New-York tribune., 1909-06-20

another. | have written muCh I'll Never FORGET
Of strange adventures, IN which
| myself have ofttunes acted no small part: but OF
this the straugest and most dramatic OF them all,
may speak only from the grave
The oyster war in the Chesapeake VIII re-
member it-was at the Top OF its bent when shipped
as a hand on one OF the punglcs running out from
Turkey Point. Ny mission was to obtain at hrSt
hand facts and scenes surrounding the chdSeS ana
battles between he pirates and the revenue cutters
had knowledge OF the and the duties OF seaman
having served both before the mast and abatt the
cabin windows in the wind lamming merchantmcn
The rungv was commanded 10y Captain kuic. II
he slowed a surname. he kept It hattered down
from me. l suppose that Rute was short tor kuiuS
| never knew him 10y any thing else, and he WASH
one to invite a frv into his affairs. On board the
Angel Child 50 the pirate was nlsnafned was
one other hand a sluarchead, who answered 20 no
name at all; for nc Wa So deaf that he could COM
prehend order only py signs
| wondered VIII. the skipper sailed 50 light OF crew.
but understood the maj Ter later "heh learned rom
the Swede, IN the contdtnecs OF the torepeak that
Captain Rute added t. his many crimes the SINS OF
He screw last cent out Of A man" said the
Syycdc no ship him. only he ban got mortgage
on patch O. ground I'm got ashore Then, lower
ing his fog tmckcned voice 10 a whisper, One trlp,
a man ne ban Swcde- he make kick on hes wages,
an Ruie ne knock him overheard, That make 1t
square for Rutc
=" And was the man drowucd2" | motoncd
The Svede nodded and jerked his thumb toward
the side OF the vessel Sure. He ban there vet"
| had heard these stories OF the pirate Captains
making a settlement with men who ovcrpar-
the entire account IN the waters OF the bav. But |
didn't give them great heed. and rather of
mind swallow the SNcdcs statement with a
ton of salt.
THERE is no harder toll to which Ewes unfor-
tunatc sons are doomed than dredging oysters
III the ICY waters of m!dWIntcr. And Captain Rufe
was no gentle taskmastcr. When the weather bears
50 cold that It Is a common thing to have shin
aof with hatchet and chop the ice off the running
gear 1t will reeve through the blocks YOU NAV we'll
he excused of a groW that fate had not cast YOUR
lines anywhere else. We had been out over a fort
night, dredging mostly at night, and | was sckened
OF the job; all the more nothing had occurred
TO reward me for the hardship. We had raised
nothing but a few sister pungcs; not the sign of a
revenue cutter. So YOU may believe it was with re-
lief that | heard Captain Rufc give an order for the
home.
The Swede at the Wheel when the skipper
called me into the cabin lie pulled a stool up to
the table, without any lntimation that he cared
whether l stood or sat, and, taking book from the
rack, began TO make some figures therein.
Do YOU know what coming to you2" 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
mage | ever see aboard . pungy?'
Bringing TO mind the stories the Swede had told
me, and more from the skippers manner, | OWNED
the object of his abuse. NJ agreement on shipping