I Ye Stirring
Adventures of
Captain
Elisha
X Hopewell
By
CHARLES
B. LEWIS
Copyn'yfif, look, by Charlts li. Lmcis
ffc''"i?i""iHi""i' $" i' 4",$"i'?,"$''Hi"f'"i"i'
Ye captain was ye sole owner of y
brig Mary Ann, and between ye years
1779 and 17S6 he sailed out of ye ports ol
Salem and Boston, generally accompanied
by his wife Nancy.
IT was in July of the year 1781.
Urltish warships were thick ou
the American coast, anil, though
Yankee craft were constantly
.dodging in and out, each skipper real
ized that he ran a terrible risk. One
day early in the month Captain Elisha
Hopewell of the brig Mary Ann of Sa
lem, who had not made u voyage for
two months, entered his house to say
jo his wife:
"Waal, Nancy, I've got a cargo for
.the brig at last."
"I should tl ink it was about time,"
replied the wife as she mixed her
dough for the usual two loaves of bread
vwithout looking up.
"hat d.vo think 'tis?" asked the
captain as he sat down and pulled off
liis right bo.;t, which had been chafing
iiis heel.
"Dunno. But I shall be ready when
Hie brig is."
"Nancy, I don't think you'll care
about goin' -n this voyage. It's a ray
tlier peculiar cargo, and I guess you'll
ort of decide to stay home and mind
lhe cat suvl the hollyhocks."
"Now, Elisha Hopewell, don't be sil
".v. What's the cargo and where's the
Alary Ami tro'n V"
"The car;,. ) i i Is p-o-w-d-c-r!" whis
pered the ;;.in.
"Well, v.L.:: of it;"
"A Lundvr.l l ar'ls of powder, a thou
sand pounds of lead, live bar'ls of Uinta
-aid L'OO lmi: li.ts."
"And where ye bound fur, Elisha?"
"Coin' to try to git into Wilmington,
Noiih CV.rnlc-eny. The lead and the
llinis and the n.u.-.kots is all right, Nan
y, but think of a hundred bar'ls ol
powder: I'.y Jo:;h, but it gives me cold
left.'"
"I'm thmkin' it will give the Bri-sb
cold feet if iht-m North Caroleeny pa
u i'its fih hohl of it." she grimly replied,
out willuut the shadow of a smile,
"'When wii-i , on be ready?"
"I lay afn r i.jiuorrer."
So'U I."
"But, Nrn:iy, think of the powder a
hundred l.;u'l ; of ii: Just let a spark
couch it, and we il bo blowed into a
."million pieces!"
"I'm a-goin' along to keep the sparks
away. Nw, Elisha, don't waste any
more lueafJi nor waLs that hole in
your stookiu' any bigger. I'm goin'
along, pu .vder or no p.vder. The cal
can M-rnieli around fur a livhi', and it
wouldn't be no gieat harm if the holly
h':"!s died fur want of water. That's
Alter neaaiug straight out to sea un
til he believed he was clear of any of
the blockaders Captain Elisha laid his
southern course. Now and then a dis
tant sail was sighted, but nothing hap
pened to cause alarm until the brig
was well down toward Cape Hatteras.
Then one evening as fair progress was
being made and all was going well
Nancy looked up from her sewing at
Elisha as he came sauntering down
Into tlie cabin and said!
"Elisha, you know how my feet alius
burn at sea when we're goin' to have a
10
-.11, and it
other word
The ci.pt
-.vent (iiit a
vun't (Jo no good to say an-
l!l
1
1'
a
read
on his boot an.
t sii'i.e wood to hik?
id the subject wasn't men-
l,
'"i '. r. ; M ii;;M
a-.;." ' vv . X -,1 i i lxtkm$W& I
'THE CABGO IS I'-O-W-D-E-B !" WUISPEBM)
THE CAPTAIN.
tioned again for twenty-four hours.
