The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1897-02-25
CAPN DICKEY'S CAPTIyES
How His Crew of Cripples Recov-
cred in q Night
enc Day Late the Schooner Hester Sailed
Into Bristol Harbor with Rum.
Molasses. supdries and
"Cinq Hommes-"


The only words that Capt. John
Dickey, of the Bristol schooner Hes
ter, had understood were ''oinq hom-
mes"
Five on 'em, he muttered. That's
odds for the frog-eaters."
And in the depths Of his gloom he
fell TO cutting off pipeful Of tobacco.
Truly, Capt. John couldn't be very
suneuine. He had sailed from Boston
several iays before. bound for Bris-
tol town, or ancient Pemaquid. with
general cargo for the storekeeperr
Of the settlement, and alas a French
priyatcersman had overhauled him
away of the mouth of the Eennebcc.
The Hester had fed. but her fight
was about as nimble as the scuttiing
away OF an old hen tioundering through
barnyard to escape tormenting dog.
The Hester was all right for conveying
rum, molasses, and other neeessaries-
broad OF beam and tight of seam. But
she couldn't run away. Her blunt nose
humned against the waves, her heavy
sides smashed elumsily down upon the
brimming swell. The tough old bird
spread all sail md hawlesi along, like
Brahma seudding before the wind
with tail spread, but up came the pri-
yateeersman, his risky nose dipping
his clean sides flashing back the CLINT
Of the wave. and the spume whizzing
through the lee braces
"Seho0naire. ahoi.n shouted little
man from over the taffrail. his l5uurly,
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 Eou want??' roared back
the eaptain, boarsely, Just as though
he didn't know all too well.
The man with the knurly red nose
screamed hacE;
"Heaf' to; stand by for bot"
Capt DieEev didn't haul around at
onee. however. He turned TO Mate
Constant Jual,ins
's'pose we've got 10, Jud?' ne re-
Iaarlied gleomily. "Course you know
vthst II means. We're gobbled."
"Tes, and its jest as well to be COB
bird whole as piecemeal,' remarked
5lata Judkins, carefully throwing his
gnid to lee.
This was wisdom. So in moment
or so the Hester came slapping and
changing and fcnming around into the
wind Not moment TOO soon, for the
prirateersman'e long Tom had taken
a rather determined squint at the main
mast Of the schooner
Then Capt. Dieley, listening atten-
lively and with saturnine face, heard
a gobbla of French, ID which he dis
tinguished rcinq hommes," and that
alone, for he wasn't lingnist
Sank ON" he growled; "wal, come
along and sank 'om more if you want
| to-"
Constant Judlsins listened to the
soIiloquy with puzzled face,
IF l may be so questioniferous,
cap'n." he asked. who's this ere Sank
Orm who is coming aboard?"
The captain didn't smile. 81 heard
EN- 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 maie---0zarias Hodson,
A. b., abIe-bodied seaman, and Berual
Joquith, cook and before the mast.
Now, as the captain strobe forward
front Of the house to see about throw
ing over the stern ladder, he saw
Ozarias Hodson sitting on rope coil
in the waist, with head tied up.
what ais you9" snapped the skip
per.
''Toot'ache, sir, and dum'd bad, too"
ozarias evidently was more distract