Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-05-28
ADVENTURE WITH A PIRATE.

! oy the name OF Jedediah Spnnet who owned
schooner OF some hundred tons burden. in which
together with four stout sons, was wont TO 90
about once year to the Grand Banks for n,
purpose of catching Goldfish The old man ha,
hve things, upon the peculiar merits of which
| he loved to boast-his schooner Betsev len
kIns, and his four sons, were all that their faith
er represented them to be, and no one ever doubt
ed his word when he said their like was not tc
be found for fifty miles around The Oldest wa:
thIrty-two, while the youngest had just compile
ted his twenty-fifth year; answered TO the name:
OF Seth, Andrew, John and Samuel
One morning stranger called upon Jedediaf
to engage him to take to Havana some iron ma
chlnery belonging to steam engines for sugar
plantations. The terms were soon agreed upon.
and the old man and his sons immediately set a.
bout putting the machinery on board; that &C.
complshed, they set sail for Havana, with a fair
wind, and for several days proceeded on their
course without an adventure of any kind One
morning, however, vessel was deserted off
their starboard quarter, which, after some hesita-
tlon, the Old man pronounced to be pirate
There was not much time allowed them for
doubling, for the vessel soon saluted them with
very agreeable whizzing of an eighteen pound
shot just under their stern.
That means for US to heave to-" remarked
the old man. "Then guess we'd better do it.,
hadn't we,'' said Seth. "Of course
Accordingly the Betsey Jenkins was brought
up into the wind, and her main-boom hauled over
TO WindWard.
Nov boys, said the old man as soon rs the
schooner came to stand call we can do is to be
as cool as possible, and trust to fortune. There
Is no way to escape that | can see now, but per-
haps if we are civil they will take such stuff as
they want, and then let US go. At any rate there
Is no use IN crying about IT, for it can't be help
ed. 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 show OF 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 pi-
rate.
Zone word more, boys" said the old man, Just
as the pirate came round under the STERN
Now watch every movement | make, and be
ready to jump the moment | speak"
AS Captain Spinnet ceased speaking, the pi-
rate lutted up Under the isherman's lee quarter,
and IN moment more the latters deck was ora
ced by the presence of dozen as savage look
ing mCrtals as eyes ever rested upon.
Are you the Captain of this vessel asked
the leader of the boarders, as he approached the
old man.
eyes, sir"
"What is your cargo ?"
'Alachinery tor steam ingins."
"Nothing else? asked the pirate, with pen
etrating look
Ar this moment Capt, Spinnets eye caught
what looked like sail off to the south ard and
BASTARD, but not a sign betrayed his discovery,
and while brilliant idea shot through his mind,
We5h' tGaFe r IS little something else.
ella, and what is it 20
"Why, sir, p'raps hadn't ought to tell, - said
Cap. Spinnet, countcrfeiting the most extreme
perturbation. "You see twas given me as a
sort of trust, an t'wouldn't be right for me to
give it up. You can take anything else that you
please, for spose | can't help myself"
"Gou are an honest codger, at 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 of a cooked pistol brought the old
man to his senses and in deprecating tone, ne
muttered--"Don't kill me, sir, don't. I'll tell
you all. We've got forty thousand dollars nail
cd up in boxes, and slowed away under some Of
the boxes just for'ard O. the cabin bulk head, but
Mr.. Detoe didn't suspect that any body would
'Perhaps So" chuckled the pirate, while his
eyes sparkled with delight. And then turning
to his own vessel, he ordered all but three of his
men to jump on board the Yankee. In few
moments the pirate had taken off the matches,
and in their haste to get at the "silver dollars,
they forgot all else; but not so with Spnnet :;
he had his wits at work, and no sooner had the
last OF the villains disappeared below the hatch
way, than he turned to his bows
'Now, boys, for your lives. Seth, you clap
your knife across the forethroat and peak hal
yards, an you, John, cut the main. Be quick,
now, an the moment you've done it jump aboard
the pirate. Andrew and Sam, you cast off the
pirates graplings, an then you jump--then
We'll walk into them three chaps aboard the clip
per. Now for 49,
No sooner were the last words ont of the old
mans mouth than bis sons did exactly as they
had been directed. The fore and main halyards
were cut, and the two graplngs cast off at the
same instant, and as the heavy gaffs came rat
Ting down, our five heroes leaped on board the
pirate. The moment the clipper felt her liber
", her head swung off, and before the astonish-
cd buccaneers could gain the deck of the fisher
man, their own vessel was half cables length
to leeward, sweeping gracefully away before the
wind, while the three men who had been left in
charge were easily secured.
"IIalloa, there - shouted Capt, Spinnet as
the luckess pirates crowded around the lee gang
way of their prza, ''when you find them ere sill
yer dollars, just let us know, will you!"
Half dozen pistol shots was all the answer
the old man got, but they did him no harm and
crowding on all sail, he made for the vessel he
had discovered, which lay dead TO leeward of
him, and which he now made ont to be large
ship. The clipper cut through the water like a
dolphin, and in a remarkably short space of time
Splnnet lutted up under the ships stern, and ex-
planned all that had happened. The ship proved
to be an East lndaman, bound for Charleston,
having oil told, thirty men on board, twenty of
whom at once jumped into the clipper and offer
ed their services in helping to take the pirates.
Before dark, Captain Spinnet was once more
within hailing distance of his own vessel, and,
raising a trumpet to his mouth, he shouted
Schooner ahoy Will you quietly surren-
der yourself prisoners, if we come on board ?"
Come AMI try it !" returned the pirate cap
tain, as he brandShed his cutass above his head
in a very threatening manner, which seemed to
indicate that he would fight to the last. But that
was his last moment, for Seth was cronched be-
low the bulwarks, taking deliberate aim along
the barrel OF heavy rifle, and as the bloody vii
lain was in the act OF turning to his men, the
sharp crack of Seth Spinnet's weapon rang its
fatal death peal, and the next moment the pirate
captain fell back into the arms of his men, with
brace OF bullets through his heart.
"Now," shouted the old man, as he leYelled the