The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1846-08-21

Well, we knew we were near the
African coast, and so we beat about
till daylight; but no sail appeared,
except merchant-man or two.
which we hailed, and from one OF
them we learned that small craft
had passed under her stern during
the night, which she at first suspec-
ted was pirate but she had kept
her course without attempting to
modest them. A good reason why
the lubbers knew there was a tight
brig of war close at her heels.
Mogadore was on our starboard.
and the captain made up his mind
to run close under it to reconnoitre.
We got into snug little cove under
the headland, and we let 90 the
stream cable, for there want wind
enough to blow a feather off the
spanshanklc, and the water was as
smooth as the chin of our dandy lieu
tenant, what never had beard
Well we spied two or three huts
along shore that seemed to belong
to some fishermen, for we could Just
see the little topmast of their craft
peeping over the sand-hill. SO we
manned boat, and the lieutenant,
with Joe Gibbons, myself and six
Others, went ashore to try what in
formation we could get. We took
Joe Gibbons, because he said he I'M
derstood their lingo. SO then we
went ashore, and came athwart one
of the huts, and we hailed them and
there came out to us a Jolly fellow,
who looked like Spaniard, although
perhaps little darker, and he spoke
enough Of broken English to make
himself understood. And Joe Glib
bons began to get his Spanish lingo
under weigh; bat somehow or other
he didn't sail on the right tack, be-
cause the Spaniard couldn't under
stand him.
SO the Lieutenant laughed, and
said, jeeringly, 81 tell you what, Joe
Gibbons, it strikes me that this man
will understand downright English
easier than your broken Spanish"
ooh yes, yes" exclaimed the
stranger, "me speak it English-me
like him English-yes, yes,-him
intendo English yer much"
And then our lieutenant spoke to
him, and asked him if he had seen a
strange sail, hut he shook his head,
as much as to say he had not. Now
we all knew he was telling a lie, and
so did the lieutenant.-Well, it was
no use threatening, because threats
would not squeeze the words out of
him; and so the lieutenant put five
pounds in purse, and held it up be-
fore him, and then the strangers
eyes began to glisten, and he seem
ed TO consider how he should con-
trive to obtain the purse. And he
was not long before he made up his
mind and then he put his finger on
his lips, and told US to draw round ,
him; and then he took up a stick,
and drew on the sand the very shape !
and likeness of the pirates ship
which we had seen the day previous.
And then he asked the lieutenant if
that was the ship he meant, and the
lieutenant said it was. And then he
described what course she had TAX
EN-, and gave all the information we
could desire and the lieutenant
was so well pleased with the fell
lows frankneSs that he gave him the
purse, which he clapped into his
pocket, and, boiling into the hut,
was out of sight in IA moment; but
he was soon back again, and he
brought out couple of bottles of
some sort of wine, and put it down |
before us, and he gave us a cup to /
drink out of; and the lieutenant SER
we'd it out to us, and very good it !
was, and when we had finished the .
wine, we looked around for the stran-
ger, but he had cut his cable, and
gone clean out of sight.
Well, we all thought this rather
odd, and we waited near quarter
If an hour in expectation that he
would return, but he did not. And
so the lieutenant said he would 90
:oward the hut, and we all began to
move forward, when the report of
.wo musketS, quickly fred in sue
'ession, brought us to a pause; and
t was very near chance we csca-
BED, for we heard the bullets whiz
over our heads.
"Conlound the rascals," cxclaim-
ID the lieutenant, edo they mean to
make targets ofuS? Come on, lads :;
cts take their huts by storm, and /
quite the skulking villains"
We all drew our cutlasses, and
prepared our pistols, and were about
o rush forward, when a gun from
'ur ship brought us to, and we saw
signal flying to call us on board.
50 we were obliged to give up the
dea of making the attack; and
umping into the boat, we got on
BOARD without delay.
The lieutenant told the captain