Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-09-04


fort was at the bottom of her action is
uncertain. 1t is likely that the poor
woman was trying TO comfort herself
in knowing that his room was as 1t
had always been and in thinking that
1t would in time be again occupied.
Two years passed, and not a word
was heard from MacTavish. Then one
day the family on Long Island receiT-
ed terrible scare. Toward evening
of an autumn day a sail was seen to
the westward, much nearer the coast
than it was usual for ships to pass.
AS it came nearer its hull was seen to
be very low and its masts very high.
enabling 1t to carry large amount Of
canvas. 1t tloated no tag.
These were the days of the bucca-
neers. whose depredations were largely
on the Spanish main intercepting gal
Icons laden with gold from the mines
of Mexico, but not averse to attacking
any merchantmen worth making
prize or ravaging craft. Long Island
had received one or two such visitors.
though there was scarcely enough
plumber among the scattered settlers to
make llnulng worth Wllle.
The fears OF. the MacTavish family
were confirmed by seeing a horseman
come dashinC eastward, who passed
the house without stopping, shouting:
"a pirate! She's coming up the coast
Go inland as quick as you carw
Mrs. MacTaviSh cast Il glance at the
rakish vessel and, gathering the few
valuables 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 all and the coast. Coming to a
thicket, she entered it. 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 a man dressed in the fashion of a
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 a point near
the farm, leave them there and go for
ward herself to reconnoiter. 1t was
after midnight when she came to a
oh, toto frNr
her house. Leaving the children In
care OF Alex, she stole forward. There
was no sound except the splashing of
the waves on 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
| ". 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 view of the chamber. she
looked inside. y man was sleeping in
the bed.
She drew back. Clothes were on a
chair-clothes that she recognized as
pirates garb. Several pistols and
knives lay on 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 it 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 I'm his arms.
Her thought that her husband might
return when she was away and find
his room ready for him was realized.
After the children had been brought
in and the younger ones had been EN-
braced by their father and put to bed
MacTayish told his story. On his voy-
age to New Amsterdam he had been
met by 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 hin
to get away from his companions un
der its cover. The ship had sailed with
out him. and finding his home deserted
!, as was to be expected on account o.
, the vicinity Of the buccaneer. he haC
, decided to 20 to bed and await the re
turn Of his family.
= There was a long period Of rejoicing
in the MacTavish family at the return
Of the husband and father. and tina
was the last OF his taking his produc
Z to the city by water.
!. Mrs. MacTavish lived to be an oil,
4 woman, and to the day Of her deaf
: when any one of the family was ava
n from home she would keep the absen
q ones room ready that it might be OF
4 cupied by its accustomed inmate
: There We're frequent departures, but n
n me Of the family ever returned In
II pirates garb.