Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-09-01
THE NAMELESS ship
By ANDREW c. EWING.

4UuE f1dEDpT. NWN u a. vi hAsst"bNN
% the phantom ship my gran'father
used to tell Inc about when ! was a
BOY. The old man was pretty nigh as
| bid as I am now when he told II to
ne and had sailed the Spanish main
when pirates there was thicker n
,umboats about n newly arrived Amer
can ship of Fayal And my gran
father seen her. too with his own two
Eyes and her wild cap'n on his wild
lhip. He was the fust pirate to git
his deserts. Hangin' don't do It,
that's only KILN BUT I'll tell you
the story as my rran'father told II.
"a ship my gran'father didn't know
her name: fact is. she didn't have
name: some said that bein' intended
for a phantom from the start. she
sailed without a name-weli, this
ma tleless ship sailed from Medford
with cargo o. rum and gold .nd
silver bars She beaded for West
Indian port. but got into the doldrums
and was so lnuc without breeze that
the water ard provisions give out, The
crew was reduced TO chewiu' the lea TIL
er Of their boots; but. as for water
there was none even to be got from
damp out O. the sails. The weakest
died fust. then the stronger, and SO
on till the most endurin' o. the crew
give In and their sperits went aieft
When the last man had persisted. there
bein' nothin' more for the dol1-ums
10 do. the wind sprung up and the ship
sailed away with her crew Of dead.
1.-THE wind bein' out o. the nor'east.
the ship ken on her course toward the
West Indies. Then II was that Juan
Castres the most onmcrciful pirate
that ever sailed the Spanish main, saw
her and chased her. 1t was an easy
matter to catch her. though every rag
was set and she was fine sailer. for,
heir withos. heimsman-at least
Twin one-she'd luz now and then
and have 10 walt for her sails to I'll
again. When the pirate come up with
her the dusk Of night was settlin'
down. and all the pirates could see
was figure behind the wheel. another
leanin' up acin the fsErail and others
scattered about In different positions
where they'd died.
But Castres. seem the ship hadn't
guns for defense. d-ifted up beside her
when the wind lulied and. leavin' some
OF bis men to make fast. jumped
aboard bis prize. The two vessels
bumped and separated. At that mo-
ment a sudden pun o wind struck 'en.
The pirate had lowered most OF his
nails and hafnrp Sha cntld rQf 'nm
again the ship without name sailed
away from hsr into the thick night.
and that's the last the pirate seen O.
her.
The next seen o the nameless ship
was by Britisher. Cap'n castres
was at the wheel singin' and shoutin'
and laughin' and THROWN his arms
about. He had found himself alone on
q ship with nothin' but dead men.
though she WIS the richest prize be
had ever taken. with the easiest cargo
to dispose of. gold and silver bars.
with rum enough to keeD him drunk
for the rest Of his natural life. wheth-
er drinkin' the rum helped him to 60
mad or q crew Of dead men was
enough to do 1t, nobody didn't know.
but he was mad sure enough-stark.
starin' mad-a-swearin' at his dead
crew lust 40 though they was alive,
and he must have found plenty Of am
munitiop. for he was pluagin' 'em ali
the while. One O. the sailors on the
Britisher recognized Castres. for be
had been taken by the pirate. forced
TO walk the plank and rot picked M.
He told the cam. and the cam turned
awav without even speakin, the other
ship.
.sThs nsxt .e>n a, ths nsms,ees /,
m the Rr,t1sher. called her "a. nv an
Italian hrtr. There vaa more .nner
stition amonr the Italian. than the
Enelishmen ana seein, : crev q, dead
men Commanded nv : MAD nitrate thew
all knelt on deck and crossed their
selves Then the cap,n. who va. tho
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