The Coffin

During the Summcr of 1814, the British had notonly luid claim to all that portiün of the district of Mainc ling cast of the Penobscot, but Admiral firiffith and Sir John 0. Sheibrooke, the bitter bei lig then the Govornor of Nova Scotia, had been sent with a heavy force to take popsession, and had oecupied the town of' Castine, wliieh place eoinmai.dcd llie cntraiice of the Penobseal rier - Shortly befnre the irrival of the Eaglish squadron Commodore Samuel Tucker had been sent aroünd to the Penobscot Bay to protect tho American coasters there; and hile the British saikd up to Castine, hel; v i t b tire vessel at Thoin aston. lt was a schooner tliut the Commodore coinmanded, but she was a heavy que aud ■svell armed ai.d muimed, and that she carried tlie true Yankee 'grit' upon her decks, the enemy had received, for them. rather too maiiy preofs. On the moruing of the 28th nf August, n messenger rame down from Belfast with the iutelligeuce that the Britisli frigate was coming ÍKnu Castine to take him. Tucker knew that the British fea'rtd bim, and that Sir John Sherbrooke had oiïered a large amourit for bis capture Wheu the Commodore received the intellig-enee, bis vessel w;is lytug at o:ie of the low wharves, -where he would have to wait ncarly two hours for the tide to set him off : but he hastened to have every t h ing preparcd to get off' as soou as pos sible, for ho had no desire to meet the frigate, The schooiier's keel had just clearcd the mud, and oiio of the men had been sent upoc the wharf to cast off the bovvline. when a wagen drawn by one horse came rattling down to tlie spot. ïha driver, a rough looking eountryinan got out upon the wharf, ai;d then assisted a middle aged lady from tho vehicle. The lady's first itiquiry was for Commodore Tucker. He was pointed out to her, and she steppcd upon the schooner's deck and approached him. ' Commodore,' she asked, ' when do you sail from hero.' ' ïtight ofl', as soon as possible, madam.' ' Ohjther;, I know jcfo w kil be kind 'o me,' the lady urged, in persuasivo tonca. ' My poor husband diod yesterday, and 1 wish to earry hls oörpse to Wicasset, where wo belong, and whcre his parents will take carn ot' it.' ' But my gcod wüman, I shan't go to Wicasset.' 1 It' you only land me at the raouth of the Sheepsoat. I will ak no moro. I can casily get a boat tlierc to take me up.' ' Whcro is tho body ?' asked Tucker. ' In the wagon,' rcturned the lady, at (he same time raising the corner of' her shawl to wipe -iway the gatliering tears ' I have a small suin of' money wilh me sir, and you shall be paid for your trouble.' 'Tut, tut, woman; if I aceommodate you thore wout be any pay about it.' The kind hearted old Commodore was not the man to refuse a favor, and though he liked iot the the bothcr of' taking the woinan and her strange aecornpaniraent on board, yct he could not refusc ; and wlien lie told her he would do as she requested,she thanked him with mauy tears in her eyes. Sumo of the men wcro sent upon the wharf to bring the body on board A long buffalo robe was lifted off by the man who drove the wagon, and beneath it appeared a ueafc black cofliu. 801110 words ivere passed by the seamen, as they bore the eoffin on buard, whieh went to show pretty plainly that tho affair did not exactly suit them. It inay have been prejudice on their part, but yct seamun should be allowed a prejudice once iu a wlule, uhtn we considcr the many stern realitits they havo to encounter. ' Huth, my good men,' said the Com modore, as he lieard their Uiurmured remonstrauces. ' riuppose sume of' you were to die away i'rom homo - would you not wish ;hat yuur remaiiis might bc car ried to your parouts 'i Come, huny uow.' The men said no more, and ere long the c illin was placed in the liold, and the woman was thown to the cabin. In le.ss than halt' au hour the schooner was cleared from the wharf' and standing out from ihe bay. The wind was liglit, from the eastward, but Tucker had no lear ot the frigate now hc was once out from the bay. in tho evening tho lady pas?onger came