Evening star., 1909-06-20


the spinning of my best yarn to
another. l have written much III N.,,.r For,.,
of strange adventures, in which
/ mvself have ofttimes acted no small part but OF
this the strangest and most dramatic of them all.
may speak only from the grave
The oyster war in the Chesapeake-you will
member twas at the top of its bent when shipped
as a hand of the pungies running out from
Turkey Point. Ny mission was to obtain at first
hand facts and scenes surrounding the chases and
battles the pirates and the revenue cutters
had knowledge of the and the duties of seaman
having served both before the mast and abaft the
cabin windows in the wind jammng merchantmen
The pungy commanded by Captain Rufe. If
he slowed a surname, he kept it battened down
from l suppose that Rufe was short for Rufus
l never knew him by anything else, and he wasn't
invite pry into his affairs. On board the
Angel Child-for SO the pirate msnamed-was
one other hand, squarehead, who answered to no
name at all; for he was so deaf that he could COM
prehend an order only by signs.
/ wondered why the skipper sailed SO light of crew;
but understood the matter later when learned from
the Swede in the condolences of the forepeak, that
Captain Rufe added to his many crimes the sins of
the miser.
He screw last cent out of man. said the
Swede Il no ship him, only he ban got mortgage
patch o ground I'm got ashore. Then, lower
ing his fog thickened voice to a whisper " One trip,
mamie ban Swede-he make kick on hes wages,
an Rufe he knock him overheard That make it
square for Rufe"
And was the man drowned. / motoned
The Swede nodded and jerked his thumb toward
the side of the vessel. Sure. He ban there yet
making a settlement with who overpar-
ticular regarding their just dues, by washing off
the entire account in the waters of the bay. But
didn't give them great heed, and rather of
mind swallow the Swede's statement with ra-
tlon of salt
THERE is no harder toll to which Ewes unfor-
tunate doomed than dredging oysters
III the icy waters of midwinter. And Captain Rufe
gentle taskmaster. When the weather bears
cold that it is common thing to have to shin
aloft with hatchet and chop the ice off the running
gear it will through the blocks YOU may well
be excused of growl that fate had not cast Your
lines anywhere else. We had been over a fort
night, dredging mostly at night, and sickened
of the job; all the nothing had occurred
to reward for the hardship. We had raised
nothing but few sister punges not the sign of a
revenue cutter. So you may believe it with re-
lief that heard Captain Rufe give order for the
home
The Swede at the wheel when the skipper
called me into the cabin. He pulled a stool up to
the table, without any ntimation that he cared
whether l stood or sat, and, taking book from the
rack, began to make figures therein.
$ Do you know what's coming to your" he said
roughly not looking up from his figuring Then
without waiting for my reply, he raised his head
and sung out with savage sneer, And do you
know that YOU about the useessest piece of dun
mage | ever aboard pungy?"
Bringing to mind the stories the Swede had told
me- and more from the skpper's manner, / OWNED
the object of his abuse. Ny agreement on shipping