Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-04-04
A Yankee Trick.
[Original.1

was 4ooO, duO IL was evident luaC Tue
vessel was a blockade unner. Her
low build fitted her especially to es-
cape observation, and her hull was
most like the gray Of early dawn, the
hour that blockaders usually slipped in
and out of port. On her stern was her
name, the Petrol. She was taking on
= load Of cotton, q fabric worthless in
the COnfederacy, but valued at more
than a dollar a pound in Liverpool. A
lean man, with his hands in his peck
cts, sauntered up to the captain, who
was standing on the dock, and asked:
Coin to sail tonight, cap?"
The captain turned with a scowl to
the intruder, whose accent was plainly
hat Of a Massachusetts, Yankee, but
did not vouchsafe a reply. His ques-
toner coolly took out a pocketknife.
picked up a stick and began to whittle.
"See hyar, yo' blamed Yankee, what
yo' dom loose in South CaroliuaT
The Yankee laughed. Guess they
know more bout that at Richmond.
There's southerners i'll the Yankee
service and Yanks in the southern
service. 1 know all about you. You're
goin' to run the blockade tomorrow
mornin' before daylight"
"Well, suppose / am"
The Yankee pulled a fat envelope cut
Of his pocket bearing the stamp Of the
state department at Richmond and ad-
dressed to a Confederate emissary in
London.
"Guess you want a passenger, don,
you?"
The captain looked puzzled, glancin@
back and forth between the Yankee
and his packet. He did not want any
one he didn't know aboard his vessel.
but did not like to refuse to take a
messenger Of the Confederate govern
ment. He thought that IL he could
see the contents of the packet he
would be satisfied. But he had no
right to open it. He concluded to tele-
| graph the state department for instruc-
tons.
"All right" he said; eff yo're a bona
fde messenger yo' a go"
About midnight the Yankee came to
the dock with a lot of chickens we'll
cooped.
Heard from Richmond? he asked.
Eyes; it's all right. You al go. But
what are yo' going to do with those
chickens?"
swell, 1 suppose I'd ought to con
tribute somethin' to eat durin' the
voyage, and 1 couldn't think O. any
thing better N broilers."
The captain again looked puzzled,
but permitted the Yankee to take his
broiiers aboard.
At the dead of night the Petrol left
the dock and steamed down the har-
Dor.
Lying outside was the Yankee gun
boat Montauk, Lieutenant Spanker
commanding. At 2 a.. H., as was his
custom, he left his cabin and proceed
ed on deck. Fol more than an hour he
paced to and fro, cursing the fog and
declaring that there never was a bet
ter night for blockade About
half past 3, just as the coming day
rendered the fog less black, he thought
he heard a cock crow.
"Mr. Havens," he called to a young
ensign, ARE there any chickens be-
lowT
mo, sir; not a fowl of any kind
aboard"
"Well, then, there's n on a blockade
runner. 1 distinctly heard a rooster
crow. Call all hands. She's got out,
and we must follow. Order the en-
gineer to put on all steam"
In half an hour it was day, and in
ten minutes more the fog lifted. There
within a cables length was the Petrol.
clay to-" shouted Lieutenant Span
ker.
The Petrol replied by a number OF
angry puffs and sped away, but the
Montauk sent a shot after her, and hel
captain, seeing that the gunboat vas
gaining on him, made a virtue Of ne.
cessity and shut off steam. A boat was
lowered from the Montauk and Ensign
Haven boarded the blockade runner
with a prize crew.
"Would yo' mind telling me how you
got on to us?" asked the PetreTs cap,
tain.
you've got a rooster aboard. We
heard him crow"
The captain looked at the Yankee
The Yankee smiled.
care you what you pretended to be
Or note" asked the captain.
"Tve been layin' for this prize"
"But the dispatch from Richmond
How did you manage that?"
"Easy enough. 1 waylaid the mes
senger who brought the reply, took his
message and sent my WI reply by an.
other messenger while l gave the reg
ular one a supper
The southerner, with flaming eyes
made a dash for the Yankee, but be
fore he could reach his prey the latter
had whipped out a revolver and GOV
cred him. This cooled his ardor, and
couple Of marines put the captain III
der arrest.
The Yankee went on board the gun.
boat and informed Lieutenant Spankel
that he was employed by the United
States government to hunt up block
ade runners and arrange for their cap
ture. He worked in his own way and
IN commission hia nav hoiro in nrizc