The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1911-11-15
My
Grandfather'S
Story
From the Kindness Of His Heart
He Fell Into Trap
BY EDNA L. TROOP
BY EDNA L. TROOP
nv American PreS0 Al

~ \VpyIi6ut W AiuCi iSdh . sSoS Se0OO
citation. 1911.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My grandfather. who was II seafar.
ing man almost from the time be was
born till be was sixty. told me this
story when was boy. There were
certain incidents and pictures Ia his
narrative that made lasting impress
sion on my childish mind. ! cannot
give them as infinitely as he who was
the central figure Ut the story nor de.
scribe the tropical scenery as he saw
It, lighted by full moon. can only
mention the salient points as ! remem.
Der them after an interval of many
years.
II was FIRST mate" he said. ''Of the
bark Ann Eliza. We were lying one
night In the mouth Of st. Johns river,
Florida. The crew had gone ashore to
a dance ut one of the plantations. and
the captain had gone 10 the same
boat with them to attend to some bust
ness. was left aboard In command
Of ten men. The captain had heard
that there was a good deal OF insubOr'
dinati0u among the negro slaves In
that region and that bands Ut ne.
groes had cut loose from their masters
and were going about footing what
ever Of value they could lind. He
charged me. therefore. to keep q sharp
lookout for boats approaching the ship
and not permit them to come too near.
Il vas sitting on the quarterback
with minimum Of clothing on me.
for the weather was hot. smoking a
cigar. The full moon was about an
hour high aud lit up the palms on the
shores and the moss hanging ON the
forest trees. giving the scenery n pc
cullarly weird effect. There was not
Z cloud In the sky and NJ sound ex'
cept the waves rolling In on the beach
about a mile away. the monotonous
rustllng belng occasionally broken BY
q song from q negro hut near the river
bank.
II was enjoying tue simmer OF
the moonlight ON the water when
discovered a black speck IN It.
The water was comparatively smooth,
80 that | could keep the speck al.
ways In view. It soon grew more
distinct. and I could distinguish what
looked like couple Of paddles. one on
each side. tiashiug alternately In the
moonlight. As the spot drew nearer
I saw that these were not paddles. but
the arms Of some one swimming hand
over hand. the spot being the swim
mer's head.
"Pretty soon the swimmer. man,
approached the ship. l leaned over
the taffrail aud asked him what he
wanted.
"'Plcase. cap'n.' he said. let me
come aboard and I'll tell you
Il ordered a rope ladder lowered
and the man came up. He was not
much above the poor white trash or.
der. He said he owned a small plan
tatlon fronting on the river bank just
below us. with few negroes. lie had
learned that they were that night In
tending 10 murder him and all his
family and take possession of his plan
tation. lie had come to us for assist
ance.
According to the mans story and
he seemed very much atfected-unless
I sent a force TO guard him and bis
family I would permit their death. Il
I sent only part OF my men they
might also be killed. II sent theu
all It would leave the ship unrrotect
ed. A man begging for the life Ut his
wife and children Is pretty hard 10 re
sist. would be- disObeying the cap
tain's orders and putting the ship IL
jeopardy IL | yielded to his sOlicita
lions and would permit murder II
refused him.
Il never liked doing things BY halves
k1uNluS ucNtUcu ~ SCuu u AVtSS w tu'
imperiled family's assistance. ! deter
mined to send every man | had. Thi
would give them the greatest strength
in face Of danger and throw all tn
responsibility for the safety Of the shil
upon me. II she were attacked durinI
their absence l would be killed.
didn't wish any one killed with me.
r preferred to take all the risk or none.
Il ordered a boat lowered and ever!
man on board In it. The planter 90
into the stern with the cOxswain Il
order to direct the course. put th
party under the command Of an oil
salt named O'Neill and told him tha
! II he saw anything to cause him {
suspect treachery to tumble the plant
. er overheard and return at once. Tn
men pulled out. and | watched Their
IN the simmer till they were lost un
der the bank.
"They had scarcely disappeare
when I saw a boat coming from th
n shore on which they were to land. b
( more nearly opposite the vessel.