Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-10-19
CHAPTER II.
ALIAS CAPT. LOUNsBURY.


Now the headsails being let go with a run
end hanging loose over the bow, the foresail
and it's travelling blocks giving out deaf
ening protest against its slack sheet, the
mainsail joining in the laundering chorus,
and the wheel jerking violently hither and
thither with the kick of the rudder, we were
sufficiently beyond the usual order of things
to suit my purpose, and my trump card, in
the shape OF a dead man lying in the Soup
per, lay clear to the eye of anyone who might
board US. The sight was uncanny enough,
and my instinct was to have the negro heave
the body over board; but, as it was to be a
silent witness to the story | was about to
tell, | let it bide, though, as the sequel
showed, 'twould have saved me a sight of
trouble to have followed my first impulse.
i confess that my heartbeats took on addi.
tional force and frequency as l stood and
watched the schooner's nearer approach
She came on to within easy gunshot, and
swung into the wind, all of a hutter from
stem to stern, and then "lay to" with her
headsails full abpck. From the scarlet flag
at her peak to her clean cutwater she was
an object of beauty, though in light air
doubt she would have slid her keel through
the brine with greater speed than would the
Phantom, which had been built for fleet
ness and rapidity in stays.
With my wits by this time well about me,
and my wounds bleeding but little (as was
shown by the few drops that now drrpped
from my fingers ends) / stood by the helm
and took in every detail of the enemy from
the crowd at her davits to the long brass
piece forward of the foremast, the gun being
trained point blank at me.
The stranger worked with the alacrity of
man-of-war, for the schooner had barely
lost her way when | saw boat drop from
her larboard quarter and pull toward us,
while another came around her bow and fol-
lowed. They were both filed with we'll
armed men, as could be seen by the glitter
of musketry, and the way they came over
the whitecaps showed their temper. 1t
showed temper, too, in the smart manner
they boarded me, the first boat hooking on
to the main channels, the men clambering
out with scarcely a shout and no questions,
and in a twinkling | beheld half a score of
them on my deck, they, | fancy, being
nightly surprised at having met with no re-
sistance.
The crisis was now at hand, and played
my first card with something of the despera-
tion of a ruined gambler Stridng up to an
officer whom ! saw coming aft with bare
sword in hand, said:
'Ye show scant courtesy in boarding me,
br. l1ad you turned up an hOur agone,
'twould have been to some purpose"
"Who in hi are you? Where's the cap,
ain of this ship| was the excited rcjoinder
Now there was something about the tone
OF his voice. the way Of calling a schooner a
ship as well as the get-up of the man him
self, that, angered as | was at his reply, made
me back pace and look at him A quick
glance showed me | was not dealing with a
man bred to the sea, much less to the regu
lar service, for, though ! then had small
knowledge Of the uniforms of the British,
knew that which graced the back of the off
Ger bef2Ic re "as not of his naiesty's navy