The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-02-07
The Pirate Ship
Sea Horse
BY ALBERT KENYON

beth Of England the British navy was
not all a government institution, as
now. The greater part consisted Of
merchant vessels, armed and licensed
to prey on Spanish vessels. At that
time the S%paniards were bringing i'm
mense treasures from Mexico and
Peru.
Consequently some very rich prizes
fell into the hands Of the English pri-
vateersmen. To capture a ship con-
tanning a million dollars in gold and
appropriate the plumber, though legiti-
matized, was akin to piracy.
When the war ended the business Of
these masters of ~privateers was ended
also-that is, it's legitimacy ended.
Really it was continued as piracy.
passed through such a transition was
Edward Gregory, in command of the
Sea Horse. She sported a wooden
horses head at her PROV, and a dozen
guns bristled on either side. But this
was only when she had thrown of the
mask Of a merchantmen. When sup
posed to be peaceful she was the most
innocent looking vessel afloat. Not a
gun was to be seen, and she presented
one Of the rakish appearance Of a
c~orsair.
Captain Gregory for a time after the
war between Spain and England had
ended confined his attention to his old
enemies, but since he had turned pi-
rate, considering that he might Is we'll
hang for a sheep as a lamb, he preyed
upon the ships of all nations, including
his own. Those of his crew whose
consciences were too tender for this
kind of warfare he had got rid of, ex-
Ger, whom he had brutally punished.
This person, Jack Causland, resolved
to remain with the captain with a
view to bringing him to the gallows.
One day of the banks Of Newfound-
land the Sea Horse fell in with the
Penguin, a vessel bound for the ley
colony of Virginia, as the coast from
North Carolina to Canada was then
called. 1t contained persons going to
settle on Chesapeake bay. Suddenly
the Sea Horses sides were opened and
the guns were run out. The captain
of the Penguin hoisted the British flag,
taking the Sea Horse for an English
ship, but it did not protect him. He
was captured and he and all his crew
and passengers except a gentleman and
his family were made to walk the
plank. The reason for his sparing
these was that Jack Causland told him
that he had known the family, that
they we're very rich and could be made
to pay a large ransom.
Captain Gregory interviewed Ernest
Wharton, the man reserved for ran
som, and demanded a hundred thou
sand pounds ransom. Wharton replied
that he vas a poor country squire go
ing to settle in the wilds of America.
He was, however, a younger son Of an
earl who would doubtless pay largely
! for his ransom, but he did not believe
| his father could raise nearly half the
sum. Causland told Gregory that he
knew all about the earl's affairs, and
he was one OF the richest men in Eng
land. He advised the captain to dou-
BILE his demand.
The great obstacle in the way of ne
gotiating for a ansom was a messen-
ger. COurtland agreed for half the
plumber to take the risk of going to
the earl and presenting the situation.
II the latter caused his arrest his son
and his sons family would die. Con-
s%equently he would not likely be in
formed upon. The captain had only
one cause for objection to the plan
that was. Could he trust his emissary?
Causland had been permitted to leave
the Sea Horse with others Of the crew
when she went into piracy regularly.
but he had chosen to remain and was,
therefore, as much subject to the glib
bet as any Of them. After much DELHI
Grafton Gregory resolved to trust him.
The PROV of the Sea Horse was turned
toward England, and after a two
weeks sail came in sight of land. Be
ing a peaceful looking craft she excited
no suspicion, and, speaking a vessel
bound in, Jack Causland was put
aboard Of her. He had with him in.
formation as to the Sea Horses exact
position each day and night for a
month.
Captain Gregory did not like such
near proximity to the admiralty courts
Of his native land, but he had no suspi.
cion whatever of treachery on the part
Of Jack Causland. But SO long as he
was unrecognized he feared nothing
and those who might have recognized
him had all walked the plank.
But one dark night he was awakened
by sounds on deck and. springing from
his berth, ran up the c~ompanionway
to find his ship in possession of British
sailors, led by naval officers, and
strange to say, there among them was
Jack Causland. He saw at once that
he had been betrayed, fred a shot al
his emissary. missing him. and sur
rendered.
This ended the career Of Captain
Gregory and his ship the Sea Horse
Causland had kept his resolution t.
hang his captain and was present when