Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-07-10
RUN DOWN.
The Story of q Brave Girls
Rescue of Her Betrothed.


~Laddies, ladies. who'll help me save
ma manr
The Jerseyed fishermen. grouped on the
old stone harbor pier Of Port Lecky.
looked up in surprise. A gray nor'easter
was bowling as the dreary night closed
down, and beneath lnrid sky the driving
storm wrack scudded angrily. II was no
night for a woman to be abroad ia. but
down the pier ran a girl Of 20. wild eyed.
sobbing, her brown hair streaming in the
wind.
tom Banksl JockT' she cried hercely.
"Will you put to sea with me t0nightF
The Dutchman's stolen my laddie. my
laddie that was to wed O Monday, an
taken to sea. He lies. bound hand an
foot, aboard the Norsnek. an III seek
him If go alone"
''Why, you're daft, lassieF' exclaimed
Tom Banks as the fishers crowded round.
cyan Biene stolen yer ladder What
would the Dutchman want of himf
aye simple body, Tom." cried a mighty
limbed fshwife. shouldering through the
crowd. Isn't she TO wed Jim Barring
q Monday? An are ye the only loon in
the village that doesn't ken Van Biene's
mad with love o. her? Aye, it's like
enough the Dutchman's taken the laddie.
They've both been missin since Tuesday.
Dinna clack at her, but help her seek"
"Ye're welcome, Annie Steel" chorused
the men eagerly. for they all hated the
Dutch smack owner. 'We1l go an seek
yer laddie gay an willin- There's our
boats, an Wen man them, IL ye're sure
it's true"
"True? Here's Van Biene's letter."
cried Annie. shaking a sheet of paper.
.'Read it, Tom Banks, an get ye ready to
60"
Tom took the letter and read it slowly
through in a clear voice, turning the
Dutchman's English into his own honest
north country speech.
Three times, Annie Steel, three times I've asked
We to wed me, three times we've said no. I've
six smacks at sea, money houses in Holland.
an I'll not cry second best to a beggar the like
of jim Darling. with his little boat
When ye get this he'll be aboard the yorsnek.
an the yorsnek'n be Lord knows where on the
North sea till you an me are one. Your laddis
will pay for ye il ye fail me. II ye'd save him.
get to Flushing Old Harbor by the 2sth. when
We me Joined in kirk Jim Barling'n be
put safe ashore.
Dinna thwart me- lassie. for I'm goin to have
man If ye pit yer will against mine
JAN VAN BIExE.
"He writes vera bad English" said
Tom, folding the letter, "but I've given
ye the gist o. it."
'The scaramouchr' roared a huge
golden bearded smackman. Il sighted
the vorsnek two days ago lyin to as easy
as duck 40 mile sou'east- Jim's aboard.
laddies, an we'll seek him, we win. The
seampin Dutehman. he'll pay for this.
he an his money an his thieyin smacks
undersellin puir fisher folk an kidnapln
them. My BARNS are hungry moo an
their mother cryin. all through the Dutch
man Biene that sold his Dutch fish under
my nose O. Saturday an left me with the
weeks catch on my hands Jump aboard
my boat, ladies, an cast her loose"
INA, nap cried Annie. running along
the quay. Take my fathers smack;
she's faster. He's ava. Dinna reef her
too close, laddies. Let her drive. CT
me a sou'wester an cast off the warps."
But ye Gamma come, iassie," said Tom,
aghast, as the willing fishermen jumped
aboard the smack Try Hard. It's aw-
full weather an BLOWN gale o wind"
"Canna Gomez cried Annie. Dye
think my heart Wilma lead me TO my true
love? CT me the helm"
She leaped to the stout brass bound
steering wheel and swiftly the sail tiers
We're cast off and the sails reefed down,
for the wind reared savagely and a terri
BILE sea ran outside. Up few the rich
red sails, the men swinging fiercely at the
halyards, and the Try Hard slid away
from the quay. A thought struck Jock
Adams, the golden bearded trawlerman.
"But how'll Van Biene get to Flushing
If he's on the Vorsnek wi Jim?"
Hasn't he six smacks at sea, We daft
body? cried Tom Banks. '"The Mas
went out last week, an she'll take him
off,
Van Biene was Dutch master fisher
man and owner of seven Scheldt fishing
smacks, and he found Port Lecky a good
business ground. Having much capital
behind him, he was able to sell his Dutch
fish at lower prices than the toiling east
coast fishers could live upon, and his plan
was to persistently undersell them. He
was not loved at Port Lecky, for many q
Door fisherman had he brought to want
and many a BARN went hungry when be
flooded the market with his foreign caught
fish. Usually hard business man, his
violent passion for Annie Steel had made
him reckless, and thus it was that he con
ceived desperate plan, four days before
her marriage was due, of kidnapping her
betrothed, Jim Darling, an honest and
simple minded young smackman, whom
everybody liked.
Out between the pier heads slipped the
Try Hard, meeting the gray combers
with plunge that swept the decks, An
ME, with black sou'wester on her head
and her wild brown hair flying in the
wind, gripping the wheel spokes and let
ting the taut smack feel the full weight
Of the roaring Worcester. She had steer
ed the Try Hard since she could hold Q