Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-10-10

FOLLOWED THE RETREATINa BUCCANEER.
not ambitious to take the places of
men, and no female sea captains were
to be obtained. Obliged to put up
with men, she continually chafed at
everything they did. One source of
trouble she had with them was that
they wished to be prepared to resist
the pirates who infested the seas in
those days. while Miss Macgregor,
who was a theOretic nonresistant,
though practically she never gave way
to any one, declared that she would
rather lose every ship she owned than
have a drop of blood shed to save
them. This was all very well for this
good lady, but it meant death to her
captains and crews. Yet argue as they
would they failed to move her.
Thurs ma use o. tryin' to max me
go back on my principles" she said,
"fOr 1 wul ma do t."
Miss Macgregor after spending
many years at work finally decided to
take q voyage in one of her ships. She
selected the Scotia, Captain Ethan
Hardwick, the man she most trusted
of all the masters of her vessels. Cap
tain Hardwick on her announcement
of her intention to go with him on his
next cruise informed her that the yes
sci needed overhauling. and he was
given month for the purpose.
Now, the captain on his last voyage
had lodged two pirates and shown a
clean pair of heels to n third. His
overhauling meant the taking aboard
of a dozen guns of different caliber and
arranging masked portholes-masked
rather to deceive the owner than the
pirates. He had always carried. I'M
beknown to her, a full supply of small
arms, which would be only useful in
repeIling boarders. He had once ask
ed her for these weapons, stating what
he wished them for.
Yen no need them" she said, 'for
yen tax no boarders on Ony sheep o
mine"
When all was ready Miss Macgregor
went aboard the Scotia, going up the
gangplank slowly that she might take
in every thing in sight Six open
ings for guns confronted her on that
side Of the vessel, but they had been
so carefully concealed by Captain
Hardwick that the old lady's eyes.
weakened through age, failed to take
them in.
The most the captain had expected
was that the lady would not discover
the heavy guns till the ship was so far
out at sea that getting rid Of them
would be impracticable. And even
then he feared she would order them
heaved overheard. But. as good luck
would have it. Miss Macgregor was so
deathly seasick for the first month that
she never showed herself out Of her
cabin. Another month followed. dur
ing which she sat by day on deck
wrapped in a Macgregor plaid. She
would use no other figure. being very
proud OF the clan from whence she
sprang.
One day when the sea was choppy.
sitting in her accustomed seat fighting
off seasickness, she noticed an unusual
moving about of the officers and crew.
The former were passing a glass
among them. each In turn bringing IL
TO bear on a distant ship. Calling the
captain to her she asked what inter
ested them.
''That vessel we suspect TO be
pirate" he replied.
Instead of showing fear the old lady
stood up on her feet, took the glass
and looked for herself.
VIVA makes ye think she's pi-
rate?'
She's built only for speed and fight
ing"
The Old lady said no more. Brought
face 70 face with that which she had
heard OF only at distance her non
resistant theory collapsed. But she
y ~ too proud to admit 1t.
The stranger was evidently steering
q course 10 head of the Scotia. Miss
sat inmovable. while the
two ships were Inevitably drawing
closer together. There was no fear IN