True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-10-14

Never before had we seen the captain
look so perfectly savage as he did then.
The blood even left his face, a phenume-
ma which no circumstance had ever pro.
duced before in ouv sight He gszed for
full minute upon the mate, and then he
turned and went down TO his cabin. AT.
ter he had gone, Mr.. Wales stood with
bis arms folded across his breast and bis
eyes bent upon the deck.
'What do you think he means to do 2
whispered Asa Rodgers, the second mate
IL don't know" calmly returned
W ales. "He may do what he pIeases
but will stand his insults no longer"
"And by the heavens above me, the
crew will stand by you-every man Of
them," uttered Rogers. "If he dares
10 lay hand upon you, we will fasten
to him."
The mate grasp ed Rodgers hand, and
as he looked around upon the crew, who
had all moved on to that quarter deck, we
could see that he looked grateful.
At this moment captain Stark returned
and bore in his hands pair of heavy pol.
ished silver-mounted pistols. lie ap.
preached the mate and extended the but
of one of the pistols.
/" Here take it," he said. The BLOOD
had returned to his face and his nerve.
were steady.
Instincively Mr.. Wales took the pis
tol and as he did so, the captain drew
third from his pocket.
"This," he said, raising the silver
mounted pistol, sis for you. And this
he added holding up the other aud cock
ing it, "is for the first man who dares tt
interfere, Now 60 forward Mr.. Wales
clear away TO the calhead, sir--and
will give the word when to fire. Eithe
you or must die. No man shall call m,
a brute in the presence oil my crew, ant
live. Go sir-you have an equal chance
with me-.
Mr.. Wales shuddered when he saw
the demon eye Of Buffe Stark fixed upon
him. He had a wife and children in New
York, and l knew that he thought o
them then. He was no hand at using the
pistol, while he knew that Stark "was ;
dead shot"
1--WE all saw that there was murder in
the captains soul. He was determined
to kill the mate, ut he feared TO lay him
self accusad of the crime Of premeditaied
murder in the presence of the whole
crew. In care The fearful duel took
place, we knew that Wales was dead
man.
"Come. sir, are you going, or are you
too much of a coward 7" cried Stark.
81 must leave message for my wife
and children. first" said Wales.
"Then hurry about it," rejoined the
captain, with look of fendish exulta.
ton.
Wales had just turned towards Rogers,
but before he could speak, uns of the men
who stood in the larboard gangway, re.
ported that sail had just hove in sigh,
around the cape. She was brigantine,
and not more than five miles Distant
Captain Stark hurried to the binnacle aud
got his glass, and he gazed through il
for Some moments upon the brigantine.--
When he lowered the glass, he had tur
ned pale, and his limbs quivered like the
leaves Of the aspen.
Jump to the braces" he shouted, in
unmistakeable accents of terror. lie
90 the slarboard braces and round in, uE
with the helm handsomely. Lay ,h'
yards square, and get up the stud'n's'l
on both Sides"
Stark stood by the wheel while h,
gave these orders, and he showed tbt
agony which he felt. The wind was
from the northwest, and the brigantiu,
was nearly dead 10 windward. The bari
was soon flying off to the south'rd an,
eastrd with the wind dead aft, and III
brigantne had given chase.
As | remarked at first, the bark wa
not fast sailer, and il was soon eviden
that THE brigantine was rapidly gaining
Stark walked up and down the quarter
deck with quick, nervous strides, an
great drops Of perspira'ion gathering up
on his brow. The crew were lost i
wonder at his behaviour. We had rea
son 10 suppose that our chaser was a pi
rate, bu. we could not conceive how tia
brutal man could be so much moved b
the circumstance.
In less than an hour the brigan.ine FIRE
one Of her how. .chassers, and the ba
struck the water under our larboard qual
Ter. throwing the spray all over our deck
1--WE might as we'll heave to-" said MI
McWayne, our sepercargo, who had bee
sometime watching the pirate, for sue
we now knew her to be. She may sin
US if she pleases,"
"Then let her sink u.s." uttered Stark
"BuI am not so fond of being sunk.
persisted the supercargo. "If we heav
to and let him come up he may show i
some quarter. or course we cannot Tu
away from him." = 41
II will heave to, when / think necesl
ary," resumed the captain, in q ton
which plainly indicated that he woul
bear no more.