The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-04-06
no one calls my character In question with i'm


viii you not endeavor to have some respect
for the feelings of others?'
L have, sir, all that is necessary. Do
you suppose that l care for your siekening,
babyish, soft pated piety? Not bit of it,
| You have insulted me. First at the table
/ for actions speak as well as words. Your leav
ing as you did. and thus interrupting me IN the
midst of a narrative. was gross insult, and
I you meant it as SUCH
You are mistaken, sir"
You lie. sir!'' exclaimed Savage, now fair
ly enraged at the young mans perfect cool
ness-"You did mean 1t as an insult Now,
sir. you must answer for it. You shall al
swer for it. VIII you take the sword or
pistole'
..Neither, sir Let me be in peace--that is
''Y ou won't fight, eh?''
"No. sir"
SHOW will your
I As Savage thus spoke, he struck the young
man with the fat of his hand upon the cheek.
"Now will you fight"
Walter Legrand turned as pale as death,
but not nerve or muscle moved. In mo-
ment more the blood returned to his face, and
he looked the brutal man calmly in the eye.
Captain Savage" he at length said, in a
low, tomb. like voice, "I cannot fight you, nor
have 1 any wish to do so. If YOU feel hap
pier after what you have done, you are well
come to the emotion You may think my
course strange one, but l have no explains
ton to make
Coward Kissed the brute.
Again that deathly palor spread over the
young mans face. and l could see that the
nails of his fingers were fairly eating into the
palms of his hands. He was silent but mo-
ment and when he spoke again it was in the
same calm strange tone:
Captain Savage, leave me, sir. | have
harmed you not, and now | am in possession
Of my senses. Leave me, or l may be made
a madman.''
Savage was on the point of saying more
when | interfered
Captain, SAID |, s.let this subject drop now
"Y You are wholly in the fault, and l will see
the young man abused no more"
"Do you interfere?' exclaimed Savage,
turning madly towards me.
II do" returned, land | mean what |
say, | command here. and you will be wise if
you obey
"And suppose do not choose to obey9"
Il think it will be an uncomfortable expert
ment for you to try" was the reply"
Now | owe to Dame Nature some thanks
for having given me frame more powerful in
its physical mould than she ordinarily bestows
upon her mortal children. and long command
of turbulent spirits in the shape of refractory
sesmen, had given not only decision of
character. but had written the fact pretty
plainly on my countenance. Savage looked
chop fallen expression OF countenance:
20. vey we'll You are captain, and
suppose it would be open mutiny to resist
vou.'' And with that he walked away
Now to tell the truth hoped the fellow
would have shown some more resistance, for
had made up my mind TO knock him down
and nut hin, in irons, but was disappointed;
/ though, upon more calm reflection, OF course
l was glad affairs had turned the way they
did
This event cast a sort Of cloud over the
spirits of the passengers for several days, and
though Savage refraned from most of his pro
family, yet l could see that not only he but
the others looked upon Walter Legrand as
coward. The young man himself seemed TO
notice it, for he was taciturn and sedate. and
l often noticed that his eyes dropped before
the gaze of others, and that his lips trembled
Early one morning land was reported upon
the larboard bow. l knew it to be the Bour-
bon Island The wind was very light. the
ship not making more than three knots with
her royals and studding sails. About the
middle Of the forenoon we saw long quiac-
! built boat or rather vessel-come out from one
of the coyes of the island. l leveled my
glass upon the craft, and found it to be full Of
men There were seventy yfve at least
..Captain, what is she?'' asked Savage, ap-
preaching the spot where | stood.
81 think there is not much danger in setting
,, her down for pirate l replied. 81 have
heard that there was a nest oi pirates on the
Bourbon Island, and l think we are likely te
find it true
-
'They will be likely 10 be ugly customers
won't they
'Of course they will. They certainly out
number us three to one, and are in all proba
bility stout, reckless fellows
. But YOU don't think they will follow th'
! rule of putting all their prisoners to death, d.
: you?"
s.You can Judge of that as well as l can,
was my reply; and then l turned TO the men
: l could see that Savage was much frightened
and in fact nearly al were startled by the ap
pearance of the suspicious boat The pres
ence of pirate is not pleasant theme for an
one, and more especislly these land pirates
for they generally make it a practise TO pu
their prisoners 10 death, so that their haunt
may not be exposed.
We had no carriage gun, but there wer
eutlasses and pistols enough on board for tn
~ crew, and | lost no time in arming my mel
All told we mustered forty-o men, II
ships crew. including myself, made twent.
;, nine. and there We're twelve of the passenger
though l knew not whether to count upo
y. Walter Legrsnd or not. However. he eou
~ FIRE a pistol. and that was something.
- By the time | had made these arran z
@ menls, the quiac was in two cable lengths
Us. and We could see that there were near
al eighty men on board of her-not 50 gre
b. odds As We had at first supposed, but still tS
y, 70 one against US. We could see. too, tn
they Were all of them powerful boxing f