Then the wife sent a few things down
to the brig, shut up the stove, poured
all the water out of the teakettle and
appeared on board. Next morning the
Mary Ann put to sea. The brig had
been built for a trader. She was fast,
but slio pioinited no guns. As for fire
arms, ther-' was only one musket
aboard, and just who taat belonged to
nobody seemed to know. While nearly
every other merchantman out of New
..England ports could make more or less ,
'it a stout defense if attacked, the j
Mary Ann depended on her wings
alone. In this matter both Elisha and
Nancy were agreed.
"Guns and powder and ball cost mon
ey," was the way the captain put It,
"while wind don't cost nothin'."
"'Even if we could fight and lick one
of them British men-of-war we could
never bring her Into port with our sev
n mr-n." w;9 the argument used bv
calm? We'll lose the wind before
o'clock."
"By Josh, but I don't like it!" he ex
claimed, with considerable vigor. " We're
slippin right along to git around the
cape by sunup, and we can't have no
calms."
"Got to have, Elisha, and it won't do
no good to talk about it."
In less than two hours the breeze had
fined down and died out, and the Mary
Ann lay tossing on the ground swell.
The cargo was one to be got into the
hands of the southern patriots without
delay, and at least a portion of it was
something no skipper cared to have
aboard any longer than he could make
a port. As the calm came Captain
Elisha Hopewell fretted and fumed
and wondered if it would be his undo
ing. The British still held Charleston,
and from that port they patrolled the
southern coast. Nothing had been in
sight when night closed in, but morn
ing and a breeze might find a frigate in
his wake or coming up the coast. At
the end of an hour and as he was still
pacing the deck Nancy joined him and
quietly said:
"Elisha, you may git ready fur a
thunderstorm."
"N-o-a!" he fairly shouted as he flung
up his arms.
"It's comin', Elisha. I can smell a
thunderstorm ten miles off, as you very
well know."
"But the powder, Nancy the hun
dred bar'ls of powder! We shall be
struck by lightnin' and blowed to mince
meat!"
"Mebbe we shall, but we can't help
ourselves. That's all jest now, Elisha.
Better change your clothes and git
ready fur the rain."
Five minutes later there came a Hash
of lightning, followed by the rumble of
thunder, and within a quarter of an
hour there was a terrific downpour of
rain which lasted for a full hour. At
every flash of lightning the crew of the
brig shivered and trembled, and they
were a frightened and humbled lot
when the storm finally passed over.
The breeze did not come up as the
heavens cleared, and then every sailor
knew that the calm would hold until
sunrise. Midnight came and the cap
tain was just leaving the deck in
charge of h!1? mate when Nancy, who
had declared her Intention of going to
bed half an hour before, suddenly ap
peared on deck and began sniffing and
snuffing at the air.
"Is the wind a-comin'?" asked the
captain, with considerable interest.
"No wind, Elisha," she answered,
"but I'll tell you what's what. I don't
know what's become of all your noses
that you can't smell a whale close by!"
"A whale!" shouted the captain. "But,
by Josh, then, your nose must have got
ft twist in it! If there was a whalfl
within five miles of us1'
"Whale almost alongside of us, sir:"
interrupted a voice from the bows of
the brig. And there was a hurrying
forward to confirm the announcement.
A whale fully sixty feet long had ris
en to the surface so quietly that no
wash of the sea betrayed his presence.
! He was lyincr head and tnil with tim
brig and almost rubbing her starboard
side, and every man wondered that the
odor of the leviathan had not betrave-.l
j his presence long before.
"I said a whale, Elisha," observed
Nancy as she looked over the rail up
on the great bulk, "and I calkerlate
you'll acknowledge I'm right."
"But what we goin' to do with him?"
asked the captain in a bewildered way.
"Nothin' t all. Jest let him be. He's
old enough and big enough to take care
of himself."
"But if he staves in the brig he'll
stave in the powder!"
"Can't be helped. You cau't argue
with a whale. We'd better all keep
still and see if he won't go away."