on doek, and thu CumiaotlorS ussui-ed her that he s'iouli] bc able to land her tho nest morning Sho cxprtb-cd her gratitudo and satisfyetion n:d remarked that before sho retired she ehould. like to seo if' her Inii-band's eoi'pte ;s 6afe. T'bis was of course graiited, Rnd one ot the Man lil'ted ofi the batch that ehe might go dón nto the hold, : I declare,' muttored Daniel Carter, an oíd sailor, who lud thc whucl ' she tal-.es on dre'fully.' ' Yes, poor thing,' responded Tueker, as ho heard tlie woman's sjbs and croans. ' D'yo notice what'n ej'o she's gotV' continued Carter ' No,' said tbe Comn.odore, ' only tliat it wns swollen with toars.' ' My eyes ! liut tlicy shonc, thougli, wlionrsho stood here, luoking at the coinpass.' Tueker smiled at tbc man's quaint earnestness, and without further reuuark he went down tuto tlie cab'm. M lien tlie womnu canio np fi-om the huid slie looked about tlio deck of the i schooner for a few moinents, and thon' went alt Therc was Bomething iti ler countonanee tliat puzzled Carter, lie had been ono of those who objected to the coílin's beiug brought aboard, and henee hevwas not predispoeed to look very f'avorably upon its owi:e'. The woman's eyi'S can over tho seliooner's ceek witb strange quiekness, and Carter eyed her sharply. Soon the went to tho taf frail and looked hito the stern boat, and tlien she camc and stood by tho biuuaelo again. ' Look out, or you will jibe the boom,' uttcred the passenger. Carter started, and found that tho mainsail was shivering. lle gave the helm a couplc of sppkea aport, and then eaet his eyes again upon the wouian, whose features were lighted Bwtthe binnacle lamp ' lhaiik'o nia'am,' saij Dan ' ILi, liold on ; why, bless my soul, there's i big spider right on your hair. No - ifct t'neie. Here- UI- ITgh.' l This last ejaeulation Dan raado as ho seeined tö pull soinothing frora the woliian's hair, wliich he threw on tho doek with thc ' ugh ' above mentioned. Shortly afterwards, the passenger went below, and ere long Tucker carne on dock. ' Commodore,' said Carter, with a reniarkiible doeree of earnestnesa in liis maiuier, ' is the '5man turnad ir yet V ' I ratllpr think so,' said Tuekei-, look ing at the compase. ' Look out, look out, Cnrtjeri why man alive, you're two oints to tho soutliard of your oourse.' 1 BloW me, so I air,' said the man, bringing the helm Stoartly aport. ' But say, Commodore, didu't ye seo nothiug 'culiar 'bout tliat 'ornan ?' ' Why, Dan, jou seem greatly interes ted about her.' ' So I am. Commodore ; and sn I am about the black eoflin, too. Wouldü't it be well for you and I to go and ovcrhaul it?' ' Psliaw ! you are as seared as a cliild in a graveyard.' ' No, not a bit of ït. Just hark a Li t That ornan ain't no 'ornan at all !' The Commodore pronounced tho vulgar name of bis satan o niljtsty, in a most empliatic manner. ' lts the tíuíli. Commodore. I can swear to it. I p.ntended there was a spidcr on ber huir, and I rubbed hand agïu her face. By aam llyde, if Lt want as rough and bearded as i holy stoiie. - You se sho told me as liow L'd let the boom jibo if I didn't look out. I knowed tliero wnsn't i;o 'ornan thure, so I tricd her. Cali somebodv to tlio whccl.' and let 's go and look at the coilki.' The Commodore v;is wonderstruok by what lie liad heard, but, witli calm presenco of mind wliich made hiin what ho was, he sut coolly to thinking In a few oiomeota he ealled one of the men aft to relieve Carter, and then ho went dowu iuto the eabin to look alter his passenger. The lat ter had turned in and seemsd to be moii ig. Tucker roturued to the deck and took Carter one sidc. 1 Xo noiso, bow, Carter ; you follow me as thougli nothnig had happened.' ' Sartin,' responded Pan. The two approached tho main liatch, aud Carter stooped to raiso it, when his hand touched asmall ball that seemed to have been pinned up uuder tho after braak of tlie hatcli. ' It's a ball óf twino,' said Dan. ' Dou't touch it, run and get a tem, said 'J'ucker. Carter sprang to obej', and wlion hc returned a number of men had gathcred aroupd tlio