Fanny Campbell, The Female Pirate Captain: A Tale of The RevolutionBallou, Maturin M. (Maturin Murray)
History
Fanny Campbell, The Female Pirate Captain: A Tale of The Revolution
Ballou, Maturin M. (Maturin Murray)
Sea stories; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Fiction; War stories; Women pirates -- Fiction
Suddenly all three, as if actuated by instinct or guided by one hand,
tacked boldly to the North, and stood in towards the peninsula of
Nahaut. This was the cause of still more surprise to those who were
watching them from the rock.
But a short half hour elapsed before the three vessels rounded the rocky
shore of the iron-bound peninsula, and shortly came to anchor in the
little harbor of Lynn, within a cable’s length of the shore. The sails
were furled, the usual routine of duty performed, and every rope placed
in its proper place. The stems swung gracefully towards the shore, with
the incoming tide, and there lay the Constance and her two prizes,
safe in port. The purpose of the voyage was consummated at least in
the release of the prisoners; but there was one whose liberty had been
sacrificed as the cost.
The shores were soon crowded by the inquisitive inhabitants, who seeing
no demonstrations of hostility, ventured boldly down to the shore, to
ascertain what errand could possibly have brought the strangers into
their quiet little basin for anchorage. Great was the astonishment of
the good people to behold landing from the first boat William Lovell,
the long absent prisoner, and whom they had all given up as lost to them
for ever. He was always a favorite among them, and now as he landed,
the air was rent with cheers of welcome. Warm and sincere were the
congratulations of those weather-beaten seamen and fishermen. Not a
hand that grasped William Lovell’s then, but would have gone far and
willingly to have done him a service.
Let us now on board the Dolphin, and see how fares our heroine.
Burnet soon returned to his cabin, and entered into conversation with
Fanny relative to her strange and almost unaccountable adventures. Fanny
blushed through all the stain upon her face, to have Captain Burnet
behold her in her male attire, for he said, as Lovell had done, that he
never saw her look more interesting. Neither could hardly realize the
fact of their former situation as friends, and their present relation to
each other. It seemed like a dream, too wild and visionary to be true.
‘And were all thy questions and study on the evening that you told me of
Lovell’s imprisonment in anticipation of all this?’
‘I thought it was singular that you should be so minute relative to
those questions of navigation, and the course to steer for Cuba, with so
many other questions.’
‘I proposed to myself at that time to do that which I have since
accomplished, as far as taking the brig and releasing William is
concerned.’
‘Thou art a most singular girl, Fanny.’
‘You have often told me so before now,’ she answered.
‘But I have never told thee how much I loved thee,’ said Burnet, with
animation. ‘Thou hast proved thyself equal to any emergency. Why, Fanny,
your story is a romance; no fairy tale could exceed it in extravagance,
and yet it’s all true. You have liberated Lovell, let that content you.
Now, Fanny Campbell, will you become my wife?’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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