The suggestion was followed, but the
leviathan did not take his departure.
He seemed to have come to the surface I
to take a long nap. Now and then a
long drawn sigh escaped from his
spout hole, but so far as could be ob
served by the men, who moved about
hi their bare feet and peered over the
bulwarks at Intervals, he never moved
a fin. IIlu queer hanging on made
everybody nervous, and the result was
that nobody slept. Captain Elisha paced
up and down on tiptoe, and Nancy
got out needle and thread and found a
jacket of his which needed mending.
An hour after midnight the captain de
scended to the cabin to whisper to her:
"Nancy, I'm jiggered If I know
what's to le done!"
"Now, Elisha, what's the use of all
this etewin'?" she asked as she held
her needle susjK'nded to look at him.
"A calm is a calm and is goin' to cou
tlner to be a calm till the wind gits
up. 'Pears to me that even Deacon
Taylor's oxen could figger that out."
"But It's the whale. Nancy the
whale!" he hoarsely whispered.
eJbe'Jt 'w whale? Ua luiu'
nurt nobody yet, ana i aon i u..u.
intends to. I'm worryin more about
our cat at home than I am about 'the
whale alongside."
"Jest one flap of his tail would bust
in the brig and the bar'ls of powder,
and away we'd go!"
"Waal, I ain't goin' to worry 'bout no
flaps, and It won't do you no good to
prowl around. Better lie down on the
locker and git forty winks of sleep."
The hours dragged on, and the calm
continued; so did the whale. When
dawn came stealing over the Bea at
last he was rubbing the barnacles off
his side against the Mary Ann and tak
ing lots of comfort. The first thing
they all looked for was the whale. The
next thing was for sight of sail, and
Nancy pointed her finger to the east
and nudged the captain with her elbow
and quietly said:
"Elisha, don't you kind of thiuk that's
an English frigate comin' In on the
breeze which we hain't got yet?"
"By Josh, and I do!" he shouted after
a brief look. "Yes, sir-e-e! That's a
British frigate, and the Mary Ann Is as
good as captured this very mlnit! Nan
cy, you might aa well begin to pack up
your pins and needle,"
"I shan't pack nothin', Elisha. She's
got a small breeze out there, but It
won't hold. It'll die out and then whip
around and come off the cape."
"That'll be it, captain," added the
mate as he leaped up on the rail to
squint at the sky and observe tlie set of
the sea.
"But if it falls calm she'll lower her
boats to tackle us," persisted the cap
tain. "I'm tellin' you that the brig Is
as good as captured right now, and we
might jest as well git ready to see the
k:side of an English prison. By Josh,
Nancy, but didn't I tell you to stay
home?"
"You did, Elisha, but I'm here all the
same. What a man you are to fret!
That Britisher is seven miles off yet,
and can't you eee how the wind's dyiu'
out? Now, you stop your frettiu' and
let Providence sort of take hold. No
body is ever captured till you've got
hold of their coat tails, and even then
the coat may wriggle off."
The eyes of the crew were on the cap
tain, however, and the wife's stout
hearted words did not prevent despond-
iuir in ucr course and beat tne water
into acres of foam and rolled this way
and that until tlie seas he kicked up
made tlie Mary Ann dance. The boat
came to a sudden stop. It looked as if
the whale had a chip on his shoulder
and was aching for a row. After ten
minutes of delay the boat put about
for the frigate.
"By Josh and by Josh!" whispered
the captain.
"Have I gone squint eyed, or has the
boat put back?" demanded the mate.
"Elisha Hopewell, d'ye see the wind
comin'?" asked Nancy as she pointed
to the northwest "Better make good
use of it to git out of this."
The sails of the Mary Ann were
spread, and she made a good two miles'
headway before the frigate felt the first
piiff.' A chase followed, but what was
a good sailing breeze for a small brig
MynterlonH.
"So you have read your daughter's
commencement essay?"
