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

and lowered sheir bags ana Nancy
brought up a big bundle of things from
the cabin.
They had no jeers or insults 10
fling after those they had sen etloat,
but at nee made more sail on the
brig and headed her on a new course.
Nancy had smuggled the chart and a
spare compass into her bundle, and
as the boat drew away she vas forced
by the wind to hold q 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
it over I'll jest keep track Of the
Mary Ann as long as l 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, I'll head for
home, though l don't see how I'm ever
to hold up my head in Boston or Salem
ag'in. They'll say l was a coward not
to make q hight fur it"
Then they'll be fools! The Dutch
men would have killed every one of
us 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 us?"
and the same whale may eat us
this time!"
All that day the boat ran her true
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 went 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 Of 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 lot known till later. A cry
from the woman reused everybody in
an instant, and pointing into the south
she chokingly exclaimed:
''There-there-a ship-a ship!"
by Josh, and there isl" answered
Capt. 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
was a light displayed. The shout was
repeated again and again and again.
and then after a long look Capt. Elisha
cried out:
why, l believe she's an abandoned
craft and takin' care of herself! Well
III right alongside in five minutes!"
They reached the decks Of the
stranger to find her a ship a good deal
larger than the Mary Ann, and 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 wa abandoned.
Did you ever read an account of that
ocean mystery? The ship Voorne, Capt.
Bergen, master, had set out from North
Sea ports boundsfor New York with a
valuable cargo. That was the craft
Capt. Hopewell found adrift in mid
ocean.
Her crew, from the mate down, were
the men who took 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-these are questions
that have never been answered.
Perhaps the mate and his chief
Quarreled and murder was done in
passion. 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 ever left over a thousand dol
lars in gold and silver behind them. IF
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. how
ever. She either went down in a gale
at sea or was wrecked on some iron
bound coast to the north, and eyerv
soul persisted.
No sooner had the body of the late
captain received burial and the shin,s
papers been overhauled to find her port
OF destination than she was headed for
the port of New York to be delivered
up to the consignees. 1t was a short
handed crew to work such a big craft.
but every mar tried to do two mems
work, and it was recorded on the log
that Nancy Hopewell steered 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