The daily morning Alaskan., 1903-09-02
PROTECTING FOG


 | pellation, there was one man aboard her who would have been a most ap- propriate decoration to a yardarm. Thia ] was Dixon, called "Crocky" Dixon. Crocky was a sobriquet that he ac- nuired when 1t became known that everything weaker than he that came fin contact with his powerful jaws must be crushed, He was mild looking It, tie man. slender as a girl and upon oc- caslon quite as much of a fury as . girl scorned. In 1885. 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- CT Crocky could get was a small schooner, which he named fin honor of bis late commander, the Raphael Fl. 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 a bottle of wine beside him that had been intended for the table of an Eng. fish nobleman.
 There was but one light Gboard. and a tarpaulln stretched across the sky light lnterfered with its being seen. The pirate was waiting fer 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.
 It may be supposed that those aboard the said bark, the Pelican. were slumberlng. 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. nlH,d for pirate all on board the bark might have taken to the boats during the night. They certainly would have done so, for the captains daugh- ter. the bride of his second officer. was with him on her wedding trip. Cap tain Burt decided to send this second officer fin charge of four men in the d!ngey ten miles up the strait to United States gunboat with request that the stranger be investigated. That the captain regarded the mission m important one is manifest from bis 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 a 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. tle of fog thrown over his vessel he gave orders that not sound should serve as q guide to any one trying to discover her whereabouts.
 About eight bells in the morning the captain was standing on the quarter deck. ustern, and heard voices and the sound of oars approaching. They grew more distinct. and presently Croeky1s voice struck the thick air, volley or orths and orders, together with sufi' cient reference to what he vas about, to convince Captain Burt teat he was bclng hunted for by pirate. The ap- preaching boat or vessel passed per haps hundred yards astcrn Of him. and the sounds grew lndiscnct
 The captain in agony-fcr he Knew the pirates would return-renewed his cnution to all aboard his vessel to maintain absolute silence, then waited for the next time the pirate would pass him. Not having gun aboard, defense would be useless. He did not have to walt long, when Crocky, disgusted at having missed his object, pulled back nearly over the same track, this time passipg the barb's stern again and e tI1ae pearer. Every soul sboard the Pelican now knew that pirate was paaglng back and forth fin the fog and fl their vessel was discovered all wuuld have to walk the plank. AS the schooner went by they stood huddled together amdships listening to Crocky Diyon'S blood curdling language, not Nnfluk lO MulSptIs IVAhuheNN's N more be missed them.
 When Crocky came back he put bis schooner off few points and passed far beyond the Pellcan's bow. It was lucky that he did so, for by this time the fog had percepibly thinned.
 Dixon had slipped his cable on start lng out to find the Pelican, and when he pulled back the second time, though he missed the bark again, he ran on to Inc cable buoy. This was a great ad- vantage. Having the compass direc- lion. he made another effort. Those on board the Pelican when they heard him coming knew by the sound that he would surely strike them. Then 1t oc- cured to Captain Burt that there was a tide fin the strait, which was then running in, and, though he knew the pirates would hear the cable slide through the hawse pipe. he gave orders 10 have 1t slipped. Dixon the moment he heard the sound knew well enough what the captain was about and. cal rdlating on the tide, turned her nose slightly in curve. On came the pirate following the exact direction of tho drifting Pelican. Captain Burt stepped down from the quarter deck and took his daughter in his arms, conyulsed with agony. All hope was gone.
 Suddenly every one started. Close by, sounded steam whistle. AS suddenly, the sound of oars ceased. The whistle