Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-03-11
CAP'N DICKEY'S CAPTIYES.
How His Crew OF Crpples Reoov-
cred in q Night

One Day Late TIC Schooner Hc9feg Sailed
into bristol Hnrbor with Rum,
slolnsscs, su.,drlos md =.
ICING Homnos."
The only words that Cnpt John
Dicllcy, OF the Bristol schooner Hes
ter, had understood were "cinq hom-
mes"
Five on EN-" he muttered. That's
odds for the frog-oaters."
And in the depths Of his gloom no
fell to cutting of apipeiu! OF tobacco.
Tr;ly, Capt. JOHN couldn't De very
sanguine. lie had sailed from Boston
several days before, bound for Bris-
tol town. or ancient PemGquid, with
general cargo foc the storekeePers
Of the settlement, and alas. a french
priyatccrsman had oyerhauicd him
away oil the mouth Of tAe Kcnnebcc.
The Hester had fed, but her flight
was about rs nimblc as the scuttling
away of an old hen tioanGtriAs through
a barnyard'to escape a tormenting dog
The Hester was all right for conveying
rum, molasSes. and other neccSsaries-
broad OF beam ana tight Of seam. But
she couldn't run away. Her blunt nose
bumped ugains. the waves, her heavy
sides smashed clumsiiy down upon The
trimming swell. Tie tough old bird
spread all sail and BOWED along. like
a Brahma scudGing before the wind
with tail spread, but up came the pri-
vateecrsmun. his friSlly nose dipping
his clean sides flashing back the CLINT
of the wave, and the spume whizzinG
through the lee braces.
"Schoonairc, ahoi!" shouted little
man from over the tatfrail, his llnurly,
red nose cleaning from under his cap.
The pursuer had edged up on the Hes
ter's quarter, and Capt. Dicl,ey and his
men were suIli,y eyinS die small
craft.
What DO you want?" roarcd back
the captain. hoarsely, just as though
ne didn't know all too well.
The man with the I,nurly red nose
screamed back:
"Heaf' to; stand by for lot I"
Capt. Dickey didn't haul around at
once, however. lie turned 10 Mate
Constant Judl<ins.
"S'posc we've got to, Jud?" he re-
marked, gloomily, Course you know
what it means. We're gobbicd."
Eyes, and it's jest as well to be COB
bled whole as piecemeaI." remarked
Mate .Judleins, caSefully throwing his
quid to lee.
This was wisdom. So in d moment
or so the Hester came Shaping and
changing and foaning around into the
wind. Not q moment too soon. Tor the
priyateersmans long Tom had taken
o rather determined squirt at the matt
mast OF the schooner.
Then Cart. Diekey, listening 0tten-
lively and with saturaiae face, heard
a gobblc Of French, in which re dis
tinguished "cinq honmos," aud that
alone, for ne wasn'ta linSui@t.
Sank ON" he growled "val, come
along and sank ON more = You want
to-"
Constant Judlins listened TO the
soliloquy with puzzled face.
"If may be so questionifccoas,
cnp'n," he asked, who's this ere Sank
Orm who is coming aboard?'
The captain didn't smile. Il heard
EN- say in We've lingo he explained,
that they're going to put five prize
men aboard lis, and the Lord only
knows where they'll take Us"
TIE crew Of the Hester were four
the skipper, the mate-Ozarias Hcdson,
A. &, able-bodicd seaman, and Berual
Joquith, cook and before the mast.
Now, Gs the captain strobe forward
front Of the house to see about throw
ing over the stern ladder, he saw
Ozarins IIodson sitting on rope coil
in the waist, with head tel Up.
what ais you?' snapped the skip
per.
"Toot'ache, sir, ana dum'd bad, tool"
Ozorias evidently was more distract
ed By toothache than BY privateers-
man. Berual Joquith, who had had
the lively suspicion that the privateers-
man would pop q few shots at them by
way of exercise and practice, lodged
out Of sight into his sanctuary.
Just as Capt. Dickey threw over the
stern ladder thought struck him.
by gingeri" said he, and he jumped
rs though he had suddenly taken in a
mouthful OF that condiment-
He threw hasty look over the side.
The privateersman was just getting
its long boat in the water with the
"sanll'oms" and their sea chests.
"Jud," he called back to the mate,
make fast the wheel and dodge down
here into the waist under the Ice Of
the bulwarll.''
Judkins looked surprised, but he did
50.
"Come along below" commanded the
skipper, and both men followed him
Down in his bunk they found the cook.
"Boys," said the captain, there amt
time to go into long explanations, but
] want you to know right now that
you're oil in awful bad shape, and
I'm the oAly man about ship VINO can
keep on his pegs"
The amazement on the faces of the
three gradually grew into shrewd in
telligence as they stared into this
twinlding eyes of the "old man"
Tell us what the trouble Is with
u.s." requested Bcrual, "and We'll be
the eickest fellows you ever seed in
about two hips of the Ayin' jib.'
WALL" said the captain, Il amt as
good liar as wish I was, but guess
It'll be likely enough if truck fell
md smashed your jaw, OzaIias, frac-
turcd your collar-bone and broke Beru-
ais leg, eh?" And the skipper extend
Cd a grin from his wrinkles.
"Hain't that putting consid'able re-
sponsibility on one truck, cap'n?"