Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-08

manned by masked men, who over
powered and locked all hands In cabin
or forecastle and then removed the car
goes of fish to their own craft, hidden
In the fog. Shortly after this the
Ishmaelite disposed Of large catch
in Baltimore, and the piracy was be-
heved of her, but never proved.
Her luck at finding things was re-
markable. Drifting dories, spars, oars
and trawl tubs sought her unsavory
company as though impelled by the
inanimate perversity which had sent
them drifting. They were sold in port
or returned to their owners when paid
for. In the early part Of her career
she had towed a whistling buoy into
Boston and claimed salvage Of the
government, showing her logbook to
prove that she had picked 1t up far at
sea. The salvage was paid; but, as her
reputation spread, there were those
who declared that she herself had sent
the buoy adrift.
With her blunt jibboom she had prod
ded a hole in the side Of lighthouse
supply boat and sailed away without
answering questions. The government
was taking cognizance, and her de-
scription was written on the fly leaves
Of several revenue cutters logbooks,
while Sunday newspapers in the large
cities began q series Of special articles
about the mysterious schooner rugged
pirate Of the Atlantic fishing feet.
Her trips had become necessarily
longer, and there was but two weeks
supply Of food In the lazaret. The
New England coast was an enemy's
country, but in the crowded harbor OF
New York was a chance to lie unob'
served at anchor long enough to secure
the stores. she needed. So Cape Cod
was doubled on the way to New York,
but the brisk offshore wind developed
to q gale that blew her to sea.
Hard headed, reckless fellows were
these men who owned the Rosebud and
ran her on shares. They were eighteen
in number, and they typihed the mari
time nations of the world. Americans
predominated, of course, but English,
French, German, Portuguese, Scandi-
navian and Russian were among them.
The cook was West India negro, and
the captain, or their nearest approach
to a captain, Portland Yankee.
The captains navigation had its linn
its. however, and this gale defined
them. he could find his latitude by
meridian observation and his longitude
by morning sights and chronometer
time. His dead reckoning was trust
worthy, and he possessed fair work
ing conception Of the set and force OF
the Atlantic currents and the heave OF
the sea in blow. But his studies had
not given him more than rudimen-
tary knowledge of meterology and the
laws Of storms.
As a result the vessel was finally
caught in q still heavier blow without
warning and dismasted. 1t was mani
festly a Judgment of displeased Prov
idence, and. glad that the hull was still
tight, they cut away the wreck and
rode out the gale, now blowing out Of
the north, hanging to the tangle Of
spar and cordage which had once been
the foremast and its gear. Then they
rugged a jury mast.
Soon q speck which had been show
ing on the horizon when the schooner
lifted out Of the hollows took form and
identity, a two masted steamer with
English colors, union down at the gam.
Her broadside drift was faster than
that of the dismasted craft riding to
her wreckage, and in q few hours she
was dangerously near, directly ahead.
rolling heavily In the trough Of the sea.
'Wunner what's wrong wild her"
said the cook. Amos" he called to
another, els her engine bus DOWN.
Dunno" answered Amos. "Steam's
al right. See the Jet comm out o the
stack? There, she's turnin' over-kick-
In ahead Bout time II she wants to
clear us. She's signalin'. What's that
say, ENsha?"
The ensign was futtering down and
string Of small Hags going aloft to
the other part Of the signal halyards.
Elisha, the navigator, went below and
returned with . couple Of books, which
ha consulted ?
'sHer number" he said. "She's the
Afghan Prince O. London" The fags
came down to be replaced BY others.
.Rudder carried away. he read and
tim toeked With the slasssa. "Rudder