The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-06-01

Our folks turned in early and slept
until twelve, and then Ezra John called
'em all up. They. hove an anchor ana
then Ezra John told EN- to begin to pull
in on the cable that went over the stern
and was fastened to the Zodiac, mile
and a half away. Slowly the Zodiac ap-
preached. All our lights was out and
the Zodiac went so quiet that English
watch thought she was standin' still,
until lot of men jumped down on deck
from somewhere and they see the masts
Of the Duke family loomin' above EN- as
they was knocked down and gagged
Ezra John ordered the Zodiac's guns
stored in her hold which was done easily,
as it was not heavy ordnance, and all the
rest Of the night, both vessels was towed
and when mornin' broke. there was the
Duke with the Zodiac a nile and aS--dif
astern, but the man-of-war was seven
miles away instid Of four. The English
didn't understand it and kept maxim sig
nails to the Zodiac, which, Of course,
wasn't answered. Then they sent out
small boats again with as many as
hundred and twenty men to see what the
trouble was Jest as soon as they was
aboard our folks began to haul in on
the cable. They got EN- about mile
before the English noticed 1t, and then
they started to take to their boats, hut
the Americans give 'em e heavy fire and
drove 'em back to the Zodiac again and
hauled EN- up and made prisoners OF EN-,
which was easy to do, as they had only
small arms to fight with. Our folks thus
had two hundred and twenty of the Eng
lsh and there was one hundred and forty
left on the man-of-war. With the crew
of the Zodiac they had three hundred.
They mounted the Zodiac's guns again
and a little breeze springin' up. light
enough to give EN- the advantage over
the much heavier English ship, both of
US bore down on her, Ezra John anxious
for a fight, but my. grandfather was OPP
posed to bloodshed. as he had been hit
three times and lost an ear in previous
battles, so he proposed to be mercifu1
to the English and give 'em a chance 20
surrender instid of pitchin' into 'em slap
bang. After it was explained to 'em how
things stood, they surrendered and was
landed on the coast Of Hayti and the
Americans went off with their vessel,
which was His Royal Majesty's sloop-of-
war Preston Pans. My grandfather was
proud of what .ney had done, but Ezra
John was disappointed.
what have we got?" said he. "a yes
sci that amt no good for a merchant
man and is too big for privateer. There
amt no cargo in it, the food supply is
almost gone, except the beer, and all of
our crew are temperance and opposed 20
beer. Them cutlasses has got the edge
on the wrong side to make good scythe-
blades, and muskets and artillery are
drug on the market. That there Whit
man says to me jest now. a"Ain't 1t lucky
you remembered about me havin' ac-
ouaintances up Bucksport way and ac-
#cordin'ly made out was a Yankee in
std of a Nova Scotian.'' THROWN up
at mo that he was engaged to my girl
Do you know, I've been thinkin' about
the Zodiac and I've figured it out this
way. The ship is American and so is the
crew.. They amt English, but they had
calculated before they saw US that the
United States was goin' under. so they
was preparin' to become English They
painted N. S. on their stern and was
all ready to go over. They're traitors
and we ought to make an example for
all traitors by con, scatin' their ship and
cargo, which are worth more. than five
Preston Pans. That there Whitman would
steal mans girl and he would turn
led on by, him.
the lookout yelled 'Ship ahoy,' and there
was an American frigate and she come
up and heard all about it, and of course
Ezra John didn't have nothin' more to
say about the treachery of the Zodiac
The capn of the frigate' was rich
young Teller, who had never been In a
battle, so what did Ezra John do but
sell him the Preston Pans for $4,000 to
take into New York lil1o he had captured
it himself. But what done Ezra John
more good than the money, was findi:1'
Bed Godfrey, of Bucksport, ensign on
the frigate, and Ben told him the letter
he had got about Abel G. Whitman was
forged by a Teller Mary STAFFORD had
refused to marry. She didn't even know
Abel G. Whitman and this Teller gittia'
blowed out to sea one night, repented
of his sins and when he was picked up,
told how he had sent this letter to Ezra
John: Mary had wondered why Ezra
John never wrote. but she knew why
now and he knew it was all right and he
apologized to Whitman and give him a
Spanish guitar hs had been tryin' to
learn to play for a year and couldn't
So 1t all turned out well.