The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-08-28

Tue SliSHLeSt Objection Wnen no
water and provisions were lowered int
the boat, and when the men packe,
and lowered their bags and Name
brought up a big bundle of :lings from
the cabin.
They had no jeers or insults t
fling after those they had sent afioat
but at once made more sail on thu
brig and headed her on a new course
Nancy had Struggled the chart and E
spare compass into her bundle, ant
as the boat drew away she was forced
by the wind to hold a true course for
the English channel. There were pro,
visions in plenty, and scarcely a WORD
was uttered before breakfast had been
served out. Then Nancy quietly asked:
elisha, what We agoin' to do about
it?"
I'm goin' to stan TO the eastward
for awhile" he replied, after thinking
1t over. "Ill jest keep track Of the
Mary Ann as long as [ can, and it's
Jest possible that we may be picked up
and have a show to git her back. If
we don't meet anything by tomorrow,
and the wind allows it, III head for
home, though I don't see how I'm ever
to hold up my head in Boston or Salem
ag'in. They'll say | was a coward not
to make a tight fur it."
Then they'll be fools! The Dutch
men would have killed every one of
lis but what they'd had the brig, and
we ought to thank heaven we got off
as well as VIC did. Don't We despair,
Elisha. We've seen some tight squeaks
but we've alias come OUT all right.
Don't ye remember how a whale once
saved us?"
And the same whale may eat us
this time!"
All that day the boat ran her rue
course but as the brig bore into the
north and sailed the faster her top
sails were only a speck on the sea
when the sun wen down. AS the
breeze did not fall with the sun, the
men were divided into watches, a Ian
tern was run to the head OF the mast
as a signal, and hour after hour, the
boat danced over the seas.
There were two men on The look
cut, but after midnight Nancy reused
up and spoke to them and found that
both Oh them were asleep. She sat
down beside one OF them in the bow.
wide awake with her thoughts, 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 everybody in
instant, and pointing into the south
she c~hokingly exclaimed:
"There-there-a ship-a Ship"
by Josh, and there ISL answered
Elisha a second later. Now,
men, all together and hail her"
A great shout went over the water. |
but it was not answered, and neither
a light displayed. The shout was
repeated again and again and again,
and then after a long look Capt. Elisha
cried out:
why believe she's an abandoned
craft and takin' care of herself! Wen
right alongside in five minutes,"
They reached the decks of the
to find her a ship a good deal
anger than the Mary Ann, and a search
If ten minutes proved that not a living
soul was aboard. There was a dead
nan though.
Lying in the main cabin, fully
dressed, was the corpse of the captain,
nd a sailors sheath knife was still
ticking in his back. Murder had been
lone before the ship was abandoned.
Did you ever read an account of that
mystery? The ship Voorne, Capt.
master, had set out from North
sea ports bound for New York with a
cargo. That was the craft
Japt. Hopewell found adrift in mid
ocean.
Her crew, from the mate down, were
he men who took forcible possession
II the Mary Ann, after killing their
aptain and abandoning their vessel.
What drove them to the deed of blood
why they didn't stand by their ship
.fterward-where they headed for in
he stolen brig-these are questions
have never been answered.
Perhaps the mate and his chief
!uarreled and murder was done in
Then fear of the law made
he whole crew clamorous to get out
# the ship. They took nothing with
hem which was not their own.
They even left over a thousand dol
ars in gold and silver behind them. If
ny human eye eve sighted the Mary
mn after her crew lost sight of her,
he fact has not been reported to this
ay.- 1t is easy to ggliess her fate, how
yer. She either went down in a gale
t sea er-%%as wrecked on some IRON
'ound coast to the north, and every
oul persisted.
No sooner had the body of the late
received burial and the ships
apers been overhauled to find her port
+ destination than she was headed for5
he port of New York to be delivered
p to the consignees. 1t was 6 short
anded crew to work such a big craft.
every Ia tried to do two mems
FORK, and it was recorded on the log
nat Nancy Hopewell steered her tricks
t the wheel and kept lookouts with
be men.
While they had been desnoilad of