Oxford Democrat., 1913-09-09

any merchantman worth making u
prize or ravaging craft. Long Island
had received one or two such visitors,
though there was scarcely enough
plunder among the scattered settlers to
make a landing worth while.
The fears of the MacTavish family
were confirmed by seeing a horseman
come dashing eastward, who passed
the house without stopping. shouting:
"a pirate! She's coming up the coast!
Go inland as quick as you can"
Mrs. MacTuyish cast glance ut the
rakish vessel and. gathering the few
valunbles Of small compass she pos
sessed and taking her children. ran as
fast as possible and kept running until
she had put several miles between
them oil and the coast. Coming to q
thicket. she entered 1t, and. sinking on
the ground. the family occupied them
selves In regaining their exhausted
breath.
They remained there the rest of the
day. At evening they saw from their
hiding place the man who had warned
them and called to him. He was look
Ing for them to tell them that he had
seen man dressed in the fashion Of
buccaneer on their farm. A fog had
rolled in from the ocean and enveloped
the pirate ship. They should make
sure that the pirate he had seen was
not there before they returned. Then
he rode away.
Mrs. MacTavish kept her children in
the thicket till late that night Then
they began to cry for food. and she
concluded to take them to point near
the farm. leave them there and go for
ward herself to reconnoiter. 1t was
after midnight when she came to
clump Of trees short distance from
her house Leaving the children In
care Of Alex, she stole forward. There
was no sound except the splashing OF
the waves OH the beach beyond nor
sign of any one within the building.
The fog had cleared away. and the
moon In the third quarter shone bright
ly. Entering the house, she listened.
The door of her husbands room was
open, and she heard some one breath
Ing In sleep. Tiptoeing to where she
could get n view Of the chamber. she
looked inside. A man was sleeping In
the bed.
She drew back. Clothes were on q
chair-clothes that she recognized as
pirates garb. Several pistols and
knives lay on u table. The man in the
bed must be the pirate who had been
seen in the place. She was about to re-
tire In terror when. casting glance at
the buccaneers face. lighted by the
moon, something In 1t reminded her OF
her husband Advancing to get near
er view, she struck chair. The man
opened his eyes.
Mary" he exclaimed. and. throwing
Off the covers and jumping out OF bed.
he clasped her in his arms.
Her thought that her husband might
return when she was away and find
his room ready for him wns realized
After the children had been brought
In and the younger ones had been EN-
braced by their father and put to bed
MacTavish told his story. On his voy.
age to New Amsterdam he had been
met by q buccaneer, who appropriated
his vegetables and gave him the option
of Joining the pirate crew or walking
the plank. He had chosen the former
alternative. hoping eventually to make
his escape. After he had lived dread
full life in the West Indies for two
years the buccaneer sailed for the
north. She passed the Long Island
coast and sent boats ashore to loot the
settlers and gather provisions Mac
lavish had been In one Of the boats.
and the coming Of the fog enabled him
to get away from his companions un
der it's cover. The ship had sailed with.
out him. and finding his home deserted,
as was to be expected on account OF
the vicinity Of the buccaneer. he had
decided to go to bed and await the re
turn Of his family
There was long period Of rejoicing
in the MacTavish family at the return
Of the husband and father. and that
was the last of his taking his produce
to the city by water.
Mrs. MacTavish lived to be an old
woman. and to the day Of her death
when any one Of the family was away
from home she would keep the absent
ones room ready that 1t might be oc.
cupied by Its accustomed inmate
There were frequent departures. but no
one Of the family ever returned In a
pirates garb.