Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-02-21

SuA udiQ WILL. w udt his Tduk HlSuL D6 L /
had no idea, and speculation was lost in the !!
quick retort that naturally rose to my lips.
who are you, sir, to tumble aboard a
prize of his majesty's in this fashion? Ye |
stand in need of lesson in marine manners |
as well as marine matters. Do We hope to |
judge of crafts cargo by squint at her |
hatch cover, or of man by the cut of his |
jib? Think not to deceive yourself or me! |
l know my rights, and also know the differ |
ence betwixt the cry of sea bird and hen |
hawk!"
If l had any doubt as to the official posi-
tion of the officer, it was set at rest by the
subdued laugh that came from the group
about us. Piqued by the sound of mirth
from those he had no power to punish, his
face turned to an ugly red, and, lifting his
saber as though to cut me down, he shouted:
"You insolent dog! l will make you sweat
for this! Lay hold of him, some of you!
Tie the villain up! Damnation! are you all
cowards?" he continued, there was a
shuttle of feet, though no one approached me.
There is no telling what might have been
the upshot of this dispute had there been
no interruption, for the fellow seemed deter
mined to use his saber on me. But, fortu-
nately for one of us, we were joined by an
other officer, whom 1 afterward found had
come from the second boat.
Hold hard. Scammell! You are not
handling one of you- own dragons! What
is this all about? You fly the signal of
prize, SIR" he continued, turning to me;
chow comes it you are alone? Who and
what are your"
81 am Captain Jack Lounsbury, bearing
instructions from Sir Henry Clinton, as that
cockatrice might have found ere this had
he used smooth tongue. This is my prize
"a Yankee schooner laden with lead for
New London, and taken by me single-hand-
ed. There lies her skipper, and all but one
of her crew are overheard" And with this
pointed to the body of my mate.
l had hardly spoken when two marines
| came aft with the negro Stole betwixt them.
He was trembling like sail in the wind,
| and hung his head as though he had lost
| all strength to lift it. l was looking for an
| exposure on the instant, but the officer
waved them back with motion. There was
an unspoken but plainly shown respect for
| me in the demeanor of the crowd as it spread
| away. The two officers stood for moment
| in undisguised wonder at the recital of my
prowess, giving alternate glances at the body
and myself, and then the last conner, who
was plainly the one in authority, spoke.
'You alone did this? By St. George,
| Scammell, you came near getting into a
mess! l promised to show you sea scrim-
mage, but not the kind you were Matching.
Let us have further warrant of these facts"
he continued to me. "Who was he?" point
ing toward the scupper, "and when did this
happen? Let us come by the papers"
"Yonder fellow is Donald Thorndyke, the
master till l overcame him." I answered.
81 shipped as mate. If you will go below we
can come by the whole matter" l replied,
not caring to extend my yarn with the negro
| within hearing. COR, better, we can take
what we there find and go aboard before
your captain, where the whole matter may
be boiled down at one sitting"
"'Twould be saving of time, certainly u
be answered, "but we'll hear the yarn while
the schooner is being searched; of course
you understand the Importance of the form. y
And he turned to sea corporal and gave
him the necessary orders. Now, sir, I am
at your service" he said, crossing the deck
toward the cabin companion. Hesitating
there, he seemed to hang in the wind for an
instant, and then strode over to the body.
''Did you shoot him?" he asked, as he bent
ever the PROSTATE form.
"Nay, struck him." / answered.
Faith, then," he returned, sizing me up
with side glance, "Pd sooner take the
chance of bullet than blow from that fist
if you struck in earnest! Did he wing you
at the onset?"
"Nay, nay; twas niger striving to knife
me in the back. Let's below. Mayhap We
have a doctor aboard who will fix up bad
| cut"
Through all this 1 was conscious of the eye
of Scammell fixed on me. Whether or not he
was suspicious of me, or whether he was still
boiling under the dressing had given him
there were no means of telling. l saw plain
" the resentment he made little effort to
| vi fo1k hot bod
who would be mighty glad to cross sword:
with me on the slightest provocation. He
was % or 80 in years, or about my own age
and was under me not two inches in stature
which is speaking we'll for him, as l stood
three inches above six feet, unshod. BY
weight and Drawn I we'll overmatched hin
(as 1 did most mem, especially in the latte
quality of physique; but he made typica
dragoon officer, and would be FORMIDABLE
! antagonist in any field.
, I might hope for little mercy if ever ] fel
into the power of this man, for mercy was
quality which, strained or unstrained, b
J J and his fellows had naught to do with. Thi
T l made sure of on getting into the cabin
where in course of conversation it turnet
, out that he was captain in De Lancy'
Loyal Legion, body of tory cavalry hal
freebooters and half in the regular service
I had heard of them, as who has not? Be
. : twixt New York and Philadelphia and tn
! country surrounding both places they wer
, terror, the malignancy equaling if no
SURPRISING the rapacity of Tryon himself.
3 I itched to get my fingers on him then an
= | there, that there might be one less blood
] sucker above ground, but policy held me fror
E | committing an act which probably woul
have at once wrought ruin to my plans an
= left my poor mother without son. l was
therefore, bound to treat him with clvlllty
|. which / did when a word to him was neces
/. sary, but 1 fancy we each knew the othe
r was but skipping over the thin ice OF polite
r ness.
t Being, as it were, in the enemy's lines,
r followed the bent of the lieutenant, an
n laughed loudly and long over the puzzle
q ment (as he called it) into which the Phar
], tom had led them. drank to the king an
f damned the rebels; told story OF beIn
z free lance under elastic instructions froI
; Sir Henry Clinton, and how l had take
the vessel by killing Captain Tborndyke an
d besting the crew In short, put myse
l. into my mates former place as nearly as wa
n possible, following his coarse manner an
e uncouth language, exhibiting the rough an
ready character beftting fellow of b
:, breeding.
:. But, beyond Sir Henry's signature, neve
a line did / show them or tell the nature {
, my orders; and that for the best reasons, fo
| 7 Inoxy LITTLE Of fla I'm u1yeef nOt ha,