Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-12-14


py much more 'tsnticn to him. but
twarn't long fore he got hold Of short
handled dip-net an begun maxim lunres
q ths birds whenever one would coma
near enough.
y ny, we hadn't paid much tentson
to his talk, although guess most Of NJ had
an idea the might BE- somethin, to what
ne said. But, man alive, II the petrels
had hoodoosd the vessel already, We was
viiiin' TO lot bad enough alone. He'd
held too or three poor critters under
water 'till the was hardly the breath Of
life In 'em, and jest about whom We
thought twas time to take him In hand.
his hshin' boot slipped ON spot Of curry
an 10 he went 'kersouse', an he couldn't
swim stroke.n
could conceive OF but one dramatic
climax 10 the stiution, 40 / interrupted
quite snxiousiy, sand was be drownedf'
mo. You $50, he hadn't killed any,
was the simple reply.
when we'd finished Zebe out" the old
man resumed FAN he'd got enough water
out OF him to speak, he swore vengence
on ev'ry Carey chicken that ever few over
the Atlantic ocean. He went below, still
rsvin', but we lowed he couldn't hurt
nothin' that way an we let him rave.
Back he como, though, with Q shotgun,
an then you better b'iieve the was Q
boiler vent up frum all hands. Pull .
gun on Carey chicken Man dear, twas
unhcard Of! Shoot q man an you know
what's comm to you; you git hung for
murder an that's the end OF It, But
| slsughterin' these birds twas diffrunt
We didn't know what would happen, but
We was dead sure il would. Bob Dennis
was standin' nearest to the companion
way, an he made jump for him-jest
p'inted the gun over the rail an pulled"
Roberts Was openly sarcastic. He drew
his pipe from his mouth laxily as he in
quired, "WhGt was the answer"
The reply was equally unconcerned.
"Gun busted, an we picked Rob outen
the scuppers, stove mp some, but without
no damage be wouldn't git over. ''zeke2'
he gssed out over the water thoughtfully,
"Zekcs Yes, we picked him up, too-in
ANOTHER CASE IN POINT.
| For . moment We sat in silence, while
the "four- horse puttered solemnly
| against the strength Of the ebbing Ken
nebec. '.Then they's ben other cases."
said Uncle Lige, finally. do you mind
me ever tellin' you bout the crew OF the
Bctsey Amir Not Well, 81 remember it.,
twas this way. Bctsey Ann was la, in in
Seal Island harbor bsited up an bound to
| the east lard. Crew was ashore KILN
time while the waited for breeze to take
em out, an not findin 1t q very excitin'
job.
"rhe islands covered with q thatch OF
Of dry beach grass that keeps accumulatin'
year after year, an ev'ry summer the
Carers neat In this thstch an bring out
their brood. We'll, 1t happened that, when
the crew Of the Betsey Ann was ashore
there, the thatch was populated at the rate
Of Carey family to a square foot; old an
| young was snuggied right in snug as bugs
in rugs. Them feilers often the Betsey
Ann seen them birds there in that grass,
an what do you s'pose they did? There
was the mother birds, each one stuffed into
. hole that was just the size OF herself, an
each one with the little yippers peepin
out frum under wings an feelin' pert an
brave with their marms to look out for
them.
''it you happen to be took that way,
which guess these feliers wasn't, it
wss q sight to kind OF strike you as
cuddlish an home-like. No; . 1 say,
these fellers didn't see i; that way.
Couple Of 'em went of aboard an fetched
ashore an old mackerei net. Then all
hands took holt an spread her out an
baftened the edges down over half an
sore OF them bird tenements; the old birds
geitin' excited an KNOWN somethin's
wrong, an IS say, the little fellers jest
peekin' out an not worryin'. What do
you s'pose the next move was! What
you cAiiate them fellers done next after
they got them helpless critters slowed
under that nett Well, sir, would you
b'iieve il, they lit fire to that dry grass an
then lit their pipes with the same
matches, an all hands sat down in the
shade to watch her burn-grass, net an
birds.
snow, that don't look like even
chances, now, does it, that whole crew
there, all man-size, settin' there maxim
Jokes ut them little birds yippin' an
wrsstliu' an then givin' up to BE- cooked
alive. But you can't never tell, you can't.
Late in the afternoon a light air sprung
up from the westward, an bout shutdown
the Betsey Ann made sail TO the BASTARD.
Pretty night, it was, on the full OF the
moon; hardly a cloud in the sky an the
sea smooth as house floor, which didn't
make no difference to the Betsey, though
for she was strong enough for any kind OF
weather. KEEP right off to lee~ard, she
did, with three thousand miles OF clear,
open water ahead OF her an with piankin'
an riggin' TO stand off a hurricane. Next
mornin' one of her matches wss picked up,
but the rest OF the Betsey Ann an all her
crew has been overdue TINS fourteen year.
49, f-l.r