Captain Popcastle
Accord i n I
о
lc“cu<I this famous pirate still
wanders up and down the banks of Bricn
Creek where he was outwilted many years
ago by a beautiful British girl.
EVERY two hundred years, ac¬
cording to legend, the spirit of
Captain Jonathan Popcastle
still returns to the site of hi* tavern
on Bricn Crook in Craven County to
guard the chest of gold and jewels he
once hid there. The treasure has never
been discovered.
It was in 1735 that Captain Pop¬
castle with his caravan of horses and
men came to Craven County from no
one know where. ITe bought several
acres of land and an old fourteen-
room house facing Brien Creek that
ran beside the I.inhank Road. The
house and land were bought for “a
small change of money” and Captain
Popcastle set about turning it into an
inn. He renovated it from cellar to
garret; built an expensive saloon, a
cock pit, and a well-packed two-mile
race track; then opened his door* for
business.
A Profitable Business
Popcastle Inn became the most pop¬
ular place in that section of the coun¬
try and from the outset the Cap¬
tain made a great deal of money.
All day and all night riot ran high.
Around the cock pit, card tables, and
race track gamblers packed ten deep.
Liquor and wine flowed like water.
The fires of roasting vats were kept hot
cooking lambs, shoats, beef and all
kind- of wild game. And, mingling
with the crowds was Capt. Popcastle.
a tall heavy-set figure with clipped re-1
beard and dangerous black eyes. Ilis
l*ool*. reaching his knees, were shiny
black and bis belt held both pistol,
and knives. It was whispered abroad
that he had been a pirate before he
came to the inn; that the British
king's men were after him for scut¬
tling English ships, but no one dared
to mention such things to him, for
Captain Popcastle was no man to be
tampered with and ho could throw n
knife and shoot a gun so well that ev¬
eryone knew he never missed his
mark.
All of the wealth gained from hi*
enterprises definitely was a burden to
Captain Popcastle for he was contin¬
ually afraid that someone would rob
him. So he decided to put his money
ft?/ SYLVIA FOB II
and jewels in a chest and bury it
where only he could find it. One night,
when there was no moon shining, he
slipped out into the darkness with
the chest; and when he returned, his
hands were empty. No one knew where
he had hidden the treasure.
The next day at late dusk, he stood
in the doorway of the inn. Looking up,
hr* saw a woman coming down the
road. Although she was young and
very lovely, there was weariness in
her drooping figure and she walked
stumhlingly as if half-spent. When
she reached the gate, she crumpled up
like n fan and fell.
Captain Popcastle rushed out and
picked her up. As he did. the hood
of her cloak fell hack and her hair, a
warm, red-brown, tumbled down over
his arm*. Who was she and from
where had she come! The since coach
must have stopped to rest the horse*
and when *ho got out for a stroll,
drove oil without her.
Decided to Keep Her
But Captain Popcastle refused to
worry about the circumstances of tho
lovely lady’* visit. She was *0 voting
and so beautiful that he decided to
keep her for his own. He would lavish
his wealth upon her; he would give
her his chest of gold and jewel* and
a coach with golden wheels; anything
just to keep her with him.
He carried her into the largest guest
room of the inn and laid her upon the
high four-poster bed. As he -lid so, she
opened her eyes — eyes with the deep
bine of May skies buried in their
depths.
The girl sol up quickly, swinging
her feet olf the bed. "The conch," she
A JEFFERSON STANDARD
POLICY
Is a Declaration of Independence
/or the Fa mill/
•aid, "they stopped to rest tho hornet;
I went for a walk and they left me.
I have walked miles since." Her
lip* trembled as she looked down at
her tattered sandals.
Captain Popcastle knelt beside her
and took her bruised feet in his hands,
rubbing them gently. “Stay with me,"
he told her, “and you will never have
to walk again. I will give you jewels
and a coach with golden wheels."
The girl stared at him. "You mean
you will give me these things with¬
out knowing who I am or from where
I
сото?"
The Captain nodded, her beauty
making him reckless and careless of
caution. "Why should I care to know
your name? What does it matter who
you arc? What does it matter if 1 am
Po|»cnstle, the pirate? We are safe
here from the rest of the world. I am
safe from capture by the king's
men and I am making more money
than I ever made scuttling Engli-b
ships.”
The girl dropped her tired eyelid*,
covering the sudden light that flashed
into her eves and rose quickly, "(live
me time to think," she whispered.
“I.oa vo mo for an hour, then come for
your «newer."
The Captain went down to tho »n-
loon, hi* eve* glowing with triumph.
The girl would be his within an hour,
for gold could buv anv woman; but
with her fresh bcautv. she «a* worth
t'ered the bar. the
ll-i CMkfncd to flu r-1
•Drinks, everybody." he
, “drinks on the hou»e."
any pi
lights
bright^
I in ran»
The Passing Hour
\ч
ibi* rcvollm crowded iihtnit i
|ц»
I nr. tho Captain kept hi-» glance on
iIh* clock, watching the minutes click
by. At tho passing of each quarter
hour he took a stiff drink and laughed
with greater -uretv. When the hour
was up. be dashed upstair* to the girl
who was to bo the queen of Popcastle
Inn. Opening the guest room door, he
( Continued on page iu-cnly-one)
7
