The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1903-09-24

but what they'd had the brig, and we
ought TO thank heaven we got OFF as
well as we did. Don't We despair
Elisha. We've seen some tight squeaks,
but we've allus come out all right,
Don't We remember how a whale once
saved usf"
And the same whale may eat us
this tlme!'
All that day the boat ran her true
course, but as the brig bore into the
north and sailed the faster her topsails
were only a speck on the sea when
the sun went down. AS the breeze
did not fall with the sun, the men
were divided into watches. a lantern
was run to the head Of the mast head
OF the mast as a signal, and hour after
hour the boat danced over the seas.
There were two men on the look
out, but after midnight Nancy reused
up and spoke TO them and found that
10th of them were asleep. She sat
down beside one of them In the bow,
wlde-awake with her thoughts OF the
sudden change In their fortunes, and
a long hour passed when the sight of
a ship suddenly danced before her.
1t was a craft with all her sails
SET, and having been taken aback she
was drifting away stern first, though
this fact was not known till later. A
cry from the woman reused every
body In an instant. and pointing Into
the south she chokingly exclaimed:
"There-there-a ship-a ship!
BY Josh. and there Isl answered
Captain Elisha Il second later. Now,
men. all together and hail her"
A great shout went over the water.
but 1t was not answered, and neither
was a light displayed. The shout was
repeated again and again and again,
and then after a long look Captain
Elisha cried out:
why / believe she's an abandoned
craft and takin' care OF herself! Well
run right alongside In Ave minutes
They reached the decks OF the
stranger to find her a ship of a good
deal larger than the Mary Ann. aud a
search OF ten minutes proved that not
a living soul was aboard. There was
a dead man, though.
Lying In the main cabin, fully
dressed. was the corpse OF the captain,
and a sailors sheath knife was still
sticking In his back. Murder had been
done before the ship was abandoned.
Did you ever read an account OF that
ocean mystery? The ship Yoorne, Cap
tian Bergen, master. had set out from
North Sea ports bound for New York
with a valuable cargo. That was the
craft Hopewell found adrift in mid.
ocean.
Her crew, from the mate down, were
the men who DOL forcible possession
OF the Mary Ann, after killing their
captain and abandoning their vessel.
What drove them to the deed OF blood
why they didn't stand by their ship
afterward-where they headed for In
the stolen brig-there are questions
hat have never been answered.
Perhaps the mate aud his chief quar-
relied and murder was done in pas
sion. Then fear of the law made the
whole crew clamorous TO get out OF
the ship. They took nothing with
them which was not their own.
They even left over n thousand dol
lars In gold and silver behind them.
IL any human eye ever sighted the
Mary Ann after her crew lost sight
OF her, the fact has not been reported
to this day. 1t is easy TO guess her
fate. however. She either went down
In a gale at sea or was wrecked on
some iron-bound coast to the north,
and every soul persisted.
Nc sooner had the body of the late
captain received burial and the ships
papers been overhauled to find her
port of destination han she was head
ed for the port Of New York to be
delivered up to the consignees. 1t was
a short-handed crew 10 work such a
big craft, but every man tried to do
two mems work. and II was recorded
on the log that Nancy Hopewell steer
ed her tricks at the wheel and kept
lookouts with the men.
While they had been despoiled OF the
Mary Ann, they were to find them
selves largely the gamers by 1t. After
a nun which was bare of event the
derellct was safely moored in New
York harbor, and Captain Elisha babe
Nancy remove the tar from her hands
and slick up to meet company.
1t Is of the long ago | have written.
The tomb-stones Of both Elisha and
Nancy are moss-grown in the old GENE
terry. but the salvage money received
from the Voorne gave them years OF
comfort and happiness. People
times wondered that in their old age
there was no abatement OF their affec-
tons. and Elisha would always answer
them with:
Then, by Josh. It's because Nancy
Is the bravest and best woman on
earth, and l don't care who hears me
say so.'-New York Sun.