spot The hutcb was raiscd and the Commodore carefully pieKed up the ball of twine, and frfnhd th-.a it was made to faste.'i to soinething below. He descended to the hold, and there he fouud that tlio twine rau in beneath the lid of the coffin. He had no doubt iiow that there was niischiel' boxcd up before kim, and he sent Carter for something that ïuitrht answer for i scrow drivor. - ïlio inau soou returned witli a stout knife, and the Commodure set to work. He worked very carefully, however, at the same time keeping a bright look out for the string. At leugtli the screws wero all out, and the lid was very earefully lifted from its place. ' Great God of Ileaven,' burst from the lipa of the Commodore. ' üy Sam Ilyde F dropped like a thuuder clap from tlio tonguc uf' Dn. ' God blessyou, Dan !' said Tuckcr. ' I hiiotced it!' uttered Dan. The two men stood for a moment and lookcd iuto the coffin. Thero wás no deftd man there, but in the place thereoi', there wore materials for the death of a score. The coffin was filled with gun powder and pitch wood ! Upon a light framework in the center wei-o arranged four pistols, all cockcd and pnmed, and the atring which entered , the coffin from without, communicated with the trigger of each. 'J'ho firs' tnovement of the Commodore was to cali for waler, and when it was brought he dashcd three buekets full into the infernal machine, and theu he breathed more frèejy. ' No, no - riy men ; do nothing rashly Let mego into the cubin first You may follow me.' CoinniodoroTuokcr strode into the cabin walkod up to the bu'ik whöro his p;usenger lay, and grasping hold of the femóle dresfl he drftgged its wearcr out upon the cabin üoor. There was a sharp resistance, and the passenger drew a pistol, but it was ijuiekly knoeked awav - the gown was torn olV, and a ííM#can;o fortli lVum the reüinantn of calieo and linen. The fellow was assured that his whole plot had been discov, L L 'icngth ueownedthat it had been Lis plan to turn out in thé courso of the night and pt hnldof the ball of (v.;;i,-, wi.iü!, ho had Jeft'tn a oonvcuioüfc place; ho thon iiitonclcii to go fift, carefi:Uy uinviadinthe sinng as went along ; then to haa rot into the böi't. o.-a rhe f;:lh, ad ! r.s tho boat fall into tho v.ater 1-e woufdj have pulled rrcartly npon tr.o'avke. ' And I think yon kriow,' he contiiiued with a. wicked look, ' what would h:ive followcd. I sliouldu't have been notioed in the fuss- I'd Wave got ont of tlie way witli tlio boat, and yon all would havo been in the noxt world in short order. - All I can say h, I'm sorry I did not do it.' Tt was with much difficulty that the Commodore preventod tlie men from killing the viliain on the spot He provjed to bo one of the enemy's officers, and ho was to have a heavy reward f ho sueceeded in destroying the American Comuioilorc and lii.s crew. The prisoncr was carricd 0:1 deck and hished to the main rigging, whoro ho was told he should rem;.iu uutil the vcssel got into port. ' W het a liurrid deatli that viüain meant tor us,' uttered Carter. ' Yes ho did,' iaid Tucker ilh a shudder ' Iïe belons to the samo gang that's been a njbbiu' and bnrnin' the poor folks' houses on the easterp coast,' snid ono of the iaën 1 Yes,' said the Commodore with a lervous twitch of the musties about lus in on th A bitter cflrsé from tho jiridoner here broke upon the air, and with a clenched fist the (Jommodore went below. In the morning when Commodore Tucker carne on the deck, Seguin was in sinlit upon the starboiyd bow, but when he lookcd for the prisfcer he wasgone. ' Carter, where is thtt viüain I lashed. here last night V ' Pin sure I don't know where he is, Commodore, l'erhajjs U's juinped i board.' ' The old Commodore looked tternty into Caríer's ejes, and he saw a twiukle of satisfaetion gleaming there. He hesitated - then he turnea away and munnured to himself, 'Well, well - I cairt blame them. If the murderous villain's gone to li is deatli be's only met a fto whieh be richly deserved ]5ettor far that it be he, than my uoble crew were now in tho oceou's cold gravo '