The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-02-19
CAP'N DICKEY'S CAPTIVES.
How His Crew of Cripples Recov-
cred in a Night.
One Day Late the Schooner Hester Sailed
Into Bristol Harbor with Rum,
Molnsses, sundries and
ICING Hommes."

The only words that Capt john
Dickey, of the Bristol Schooner Hes
ter, had understood were "cinq hom-
Ines"
Five on EN- he muttered. That's
odds for the frog-eaters."
And in the depths of his gloom he
fell To cutting off "a pipeful of tobacco.
Truly, Capt. John couldn't ne very
Sangu.nc. He had sailed from Boston
several days before, bound for Brls-
tol town, or ancient Pemaquid, with
Il general cargo for the stOrekeeper~
of the settlement, and alas! a French
privatcersmln had overhauled him
away off the mouth of the Kennebcc-
The Hester had fled, but her flight
was about as nimble as the scutthnE
away of an old hen fioundering through
a BARNARD to escape a tormenting dog.
The Hester was all right for conveying
rum, molasses, and other neceSsaries-
broad of beam and tight of seam. But
she couldn't run away. Her blunt nose
bumped against the waves, her heavy
sides smashed clumsily down upon the
brimming swell. The tough old bird
spread all sail and bowlei along, like
Brahma Scudding before the wind
with tail spread, but up came the pri-
Nateeersman. his frisky nose dipping,
his clean sides flashing back the CLINT
of the wave, and the spume whizzing
through the lee braces.
"Schoonaire ahoi," shouted a little
man from over the taffrail. his knurly.
red nose cleaning from under his cap.
The purSuer had edged up on the Hes
ter's quarter, and Capt. Dickey and his
men were surlily eying the small
craft.
What do you want?" roared back
the captain, hoarsely. just as though
he didn't know all too well.
The man with the knurly red nose
screamed back:
'Heaf to; stand by for bot'i"
Capt. Dickey didn't haul around at
once. however. He turned to Mate
Constant Judkins.
'S'pose we've got 10. JUDI" he re
marked, gloomily. Course YOU know
what it means. We're gobbled."
''Yes, and it's jest as well to he COB
bled whole as piecemeal," remarked
Mate JudkinS, carefully throwing his
quid to lee.
This was wisdom. So in a moment
or so the Hester came slapping and
changing and foaming around into the
wind. Not a moment too soon, for the
privateersman's long Tom had taken
a rather determined squint at the main
mast of the schooner.
Then Capt. Dickey, listening atten-
lively and with saturnine face, heard
a gobble of French, in which ne dis
tinguished ''cinq hommes," and that
alone, for he wasn't linguist.
sank 'Om,' he growIed; wal, come
along and sank 'om more if you want
to-"
Constant Judkins listened to the
soliloquy with puzzled face.
"If / NAV be so questioniferous
cap'n" he asked, who's this ere Sank
Orm who is coming aboard?"
The captain didn't smile. II heard
',m say in We've lingo" he explained
that they're going To put five prize
| men aboard Us, and the Lord only
knows where they'll take u.s."
! The crew of the Hester were four
the skipper. the mate-OZariaS Hodson
| \. f., able-bo1ied seaman. and Berua
Joquith. cook and before the mast.
| Now as the captain strode forwar,
| front of the house to see about throw
| ing over the stern ladder, he saw
| Ozarias Hodson sitting on a rope col
in the waist, with head tied up.
What ails you?" snapped the skip
| per.
..Toot' ache. sir. and dum'd bad, too
| Ozarias evidently was more distract
| ed by toothache than by privateers
man. Berual Joquith. who had haI
the lively suspicion that the privateers
| man would pop a few shots at them bl
way of exercise and practice, dodge
out of sight into his sanctuary
Just as Capt Dickey threw over th'
stern ladder thought struck him.
"By ginger," said he, and he jumped
as though he had suddenly taken in
! mouthful of that condiment-
He threw a hasty look over the side
| The privatee rsman was just gettini
| its long boat in the water with th'
"sank oms" and their sea chests.
| "Jud.'' he called back to the mate
make fast the wheel and dodge dow
here into the waist under the lee o
the bulwark.'
Judkins looked surprised. but he die
Come along below" commanded th'
skipper. and both men followed hin
Down in his bunk they found the cook
Boys" said the captain, there ain
time to go into long explanations, bu
/ want you to know right now tina
you're all in awful bad shape, AM
I'm the only man about ship who ca
keep on his pegs"
The amazement on the faces of tn
three gradually grew into shrewd il
telligence as they stared into tn
twinkling eyes of the ''old man.
Tell US what the trouble is wit