The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-02-06
ASHLAND ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO, "WEDNESDAY MORN

to look or to think, sheet of smoke o.
Flames danced before my eyes, and on
the next instant howl like the roar oi
hundred lions burst upon my ears.
Beat 'em off! beat 'em offn' cried
a sharp, clear voice, which 1 at once re-
cognized as Ned's. and as heard it the
whole truth flashed upon me. spraag
to where half dozen of the villains, all
covered with fame, were trying to crowd
over the side. | awoke my men to .
comprehension of the fortune that had
burst upon US, and the few who were
trying to board US were either shot or
driven back. The breeze was now fresh
and in very few moments more We
shot ahead, leaving the proa, all envek
oped in fame, at safe distance asterp,
while her crew, every man of them bad
leaped into the water to extinguish the
fire that clcng to them.
AS soon as we were safe, and our
nerves had become somewhat composed
we looked into the strange fortune that
had saved us, and soon understood it,
Noble Ned Grover, while / thought him
hiding from the enemy, was setting on,
foot plan which had entered his head
alone. In the forepeak there was q
large can of pure spirits of turpentine.i
Ned had taken the cooks great copper
kettle, which held some twelve gallons,
and filled it as full as he dared with the
infamable stuff, and then he had watch:
his opportunity.
The moment he thought the proa near
enough, he set fire to the spirits, and
then lifting the kettle high up by its
sides, he made his way aft, SO that the
wind would help him, and with a care
ful strong throw he sent the fiery mass
into the boat It went in one sheet, all
blazing and kissing. and the light cotton
clothing of the pirates ignited instantly
OF course the villains were blinded and
startled by the unexpected visitation,
and 1 don't suppose they knew much
what they were about until they got in
to the water The wind, which was
just then starting fresh, carried the bla-.
zing liquor the whole length fthe boat
and you know even half dozen drops |
of it would have been enough to set
taeir cotton shirts on fire.
The old Yankee now gathered headwayl
good, and ere long the proa and her
crew we're far astern. The boat was
still smoking and burning like mad, and
we could see that most of the pirates
we're striking out for the island, for Of
course they couldn't go near their boat.
But it isn't very likely that one of them
ever reached the shore, for the fresh
breeze had kicked up smart wave, and
their heads were under water halfof the
time. I took my glass and went up to
the mizzen-top, and for a while I watch
I'd the bloody scamps. I could see them
one after another, sink out of sight, and
[ knew that none of them would do any
more murders But in little while
the few heads that were left struggling
above water were beyond the reach of
my sight, and came down.
1t isn't much use of my telling how
Ned Grover was dispose of, for you can
Judge for yourselves. Yet he was mod
est and mild as ever, and begged us not
to say anything more about it. When
We got home the owners made him ac-
,ept thousand dollars, and me promise
to teach him navigation. Ned is now
four- and twenty-as noble fellow as
you could wish to see-and last month
ne left New York as captain of the ship
Daniel Boone-Now, who comes next?