Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-02-21
CHAPTER II.
ALIAS CAPT. LOUNSBURY

Now the headsails being let go with run
and 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 sight of
trouble to have followed my first impulse.
1 confess that my heartbeats took on addi-
tional force and frequency as | stood and
watched the schooners nearer approach.
She came on to within easy gunshot, and
swung into the wind, all of a flutter from
stem to stern, and then Gay to" with her
headsails full aback 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 feet
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 dr,pped
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 barrel,
lest her way when l saw boat drop from
her larboard quarter and pull toward us
while another came around her bow and fol
lowed. They were both filled with well
armed men. as could be seen by the glitte,
of musketry, and the way they came owe,
the whitecaps showed their temper. r
showed temper, too, in the smart manner
they boarded me, the first boat hooking or
to the main channels, the men clamberin,
out with scarcely shout and no questions
and in a twinkling l beheld half score O
them on my deck, they, / fancy, bein,
nightly surprised at having met with no re
sistance.
The crisis was now at hand, and playec
my first card with something of the despera
tion of ruined gambler. Striding up to al
officer whom | saw coming aft with bar,
sword in hand, / said:
sfYe show scant courtesy in boarding me
sir. Had you turned up an hour agone
SStwould have been to some purpose"
"Who in hi are you? Where's the cap
tain of this ship?" was the excited rejoinder
Now there was something about the ton
of his voice, the way of calling schooner
ship. as well as the get-up of the man him
self, that, angered as was at his reply, mad
me ,ck pace and look at him. A quicl
glance showed me was not dealing with
man bred to the sea, much less to the regu
lar service. for, though / then had smal
knowledge of the uniforms of the British,
knew that which graced the back of the off
Ger before me was not of his majesty navy