Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1903-06-04
A PROTECTING FOG

The famous Confederate privateer
Alabama has often been called pi-
rate. However just or unjust the APP
| pellat1on, there was one man aboard
| her who would have been a most APP
propriate decoration to yardarm. This
was Dixon, called "CrocIy" Dixon.
| Crocky was a sobriquet that he ac-
quired when it became known that
everything weaker than he that came
in contact with his powerful jaws must
be crushed. He was mild looking lit
tie man, slender as q girl and upon oc
casion quite as much of fury as a
girl scorned. In 1865, when the Ala
bama visited the Indian archipelago,
Dixon deserted and made things lively
for that region for long time.
The best thing in the way of cruis-
er Crocky could get was Il small
schooner. which he named in honor of
his late commander, the Raphael H.
Semmes. How or from whom he took
her doesn't pertain to this yarn. Dixon
was sitting in the cabin one evening
at anchor in Singapore strait with
bottle of wine beside him that had
been intended for the table of an Eng
lish nobleman.
There was but one light aboard, and
tarpaulin stretched across the sky
light interfered with its being seen.
The pirate was waiting for day, and
when day came he proposed to snap
his jaws above and below bark that
was trying to get through the strait
without pilot and was consequently
laying up nights.
1t may be supposed that those
aboard the said bark, the Pelican. We're
slumbering. innocent of danger. BY no
means Captain Burt had seen the
Semmes crawling along the surface
of the water the evening before and
suspected her. Had she been recog-
nized for Il pirate all on board the
bark might have taken to tie boats
during the night They certainly would
have done SO, for the captains dlugh-
ter, the bride OF his second officer, was
With him on her wedding trip. Cap
tain Burt decided to send this second
officer in charge of four men in the
dingey ten miles up the strait to a
United States gunboat with Il request
that the stranger be investigated. That
the captain regarded the mission an
important one is manifest from his
sending the young husband. who would
hold the safety of his bride of para
mount Importance.
When day came the bark was shut
in by fog. But Dixon had noted her
position by the compass the night be-
fore and, getting up her anchor, pro-
posed to feel for her. Captain Burt had
suffered night Of anxiety, and the
more he thought of the schooner the
more he believed that she was piratic-
ally inclined. When he found the man
tie of fog thrown over his vessel he
gave orders that not Il sound should
serve as a guide to any one trying to
discover her whereabouts.
About eight bells in the morning the
captain was standing on the quarter
deck, astern. and heard voices and the
sound of oars approaching. They grew
more distinct, and presently Crocky' s
voice struck the thick air. Il volley of
oaths and orders, together with sutti-
, Gent reference to what he was about,
to convince Captain Burt that he was
being hunted for by d pirate. The APP
!, preaching boat or vessel passed per-
, haps Il hundred yards astern of him,
and the sounds grew indiStinct.
The captain in agony-for he knew
] the pirates would rcturn-renewed his
, caution to all aboard his vessel to
maintain absolute silence. then waited
5 for the next time the pirate would pass
him. Not having Il gun aboard, defense
would be useless. He did not have to
wait long, when Crocky, Disguised at
having missed his object, pulled back
nearly over the same track, this time
! passing the bark's stern again and a
trife nearer Every soul aboard the
Pelican now knew that Il pirate was
passing back and forth in the fog and
if their vessel was discovered all
would have TO walk the plank. AS the
schooner Went by they stood huddled
together amidships listening to Crocky
Dixon's blood curdling language, not
! daring to whisper. Fortunately once
more lie missed them.
When Crocky came back he put his
schooner off a few points and passed
far beyond the Pelicans bow. 1t was
lucky that he did So for by this time
the fog had perceptibly thinned.
Dixon had slipped his cable on start
ing out to find the Pelican, and when
he pulled back the second time, though
!, he missed the bark again, he ran on to
. the cable buoy. This was great ad
vantage. Having the compass direc-
,, ton, he made another effort. Those on
board the Pelican when they heard