The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1904-12-01
SHE PREFERRED
A PIRATE

Captain Ralph Gordon and his mate.
Tom Gurley, stood on the after deck
Of the schooner Swallow. Amidships
girl In a trim blue outing dress with
sailor collar and Tam O'shanter cap
was leaning over the gunwale.
Better not try It. captain" said Cur
~. It'll result in middle. These
tiger gals is dangerous"
Cant give It up now. We've gone
too far"
The mate went forward and the cap
tain paced the deck nervously.
Ralph Gordon was terribly in love
with Nancy Greene, shrew. In Or
der to tame her he had invited her for
a sail on bis schooner and concocted
sham mutiny to be led by Gurley.
They were to brighten her into obedi-
ence and a promise to marry Gordon
to whom she had been long engaged
and whom she had put of from year to
year.
Presently Curley walked aft from
the forecastle. followed by the crew,
and began complaint about the meat
that was served them, at the same
time demanding DUR three times a
week. Gordon feigned to reason with
them, whereupon they made a rush
for him, bound him hand and foot, and,
taking him below, locked him in his
cabin.
Nancy Greene looked upon this mu-
tiny, and especially the want of re-
sistance on the captains part, with
dumb establishment and the flashes of
an approaching thunderstorm in her
eye. No sooner had the captain been
disposed Of than Gurley approached
her and ordered her below. Her only
reply was with an iron bolt, which
she bad picked up at the first dawn
Of trouble, and had not Gurley lodged
expertly the ringleader would have
been put out Of the fight. The crew
roared like bulls and brandished
knives, but Nancy was no more ap-
palled than IL they had been so many
bleating sheep. She was finally taken
In rear by a laughing sailor whose
face she could not see, her arms pin
toned, she was thrust down the fore
castle companionway and the hatch
closed.
There was no sound from Gordon's
stateroom aft. nor was any expected.
But some sound was expected from the
forecastle. The crew listened for such
cries and imprecations as might come
from an enraged woman. Half an hour
passed, and not a whisper came from
below.
Its my opinion. Mr.. Gurley." said
an old salt, that when either gals or
children Is quiet there's mischief brew
in"
''Wonder what she's up to-"
What she was up to was soon plain
" and painfully evident. for smoke
began to issue from the hatchway.
1t did not require long time to re-
move the hatch and for the crew to
scamper down the hatchway. They
found Nancy with her face up to o
hawse pipe for air, while several Of the
many mattresses piled in the middle
Of the door were smoldering and
ready to burst into fame. A little
water put out the fire, but Gurley's
wrath had been kindled and was not
to be so easily quenched- He deter
mined on a supreme effort. He went uI
ON deck and gave orders to two Of the
men to lower boat over the por,
bow. then told two others each to take
Nancy by a wrist and bring her up OF
deck. There she saw a man running
out a plank on the port side. Gurley
was angry enough to make any ont
suppose he was in earnest without as
suming any harshness Of manner
Pointing to the plank, he said to tn
girl:
you may as well understand tina