Madison Whig advocate. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1839-1841, 1839-06-22

expression worn by all the hideous |
countenances Of our lawless crew. Dir |
ty, bearded and already seeming blood, |
their eyes flashing with fires of cupid
ty and cruelty, the wretches all gazed |
in the direction of their prey, as though
they wished to annihilate the distance
which separated them from it. In
very brief space we neared our victim, |
large merchantmen, whose appear
ance promised at once easy conquest and
rich booty. At signal from Stamar,
shot was fired across her bows to bring
her to. She Immediately hoisted a white |
flag, and began to take in her sails; but
this obviously pacific inclination was
quite thrown away upon the commander |
of the Shark. Give that fellow a shot
between wind and water,'' cried he; sit
will perhaps teach him to be quicker in
his manGuyres, and not keep worthy
fellows so long waiting"
We were now within pistol-shot of
the strangers, and Peters, bringing his
musket to bear upon one of her crew,
fired and knocked the mans straw-hat
from his head, frightening the poor dew
il good deal, no doubt, but doing him
no farther injury.
"Pretty fair thatr' said Stamar; ''but
another time level lower. Halloa, you
sugar hogshead! send a boat aboard
for u.s.
The order was obeyed on the instant,
and the boat coming alongside US, a
young and handsome man leaped upon
our deck, without the slightest appear
ance of fear or suspicion.
.'Who the devil are you?" demanded
Stamar, "lobolly-boy of yon craft, or
cooks swab's second mate?''
Il am neither one nor the other, SIR" re-
piled the young man, firmly, Il am her
lieutenant"
"Oh, well, Mr.. Lieutenant, you see
my fag-lt's red as perhaps you can
perceive. Go you back and send your
captain hither; | am not in the habit OF,
treating with swabs of lower rank"
Pale with anger, and knitting his
brows, the young man preserved how
ever sufficient mastery over mis- temper
to depart without reply; and in a few
minutes the boat returned bringing the
captain.
"Where are you bound from?" de-
manded Stamar.
''From Martinique"
"What's your Iading?''
''As usual from that port-sugar and
coffee"
but how about specie? None of
that, eh?7
The French captain made no reply
The sound, Of his voice, when he first
spoke, had struck me as being very ia
miliar to me; and the more | pOndered
the more certain ] became that this cap
tain who had so unhapiIy fallen into our
power, was well known to me. Stamar,
guessing the truth from the captains, 81
lence, resumed-'I see how it is-you
have specie on board! Well; your boat
will Just do to bring US so much of your
freight as we may find it convenient to
accept Of"
"There is no help for it." replied the
unfortunate captain, 'and faIsehood |
would be disgraceful without being of
any service. | frankly confess, then,
that we have specie on board. To it and
to every thing else we have you are
welcome; but | trust that in return for
my giving you no trouble, you will al
low me and my crew to depart without
experiencing any personal i'll treat
ment.
''For whom do you take us, mess
You may go as soon as our visit Is paid. |
Ny lieutenant will accompany you.
The captain Of the merchantmen bow
ed, and returned to go to his boat, ac-
companIed by Lorenzo.
Five or six times the merchantman's |
boat went and came, bringing off to US
all that the pirates judged to be worth |
taking.
All this time the captain of the luck
less merchantmen had been standing in |
silent expectation of the final orders of
Stamar, who now said TO him, ''You can
90 on your way now, my friend; and of
a surety you cannot say that we are SO
very wicked-we others"
The captain thus addressed bowed in
silence, hauled up his boat, and com
menced veering to proceed on his route.
The Shark then gently laid herself
broadside to; Stamar gave a signal to
the infamous Lorenzo, and exclaimed at
the same time to the merchantman'S cap
tain, .'AdIeu! a pleasant voyage to you'll"
Scarcely were the hypocrite's words
uttered when fearful explosion of our
Whole range OF guns snooh every plank
of the Shark, and for a few moments
both vessels were completely hidden in
the thick black clouds of smoke. Stamar
now gave the word, the Shark darted
forward under all sail; and when the
smoke had somewhat dispersed, we
could see the unfortunate merchant
man dreadfully torn by our shot-her
deck covered with wounded men, whose
cries and groans were truly dreadful.
On perceiving that our broadside had
merely crippled the merchantmen, In
stead of sinking her, Stamar flew into I
one of his fiercest paroxysms OF rage.
s.Foolsl brute beastse' he exclaimed,
stamping on the deck; '.why did they
not give it her between wind and water! {
It's mere waste of powder and shot. {
Master! start me all those novices-put
the very best men on board at the guns; !
4, IL I