Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1850-11-30
Adventure with IL Pirate.

"oHl 10 W, aoout oticc Il year, 10 lie 1F'tti
Banks for the purpose Of catching codiisf
l. The old man had five things, upon the pecull
'e merits Of which he loved to boast-his schoon
er, "Betsy Jenkins" and his four sons. Tl
+ four sons were all that their father represente
r them to be, and no one ever doubted his wor'
o when he said that their like was not to b.
d found Tor fifty miles ..1vund. The Oldest wa
e. thirty-two, while the youngest had just ccm
pleted his twenty-siXth year, and they answer.
ed to the names Of Seth, Andrew. john, ans
, Samuel
One morning stranger called upon Jcde
dah 10 engage him to take to Havana some
iron .lachin ~ belonging to steam engines fol
sugar plantations The terms were soou
agreed upon, and the old man and his sons i'm
mediately set about putting the machinery on
board; that accomplished, they set sail for Ha-
vana, with fair wind, and for several days pro-
ceeded on their course without an adventure of
any kind. One morning. however, vessel
was deserted off their starboard quarter, which,
after some hesitation, the old man pronounced
to be pirate. There was not much time al
lowed them for doubling, for the vessel soon
saluted them with very agreeable whizzng
Of an eighteen pound shot just under their
stern
"That means for us to heave to-" remarked
the old man.
"]'hen guess we'd better do it, hadn't wes"
said Seth.
"Of course
Accordingly the Betsy Jenkins was brought
up into the wind, and her mainboom hauled
over to windward.'
"Now, boys" said the old man, as soon as
the schooner came to stand, "all we can do is
to be as cool as possible, and trust to fortune.
l &c, 10 4Io%T
but perhaps if we are civil they will take such
rate there is no use in crying about it, for it
can't be helped. Now, get your pistols and
see that they are surely loaded, and have your
knives ready, but be sure and hide them so
that the pirates shall see no showsof resistance
! In few moments all the arms which the
| schooner afforded, with the exception Of one
| or two old muskets, were secured about the
| persons of our Down Casters and they quietly
! awaited the coming of the schooner
"One word more, boys" said the old man,
Just as the pirate came round under the stern.
"Now watch every movement I make, an be |
ready to jump the moment speak"
As Captain Spinnet ceased speaking, the pi-
rate luffed up under the fisherman's lee-quar-
ter, and in a moment more the latters deck |
was graced by the presence of dozen as sa-
wage looking mortals as. eyes ever rested upon.
"Are you the captain of this vessel 2" asked |
the leader of the boarders, as he approached |
the old man.
ayes, SIR
"What is your cargo"
"Machinery for steam ingins.n
"Nothing else!" asked the pirate, with a
searching look.
At this moment Captain Spnnet's eye
caught what looked like sail off to the
southr'd and east'rd, but a sign betrayed the
discovery, and while brilliant idea shot
through his mind, he hesitatingly replied:
sWell, there isa leetle something else."
ala, and what is it!'
"Why, sir, p'raps hadn't oughtto tell" said
Captain Spinnet, counterfeiting the most ex-
treme perturbation. "You see, twas given to
me asa sort of trust, an 'twouldn't be right
else you please, for s'poseI can't help my
self
sYou are IN honest codger, Mt any rate" said
the pirate "but if you would live ten minutes
longer, just tell me what you've got on board,
and exactly the place where it lays.
The sight ofa cooked pistol brought the old
man to his senses, and in deprecating tone,
he muttered-
"Don't kill me, sir, don't I'll tell YOU all.
We've got forty thousand silver dollars nailed ,
up in boxes, and slowed away under some of
the boxes just forard O the cabin bulkhead,
but Mr.. Defoe didn't suspect that ANYBODY
would have thought of looking for it there" {
"perhaps so," chuekled the pirate, while his
eyes sparkled with delight. And then turning c
% his own vessel, he ordered all but three OF
lis men to jump on board the Yankee. G
In few moments the pirate had taken off i
he hatches, and in their haste to get at the
silver dollars" they forgot all else; but not so
With Spinnet; he had his wits at work, and no
ooner had the last of the villains disappeared
'elow the hatchway, than he turned to his
'oys: v
"Now, boys, for your lives. Seth, you clar
our knife across the forethroat and peak hal .
ards, an you, John, cut the m.,in Be quick, Il
ow, an the moment you've done it, jump
board the pirate. Andrew and Sam, YOU cast y
f the pirates graplings, an then you Jump .
hen we'll wa.s.nto them three chaps aboard u
le clipper. Now for IL :"
No sooner were the last words out of the old ~
lan's mouth, than his sons did exactly rs they r.
ad been directed. The fore and main hayards
ere cut, and the two graplings cast off al the
,me instant, and as the heavy gaffs came rat As
ing down, our five heroes leaped on board the
rate. The moment the clipper felt her lib %
.ty, her head swung off, and before the aston
he'd buccaneers could gain The deck Of the
sherman, their own vessel was half a cables
myth to leeWard, sweeping gracefully away y
,fore the wind, while the three men who had &c
'en left in charge were easily secured hf
aHalloa, there r shouted Capt. Spinnet, as &C
e luckless pirates crowded around the lee az
lngway Of their prize, "when you find them Y.
g silver dollars. just let US know, will your
Half a dozen pistol shots was all the answer
c old man got but they did him no harm, w
d, crowding on all sail, he made for The yes. | d