position next
below the magnates of Society Hill,
and Capt. Drake was reported n pros
porous man.
Mother" said the daughter. do you
feel any unusual anxiety in parting
with father this voyage?'
NO. my dear. Don't let such things
get into your mind"
YES. but the Aggy SIade has been
out I'VE sixty days. and she's bound
for Jamaica, too. Poor Mrs. Folsom
is just wild about her husband. How
l 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 desperate rutfianS that infested
the coast of Cuba and were secretly
upheld by the Spanish authorities, 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 rs New Years
came on n feeling of uneaSineSs and
dread entered into he Drake household,
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 his voyage
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
women sat down to breakfast.
For the Lords sake, Emma. don't
tell me anything about your dreams.
You make me nervous Your father
and the brig are all right. and when
the Quickstep comes in Wen hear from
Spanish Town. She sails from there
today"
But, mother. there is something in
dreams, and / never had such dread
full ones before, and you know-good
God, what is that And the girl's
voice arose to n scream. 'Oh, mother"
On your hand, on YOU hand..'
The mother looked and grew pale as
death. There, on her plump. white
hand. was a drop of ruddy blood. She
murIlured. Maybe / pricked myself
with fflt fork?" And with Il shuddcr
she wiped away the dread token. But
there was no wound, the skin being
%unbroken. There. there. it has come
again. oh, mother. let's pray. My
dear father and San are in peril. /
know it. I feel it"
And they knclt, and with heads bow
ed 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 a bowline. but this
time, under a fair northeast wind. she
was cutting n feather through the
waves of the Bahama banks on the
10Th Of December. Here her good luck
ended. A norther's set in. driving them
200 miles off their course. and then
head winds blew for a week. so that |
1t was the last day i'm the year before F.!
they came in 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 those ATTITUDES. The sails hung |
without Il SILVER. and the PENANG wa
as straight down as Il yard of pump
water. But tlIis was not the worst.
capt. Drake knew that it was, is the
track of the pirates. and was practical
~ helpless to Keep away from them.
Il this moment he was doubtless sig
nailed off shore to some of their. vessels.
Everything depended on Keeping a
stout heart.
His six 2f-Pound carronadss were !
loaded with grape and kentlelse. the |
arm chest was opened. cutiasses ana
pistols were served to the, crew. mus
kets were. loaded. and the cook filed
his coppeeS ready to rspel boardeIss