The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-18
GOOD SCOTCH SNUFF.
OFF your ship in tho first place, and now your
ship shall take 'em back home again.
By JOHN cAxroN

off your ship in tho first place, and now your
ship shall take EN- back home again.
That settled 1t. The deserters were slowed
| away, and in due time the bark sailed on her
| return. She was almost clear of the English
channel when she discovered an English
revenue cutter bearing down upon her. These
light government craft were often used to.
| board vessels and impress men, as they. could
dodge about the channel much easier than
the men-of-war.
| The cutter was sighted just after MONDAY,
and her errand was guessed at in a moment.
She would be sure to have description of
the three deserters and would no doubt inn
press 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 re-
| sistance. The enemy carried crew Of thirty
| men and mounted four guns.
"Well, Nancy" said Captain Israel, ''ws
shall lose the bark and go to prison, and it's
all your doin's."
'Israel Jones, don't you holler before yours
| hit!' she replied as She laid down the spy
glass. "How will the officer come aboard?"
I'm this light wind and smoth sea that
craft will probably run right alongside"
ION which side will she Gomez
ITO leeward, of course. What sort Of q
notion have-you got into your head?'
"a good deal of a notion. You've got .
hundred pounds of Scotch snuff in one Of
tnem empty SldteTOOluS Inc uT6L LQlQS 10 90
is to get it out on deck. I also want all the
pots and pans and kettles 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 pun
gent stuff poured into vessels placed along tbs
lee side.
The men were still at work when the cut
ter fired a gun as a signal to heave to, and
| Captain Israel brought the Nancy Jones up
into the wind. Then the cutter began ma
neuvering to drop alongside to leeward. I'm
| der the direction of the woman, who prone
Fnaded up and down calmly as il in hee
| own flower garden at home, seven men, each
in charge of vessel holding snuff, ranged
| themselves along the bulwarks, and at the
last moment Nancy took charge of the big
gest dish of all. AS the cutter came slowly
| lufhng up with all her crew on deck, tbs
| woman quietly said to her men:
| Now you jest watch me and do as do,
and we'll give 'em such quitin' bee as they
| never heard Of before. Now altogether"
The cutter was only ten feet away and vas
| prepared to throw grapple aboard when
| Nancy Jones tossed her snuff into the air
| and dropped to the deck, and her example
| was followed by the Others The wind car
| ried every last pinch of that strong snuh
| across the space to the cutter, and 1t may be
| said that she was raked from stem to stern
| and from starboard to port In an instant
| every man on the Englishmans deck was
blinded, coughing, sneezing and as helpless
as if bound hand and foot
| The crew Of the Nancy Jones could have
captured the whole outfit without striking q
blow, but that had not been included in Nam
cy's plan. Urged on by Captain Israel. they
swung her yards and got her on her course,
and the breeze freshened as il in sympathy
with her efforts. She. was not pursued, how
ever. Indeed, the officers and men of the
cutter were calling out to ;ner for relief, and
it. was probably full hour before any one
OF them could see dist .nce OF tw.nty fest
over Ine raj.
In due time and without meeting with fur
Their adventure, the Nancy Jones arrived at
her home port, and the tale of the snuh was
soon told. If Nancy had found herself a
heroine in the eyes Of the crew, she was now
in danger of being made to believe that she
was the verttable Goddess Of Liberty. She
/ wouldn't have it, however
La, me, but what is all this fuss about?''
she replied. II allus knowed that if I was
aboard Of 1srael's bark l could make them
Britishers sheer off purity smart. Israel and
all the rest OF the men are too easy goin'-
What we want is more women aboard of our
ships, and I for one am gofn' to keep right
, on sailin' and lettin' King George know the
j difference between apple sass and a woman
/ who won't stand things no longer!