Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-11-14
IN 1878
tOriginal.l

and beaten them, and now they Wi
our bodies on the sea to sail t. I.
ships. Talk about the right of scar
impressing British seamen and an
that; they're stronger on the wa :.
than we, and it's here they contiu (
to show their serpents' fangs. Oh. for
Paul Jones to come down on tbs
ship and treat it as he treated the
Scraps!
II suppose it would have been more
sensible for me to go to work instead
of resisting. Then l wouldn't be In
this cubby hole, a man with cutlass
to watch me. Methinks he's getting
sleepy. Drop your head again, old
fellow, and catch it spasmodcally. A
few more mods and you'll not count
for much as a guard. But what If I
could leave this hole? I can't get out
Of the ship. One, two, three, four, FIVE,
six-six bells. wish the fellow would
go to sleep. I'd just take turn about
the ship to stretch my legs.
'Now for it. He doesn't stir. Good
by, my hearty. I'm going to see what
one of his majesty's ships looks like at
in the morning. Everybody asleep.
That's fine sniff of air even if it does
come through portfolio. What's in
here? A canvas bag on bunk, with
shot tied to one end. Wonder when
they're going to toss him over. l wish
they'd toss me over instead. I'd rather
make dinner for sharks than work
for British tyrants. Wonder if the
watch on deck are all awake. Reckon
they are. These Britishers are good at
discipline. No, 1 can't go up there.
Suppose-suppose could get tossed
overheard in place of this dead man.
Where would go to? To the bottom,
Of course. l couldn't get out of the bag,
and the shot would sink me. l might
find knife to take with me. But 1
couldn't swim ashore. We must be off
the Massachusetts, coast. Wonder If
their lifeboats are fitted with cork side
pieces. II ! can get enough cork to
float me and knife I'll try 1t. It's
still dark or dusk. Hello, knife!'
who's there?"
THAT fellow nearly got me- If 1t
hadn't been for him I'd have been over
in the water in another second. But l
got the cork. l wish / could have dip
ped into the boat. might have Sc
cured a cork jacket instead. Now, I'll
steal back and try to summon nerve to
get into the bag.
There, my man, or, rather, my dead
man, you stay under that bunk while
take your sleeping place I'll have
hard time relacing the bag. All right;
l reckon that'll do, though they may
notice bad lacing. Now comes the
worst of it, the waiting.
Eight bells.
~One bell.
Seven bells. l must have dropped
asleep. Strange that could sleep in
dead mans bag; but, now think of it,
I've not slept before for two days, not
since these rascals took me from the
Molly Boyd.
They're coming. Here they are.
The leaving off of that shot came pref
ty near betraying me. They've got it
tight enough this time. Never mind
the burial service. Oh, God, to listen to
ones own burial service! That's what
it is, my burial service. I'll never get
out of this alive. What fool! l
could have submitted and lived.
''The Lord have mercy on my soul
VIII never get this cord cut? Down,
down! What an awful down. If l
don't do it in another moment the wa
ter above will hold me under. Besides
1 can't hold my breath so long. Aha.
Goodby, old shot; you may go to the
bottom. I'm going up. Whew, that
was long breath stop. Oh, blessed
air! Let me get rid of this bag and I'll
breathe easier. Thank heaven it isn't
night.
odds fish! 1 didn't think the ship
was so near l got under the water
just in time to miss being seen. 1t
wouldn't have mattered. They'd have
thought the shot had slipped Off and
the dead had arisen.
This is tiresome, and I'm getting
hungry. If could only have come up
ON a few herring in the galley before
leaving the ship. Let me see, judging
from the position Of the sun it must
be an hour or two past meridian Not
ship yet sighted. I'm near the
coast and should at least see the sails
of fishers. What's that on the hori-
zon? It's a sail, sure enough.
Eyes, it's getting larger all the while.
It's coming straight for me.
"'Ship ahoyp
"They hear me. They're mffing to
the wind That's the pleasantest
sound-that boat coming down from
her davits-I've heard in long while.
I'm In luck. This way, you lubbers.
What are you steering off two or three