The evening Republican., 1902-07-07
GOOD SCOTCH =
SNUFF.
ny JOHN CNXTON

! CLOSE VI Jue 1leVoIuIioIlaIy Wal
and the good ship Nancy Jones,
of Providence, was lying in the
port of Liverpool. While the
American colonies had been sue
cessful in winning their independ-
ence. England still dominated
the high seas. Being continually
in need of men to man her ships,
she passed an act giving her naval
officers authority to board the ves-
sells Of any other nation and search
for and remove British subjects,
Searching for British subjects,
however, was generally an excuse
to force American sailors to fight
for Great Britain. For years an
American craft sailed the seas
without fear of British men-of-war
and many of them were overhaul
ed two or three times a year.
Capt. Israel Jones was owner
and commander Of the craft nam
ed after his wife. He was a good
sailor, but easy going. When he
would return home to tell Nancy
that lie had been overhauled and
lost man or two, she would list
en- with flashing eyes and exclaim:
"Waal, Israel Jones, I don't
consider you much of a man to
let such things happen. II them
British had me to deal with it
would have been different"
She had sailed with him on the
present voyage, and as the craft
was completing her loading in
Liverpool three Providence sailors
who had been impressed from the
Nancy Jones II year before and
had just deserted from the British
navy came skulking aboard and
appealed to the captain for protcc-
ton and a passage home. He
was hesitating, as he knew that if
they were found aboard his vessel
much trouble would ensue, when
Nancy came on the scene.
"Look here, Israel" she said,
as she brought her hand down Oh
the cabin table with a slap, "them
men are to sail with US or I'll
stay behind myself ! You amt
nun il You don't hilo 'em away
and take 'em back homo y
Il want to, but it'll be an awful
risk replied Israel.
but we don't care for the risks.
Them men are true-born Ameri- !
cans, and our nayburs ut homo |
and their wives and children are
mournim' for 'em as if dead. They
was taken off your ship in tho
first place, and now our ship shall
take 'em back home again"
That settled it. The deserters !
were slowed away, and in due
time the bark sailed on her return |
She was almost clear Of the Eng
lish channel when she discovered |
an English revenue cutter bearing |
down upon her, These light gov !
crnment craft were often used to !
board vessels and imp, ess men as |
they could dodge about the chan
mel much easier than the men-of- |
war.
Tho cutter was sighted just
after MONDAY and her errand was
guessed at in moment. She
would be sure to have q descrip-
tion Of the three doscrtcrs and
would no doubt impress two or
three Of the regular crew, even if
she did not take full possession.
1t was no use to spread more sail
or to think Of resistance. The
enemy carried a crew Of 80 men
and mounted four guns,
"WeIl, Nancy said Captain
Israel, eve shall lose the bark and
90 to prison, and it's all your
doin's
'lsreal Jones, don't you holler
before you are hit" she replied
as she laid down the spyglass.
How will the officer come aboard?'
"ln this light wind and smooth
sea that craft will propaply run
right alongsido,'
"On which side will she Gomez"
"To the lecwarl, of course. What
sort of a notion have you got into
your head
"a good deal of notion. You've
got 100 pounds Of Scotch snuff in
one of them empty staterooms.
The first thing to do is to get it ont
on deck, | also want all the pots
and pans and kittles from the
cooks galley"
No one aboard the bark knew
just what scheme the captains
wife had in mind, but the snuff &,
was brought on deck and the
stuff poured into vessels
placed along the lee side.
The men were still at work
when the cutter fired q gun as Il