Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-03-22

Copyright, 1897. by D. Applet
CHAPTER I.
"'TwIxT THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP
SEA"
thank God an no coward, else that
which am about to write would be UNI
written for loss of subject matter. Nor do
make boast of my bravery, seeing it is
thing born in man and not of his own
making. For, as it i'll becomes woman to
(for the reason that it is fashioned by a
vainglorious in me to laud myself for not
demanded the action of a man. And, fur
thermore, if in the following I seem to
make much of my quickness of brain and
power of arm, let me here disclaim all un-
just pride in the matter, for my size and
strength are things owe to cause higher
than myself, and as for my wits, why, they
are but those God gave me, and they
worked as He saw fit to have them.
These things ! say in justification for
what follows. l have known fear, but,
thank God! not the fear that paralyzes ac-
tion. In measure felt it when / first
openly lifted my voice against the king,
and, later, the very day on which my story
opens.
We were then somewhere northward of
the Delaware capes, with as fair sea under
and above us and as fair though hot a sky
as ever fell to my Tot to see. l say we,
meaning the schooner Phantom, short
handed with two blacks and mate, and
myself, Donald Thorndyke, master, bound
| from Norfolk to New London with cargo
of scrap lead to be turned into bullets, and
five hundred pounds in good British gold
secretly built into the bulkhead of the cab.
in. This latter, with the schooner, being
the sole property possessed, were further
protected by double set of clearance pa.
pers, the false especially forged by my own
hands to deceive such of the ships of his
gracious majesty George Ill. as by chance
might be encountered betwixt the two
ports.
! And there was no small chance Of such
an encounter, as one may well know by
giancing at the history of the united col.
onies in the year of grace ITS.
! had been held long in Norfolk for the
lack of mate with q knowledge of naviga
ton, being myself by no means blue
water sailor, only lodging about the coast
in years past on the laudable mission Of
besting the kings customs-a practice which
had been winked at by the authorities uI
to the time of the breaking out of hostilities
And this profession injured neither credit
nor character, for such were the unjust
commercial laws with which parliament
had comprised us that the term Of ssmug
gler" bore no opprobrium in those days
More was it a title of virtue in the minc
of each good colonist, and to this trade wal
bred by my father, who stood to be a
stanch and God-fearing man and on,
above mean act as ever listened to ,
parson or issued orders from quarter
deck. Until two years agone he had beel
my compass, rudder, mainstay and entir
trust, but the coast fever of the tropic
had cut him down, and no more would
meet his brig fresh from Jamaica some
where off shore, and fill up with contraban,
goods to be distributed as my judgmen
saw fit. No more would he greet m
mother and sister in the long, low kitchel
hard by the heights of Gay Head and tall
of our getting to be forehanded. No NOR
would hear him, in the captains room
of the anchor Watch" tavern, damn hi
glorious majesty for being a pig-heade'
Dutchman with ring in his nose, or q
liver TRADE in good set terms against Butte
North, German, and the rest, who wer
leading him to the loss of his America
colonies. That was all in the past Now
was ripe for my voyage and home.
But it was by no means an easy matte
to come by navigator of any sort at tina
time. The war had absorbed such talen
long since, and the traders were at dii
count, owing to the risk with no chance 70
prize money. So it was with great satisfae
ton that at last met with one, job
Lounsbury, man J. had slightly known i
Westminster before the war was well OF
He being set to get east, was willing to &C
as mate on my own terms; and, though
knew him to be of shady character, and wit
morals to be spoken about behind one
hand, was glad enough to get him, Ell
pecially as he seemed SO loud against tn
king, and, when he knew what was unde
my matches, so well pleased to be able
pilot load of metal on its first trip towar
the vitals of his majesty's hirelings.
And thus it was that on the 18th of JUNE
l778, we were, as l said, little northwar
of the Delaware capes, with small win
due east and on the starboard bow, and tn
land low, blue cloud over the schooner
taffrail.
1t was smothering hot in the cabin, wher
had but just finished listing up the loi
The clock had barely gone three whe
Lounsbury hailed me from the deck In
fashion not to be borne, being neither r,
spectful nor seamanlike, and at varianc
with his usual custom.
Below there! Thorndyke! Lay u
here!"
Now, l made no profession of being p'
tient man, especially in the face of inju
tice or bold disobedience; and, as disrespet
on my own quarterback has a SAVIOR of eacl
] was not far behind his words when
stepped out of the companionway.
A negro was at the wheel, and the mat
was striding the weather side of the dec
with spyglass under his arm, pipe
his teeth, and very easy, self-satisfed 81
to his countenace.
He was short, burly man, bearing
heavy, bronzed face, and having a smile til
meaning of which might be anything H
light blue eyes were always half closed,
manner to be called a squint in anotht
man, but his actions had been bluff, goo,
natured and open, and the fellow had hit
erto always shown sense of respectful b.
NOR in our intercourse.
As strobe up to him, I marked him sic,
his little eyes around to take me in fro1
their corners, but he made no move to fac
or give me particular notice. 1 guessed the
that something untoward was in the vino
and took the shortest way to arrive at th
bottom of it.
''Mr. Lounsbury, I'd have you find it COZ
venient to address me as captain on my ow
vessel, and bear yourself with decent IT
spect in SO doing"
For an answer he turned his back to m,
and spat over the rail, then facing abou
again, burst into loud laugh. l locke
at him as though he had suddenly bee
bereft of wit, at which he sobersd dow1
and then broke out with scowl:
Faith, tits fine farce finely ployed."
"What the devil has come to you?" VI
ciferated.
"Well, We'll Delay all an drop the GU
tain" he continued, setting his back agains
the rail and jerking his thumb over hi
shoulder. eye may be captain, but 'twi
soon be captain O nothing-d'ye kee?-
savin', of course, We come to farms wit
Jack Lounsbury. Do we mark that, al
that, an that?" he went on easily, turnin
pnd pointing to three sails that were we
| IN ~, %ha han;,o,