Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-09
Copyright, 1905, bv H. E. Hamblen
'sAs* i . + . -. . 1. II . - 4 . +,

Captain Zeke scanned the horizon con-
tinually for suspicious sails, muttered
incoherent profanity into his scraggy
beard, worried the little remaining
flesh off his bones and discovered OBJ
stacles numerous and grave.
The Betsy Ann, full nearly to the
matches, would prove a rich prize, and
he was .powerless. Harpoons and
lances could not prevail against solid
shot, nor would whaler's crew be able
to beat off boarding party of English
bluejackets. The cry Of Land hop
disturbed his nominations among the
mazes of this distressingly familiar yet
discouragingly unsolvable puzzle. A
half tangible blur on the hazy western
horizon developed into beautiful semi
tropical islet wooded to the glistening
white beach. Wood and water were
needed for the long passage home, and
as there were no whales in sight he
felt his way into the little landlocked
harbor to leeward while daylight last
ed.
Next morning friendly natives pilot
ed the boats to tiny stream Of clear,
sweet water cascading over messy
lip Of rock, slow but handy place to
fill casks. Amos took party to cut
wood, while Captain Zeke yielded to
his inveterate Yankee curiosity and
sounded the approaches to the small
haven, whereby he acquired valuable
information.
~ hn n
hemp canvas appeared above the cocoa
palms on the sand spit to the eastward
and glidcd smoothly toward the point.
Captain Zeke watched it anXiously MS
it grew and developed, spars and rig,
ging coming into view, until trim lit
tie ten gun brig swung round the
point and dropped anchor abreast of,
his watering place. Her yards hardly
settled upon the lifts before the men
were on them fnr]ing rho snils wifi,
the speed and precision obtainable on
ly in naval vessel. The furled sails
unmasked the flag he had so long been
dreading to see, the British white en-
sign. A boat dropped from the briggs
quarter davits and left her gangway q
moment later, headed for the Betsy
Ann.
The crisis had arrived.
Before Captain Zeke could collect
his badly scattered wits the oars were
laid in and the bow man had hooked on
to n chain plate. A natty little mid
shipman, disdaining to call for the rope
that was not offered, sprang nfmbly up
@J,r e,fdo il-a n candy frny,ic hSrd ho
appeared on the old whaler's dingy
quarter deck, his spotless blue cloth
and glittering brass buttons contrast
ing painfully with the somber sur
roundings. He strutted pompously aft
favored Captain Zeke with a supercil-
ious glance and, attuning his piping
voice in an authoritative key, asked
"Are you the sailing master Of this
craft?"
mo, / ANTI" Captain Zeke replied
explosively.
The young officer raised his eyebrows
slightly, clapped hand to the short
dagger at his side and asked with rap
idly increasing dignity. "Where is hc?
"There amt any. I'm the captain, II
That's what you mean"
"Captainp sneered the embryo Mel
son. "Well, sir, am ordered by Cap
tain Armstrong of his majesty's brig
Grampus to demand by what right you
trespass on British territory. Come
now, speak up, sharp!" he added, with
another comprehensive survey Of Cap
tain Zeke's faded, patched and herring
boned presence.
British territory, hey! You fellers
are getting so you think you own the
whole worldp'
"Silence, fellow! None of your inso
lencev' Numbered the midget. "Get in
to the boat there! will take yor
aboard with me. Captain Armstrong
will know how to deal with you"
Had his crew been on board Captain
Zeke would have been tempted to hole
King Georges representative Us hos
tage. but they were not He was hall
inclined to refuse to comply with the
insulting order If only to see what
would come Of it. He was still more
strongly inclined to take his tormentol
by the neck and throw him overheard
but there was the boat's crew and also
the brig. 1t seemed n case for discre
ton, SO, jaws clinched and eyes snap
ping, in plain sight of his own men, he
preceded the little nautical wasp into
the boat.
Ordered forward, he worked devi.
Gus passage through impeding feet and
elbows and past maliciously grinning
faces to the bow. The weather beaten
and frowsy old Betsy Ann had never
seemed so dear to him as when the
boat showed off and he saw her rapidly
receding, perhaps forever. Before he
was through wondering what they
would do with him and how recent
news the briggs captain might have OF
the relations between the two coun.
tries the boat arrived alongside the
brig. He was grutiiy ordered up and
marched aft like boy caught stealing
apples. Captain Armstrong languidly
rolled out of his hammock and ordered
Captain Rawlins to follow him below
Having learned who he was, his yes.
sells name and hailing port, he asked,
as the midshipman bad done, why the
American trespassed on British terri.
tory. In his diplomatic role Captain
Zeke bridled his unruly member and
replied: sgf
1--WE been to sea nigh on fifty years,
and this is the first time anybody ever
said anything to me for getting wood
and Mater at any Of these little islands.