"Yes," answered tlie matter of fact
father. "I am dumfounded. I can't
understand how anybody who can
write so sensibly and profoundly
would chew gum and wear high heel
ed shoes." Washington Star.
The Woman's Wuy,
"Many a married man who might
make a fortune is handicapped because
his wife demands too much of his at
tention." "That's right. Just as soon as for
tune begins to flirt with him his wife
gets jealous." Philadelphia Press.
All He Found.
"I trust," the new Joke contributor.
wrote, "you may find something to at-'
woa o clnw ivieA fnr n hpnvv frisrnte.
and by and by the pursuer hauled off you in this batch."
, , ,J "Hull!" grunted the editor. "I
simi wt'in iii.h :i v. - I w ii.iuiM inin :
uu error m bpeiimg
the cargo was landed, and the brave
General Greene had the munitions to
fight the gallant action of Eutaw .
Springs. When the last barrel of pow- J
dor and the last pound of lead were out ;
of the brig Captain Eli -ilia descended to
the cabin and kissed his wife with a re- j
sounding smack. I
"La, now, but what's come over you,
Elisha?" she asked in surprise.
"You saved the Mary Ann, and, by j
Josh, I'll Llss you again!" !
"Git out and don't act like a boy! I ;
never saved the brig 't all. All I did
was to tell you to hang on and trust in
that whale and Providence, and I hope
it'll be a lesson to you fur the rest of
your days not to holler before you're
hurt."
DUUU1U UC UUIVU,
er.
find
The word 'batch'
Philadelphia Ledg-
Evidenee.
Nellie Do they have airships In Eu
rope? Willie I guess so. At least I heard
Aunt Molly say she was going to take
a flying trip through there this sum
mer. Detroit Free Press.
A Case of Comimlaion.
Willie There's another fellow In the
back parlor with sister.
Castleton Wliat is he doing there?
She knew I was coming, didn't she?
Willie Oh, yes. But she begged him
to stay Brooklyn Life.
APxs -
irnnninnroM
Agetable Preparationfor As
similating lhe Food andReguIa
ting the Stoinaciis andBoweis of
CUE WHALE HAD TIRE ICIIED BETWEEN Till
no at ami nwa. j
ency. The entire crew agreed that the
Mary Ann would never enter the port
of Salem again, and those who had ex- ;
tra garments began to put them on sc !
as to save being despoiled. Captain ,
and mate sat down on the cabin sky- j
light and sig';od and groaned, while
Nancy walked the dock and occasion- j
ally glanced f- :;i the whale to the frig- j
ate. When 'he latter had come up ;
within five in'.'.: 5 she lost the last of t:
kee trader, an.! her captain would take j
no chances, r jwn dropped a boat, and j
fifteen men followed it, and in a min- I
ute more it wiu headed for the brig. j
"Waal, mebLe you can git some com-1
fort out of that:" growled Captain EH- J
sha as he rose up and pointed toward j
the boat. j
"That boat hain't boarded us yet," re- j
plied Nancy.
"But what's to hinder her?"
"Can't tell, but I somehow feel as if
Providence would pull us out of this.
Elisha Hopewell, you hain't got half
the grit I thought you had, and you've
chewed tobacco and eat codfish till you
seem to have lost all your faith!"
Even though the frigate was five
miles away, a sort of quiver went
through the whale as her boat struck
the water. It could not be doubted that
he heard the sound. When the boat had
covered a mile he parted from the brig
and slewed himself around almost by(
Inches. Ten minutes more, and there j
was a cry that he had disappeared. He '
went as he came, silently and without,1
showing a patch of foam. The boat was j
pulling steadily on, with the young sun ,
glistening on the bayonets of the arm
ed crew, and Captain Elisha had just'
fetched another groau of despair when'
there were shouts of astonishment from !
forward and aft
The whale had breached between the j
boat and the brig. He came up from!
the sea as If he had 20 pounds of j
steam ou and had forced a good third!
of his length out of water before he fell
on the surface with a mighty crash.)
He did not rush at th iot ui Irr
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