The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-01-28

whole crowd of Pirates There we're Malays
among them, Dutch, Maltese, Greeks, Sambos,
Negroes, and Convict Englishmen from the
West India Islands; among the last, him with
the one eye and the patch across the nose.
There were some Portuguese, too, and few
Spsniards. The Captain was Portuguese
little man with very large earrings under a
very broad hat, and great bright shawl twist.
90 about his shoulders. They were all strong
armed, out like boarding party, with pixies,
s"oros, cutiasses, and axes. l noticed a good
reny PISTOLS but not gun of any kind among
had considered that continued roll Of muskei
~ might perhaps have been heard on the
mainland also, that for the reason that fire
would be seen from the mainland. thew would
not set the Fort in flames and roast us alive
wnicn was one of their favorite WAYS of carry.
ing on. l looked about for Christian George
Ming, and II had seen him, am much mista.
Ken II ne would not have received nv one
round OF bail-cartridge in his head But, no
christian George King was visible. T.
sort OF wild Portuguese demon. who
seemed eithAr herce-mad or fierce .drunk-but
they all seemed one or the other-can,e forward
WIN the black flag, and gave it wave or two.
After that, the Portuguese Captain called out
In shrill English. 81 cay you English fools
Open the gate Surrender"
AS we kept close and quiet, he said some.
thing to his men which / didn't understand &.
and when he had said it, the one eyed English
rascal with the patch (who had stepped out
when ne began) said it again in English. It
was only this Boys of the black flag, this is
to be quickly done. Take all the prisoners YOU
can. Ii they don't yield, kill the children to
make them. Forward Then they all came
on at the gate, and in another half minute
were smashing and splitting it in.
we struck at them through the gaps and
shivers, and We dropped many of them, too !;
out their very weight would have carried such
q gate, If they had been unarmed. I soon found
Sergeant Drooce at my side. forming ma s;x
remaining marines in line-Tom Packer next
to me-and ordering us to fall back three PAGES.
ana, as they broke in, to give them our one
little volley at short distance. "Then." saws
ne, receive them behind your breastwork on
the bayonet, and at least let every man of YOU
pin one OF the cursed cockchafers throuph the
body"
we checked them by our fire, slight as it
was, and we checked them at the breastwork.
However, they broke over it like swarms of
deviis-they were, really and truly, more devils
than men-and then it was hand to hand in.
deed
We dubbed our muskets, and laid about us
even then, those two ladies-always behind
me-were steady and ready with the arms. I
had a lot of Maltese and Malays upon me. and
but for broad-sword that Miss Maryon's own
hand put in mine, should have got nv end
from them. But was that all? No. Isaw a
heap OF banded dark hair and white dress
come thrice between me and them, under nv
own raised right arm, which each time might
have destroyed the wearer of the white dress ;
and each time one of the lot went down, struck
dead.
Drooce was armed with broad-sword, too,
and did such things with it, that there was a
cry, IN half dozen languages, of "Kill that
Sergeant as | knew, by the cry being raised
IN Englsh, and taken up in other tongues l
had received severe cut across the left arm a
few moments before, and should have known
nothing of it, except supposng that somebody
had ST. uck me smart blow, if / had not felt
weak, and seen myself covered with spoutine
blood, and, at the same instant of time, seen
MISS Maryon tearing her dress, and binding it
with Mre. Fishers help round the wound. Thew
10 stop anu guafu tue vuu nnruuUu, wuII,z
was bound, or l should bleed to death in try.
ing to defend myself. Tom stopped directly,
with good sabre in his hand.
In that same moment-all things seem to
happen in that same moment, at such a time
halt dozen had rushed bowling at Sergeant
Drooce. The Sergeant, stepping back against
the wall, stopped one howl forever with such a
terrible blow, and waited for the rest to come
on, with such wonderfully unmoved face, that
they stopped and looked at him.
"See him now |" cried Tom Packer. snow,
when l could cut him out Gill, did / tell you
to mark my words 2"
implored Tom Packer, in the Lords name,
as we'll as could in my faintness, to go to the
Sergeant's aid
az hate and detest him. saws Tom, mood;lv
wavering. "Still, he is brave man." Then
he calls out -" Sergeant Drooce, Sergeant
Drooce! Tell me you have driven me too hard,
and are sorry for it."
The Sergeant, without turning his eyes from
his assailants, which would have been instant
death to him, answers
"No, WON'T"
sergeant Drooce!" cried Tom, in a kind
OF an agony, have passed my word that
would never save you from death, if / could,
but would leave you to die. Tell me you have
driven me too hard, and are sorry for it, and
that shall go for nothing"
One of the group laid the Sergeant's bald
bare head open. The Sergeant laid him dead.
tell you," says the Sergeant, breathing a
little short, and waiting for the next attack,
No, won't. Ii you are not man enough to
strike for fellow-sodier because he wants
help, and because of nothing else, I'll 90 into
the other world, and look for better man."
Tom swept upon them, and cut him out.
Tom and he fought their way through another
knot of them, and sent them flying, and came
over to where was beginning again to feel, with
indispensable joy, that had got sword in my
hand.
They had hardly come to US, when / heard,
above all the other noises, tremendous CRY of
women's voices. l also saw Miss Maryon, with
quite . new face, suddenly clap her two hands
over Mrs. Fishers eyes. looked towards the
silverhouse, and saw Mrs. Notwithstanding
upright on the top of the trench, with her gray
hair aad her dark eyes-hide her daughters
child behind her, among the folds of her dress,
strike pirate with her other hand, and fall,
shot By his pistol.
The cry arose again, and there was a terri.
BILE snd confusing rush of the women into the
midst OF che struggle. In another moment,
something came tumbling down upon me, that
l thought was the wall. 1t was heap of Sam.
Dos, who had come ever the wall and of four
men who chung to my legs like serpents, one
who clung to my right leg was Christian George
King.
"Yup, SoJeerl" says he, "Christian George
King sar berry glad So Jeer prisoner. Chris.
tan George King been waiting for So.Jeer
sect long time. Yup, yupl"
What could l do, with ve.and-twenty of
then on me, but be tied hand and loot 2 So,
l WAS tied hand and foot. 1t was all over now
boas not come back-all lost When was
fast bound, and was put up against the wall,
theone-eyed English convict came up with the
Portuguese captain, to have look at me.
'See says he, "here's the determined
msn If you had slept sounder, last night,
you'd haye slept your soundest last night, my
deerEined man.