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

English who had lain down TO sleep last night,
unsuspecting and happy, on the Island of Sill.
ver-Store
CHAPTER H.
The Prison IN the Woods.
There we all stood, huddled up on the beach
under the burning sun, with the Pirates CLOSING
US In On every side, as forlorn company of
helpless men, women, and children. as ever was
gathered together out OF any one nation in the
world. kept my Thoughts ~ myself; but |
did not in my heart believe that any one of our
lives was worth five minutes purchase.
The man on whose will our safety or our de.
struction depended was the Pirate Captain. All
our eyes, by kind of instinct, fixed themselves
on him-excepting in the case of the poor chill
dren, who, too frightened to cry, stood hiding
their faces against their mothers gowns. The
ruler who held all the ruff ans about US in sub
lection was, Judging by appearances, the very
last man / should have picked out as likely to
I'LL place OF power among any body of men,
good or bad, under heaven. By nation, he
was Portuguese and, by name he was gene
rally spoken of among his men ss the Don. He
was little, active, weazen, monkey.faced man,
dressed IN the brightest colors and the finest
made clothes ever saw. His three.cornered
hat was smsrtly cooked on one side; his coat.
skirts of the dandies in the Mall in London.
When the dance was given at the Island. saw
no such lace on any lady's dress there, as saw
on his cravat and ruffies. Round his neck he
wore thick gold chain, with diamond cross
hanging from 1t. His lean, wiry, brown fin.
gers were covered with rings. Over his shout
ders, and falling down in front to below his
waist, he wore sort of sling of broad scarlet
cloth, embroidered with beads and little feath
ers, and holding at the lower part four loaded
pistols, two on side, lying ready to either
hand. His face was mere skin and bone. and
one of his wrinkled cheeks had a blue scar
running all across it, which drew up that part
of his face, and showed his white shining
teeth on that side of his mouth. An uglier,
meaner, weaker man-monkey, to look at,
never saw; and yet there was not one of his
crew, from his mate to his cabin boy. who did
not obey him as If he had beeh the greatest
monarch in the world. Az for the Sambos in
Guiding especially that evil.minded scoundrel
Christian George King, they never went near
him without seeming to want to roll before him
on the ground, for the sake of winning the
honor OF having one of his little dancing mas
ters feet set on their black bullock bodies.
There this fellow stood, while we were look.
a."o - S.s--'' .Ais ias'o tine Unc.rycu ENG
ilshman) stood by nina big, hulking fellow
he was, who might have eaten the Captain I'D.
pistols and ALL and looked about for more af.
forwards. The Don himself seemed, to an igno.
rant man like me, to have gift of speaking in
any tongue he liked. l can testify that his
English ratified out of his crooked lirs as fast
as if it was natural to them; making allow.
ance, OF course, for his foreign way of clipping
his words"
Now, Captain" says the big mate, running
his eye over us as if we were herd of cattle,
here they are. What's to be done with
| them?
g Are they all eff the IslandS" says the Pi.
rate Captain.
"All of them that are alive" says the mate.
Good. and very good" says the Captain
Now, Giant Georgy, some paper, pen, and
| a horn of ink"
Those things were brought Immediately.
Something to write on" says the Pirate
Captain. What? Hal why not broad Mig
gers back 2"
He pointed with the end of his cigar to one
OF the Sambos. The man was pulled forward,
and set down on his knees, with his shoulders
rounded. The Pirate Captain laid the paper
on them, and took dip OF ink then suddenly
turned up his snub nose with look of disgust,
and, removing the paper again, took from his
pocket fine cambria handkerchief edged with
lace, smelt at the scent On it, and afterwards
laid 1t delicatelY over the Sambo's shoulders.
:" a table OF black mans back, with the sun
on 1t, close under my nose-ah, Giant Georgy,
pah pah |" says the Pirate Captain, putting
the paper on the handkerchief, with another
grimace expressive of great disgust.
de began to write i'm mt diately, waiting from
time to time to consider little with himself;
and once stopping, apparently, to count our
numbers as we stood before him. To think of
that villain knowing how to write, and OF my
not being able to make 80 much as q decent
po:.hook, if it had been to save my life
When he had done, he signed to one of his
men to take the scented handkerchief off the
Sambo's back, and told the sailor he might
Keep 1t tor his tronble. Then, holding the
written paper open in his hand, he came for.
wara step or two eloaer to ua, and said, with
grin end mock bow, which made nv FIN.
gers itch With wanting to be at him.
~ have the honor of addressing myself to
the ladies. According to my reckoning. they
are fifteen ladies in all. Does any one of them
belong to the chief officer of the sloop?v
There was momentary silence
GU don't answer ma," says the Pirate
Captain. wow, | mean to be answered.
Look here, woman" He drew one of his four
pistols out Of his gay scarlet sling, and walked
up to lom Packer, who happened to be stand.
ing nearest TO him OF the men prisoners.
" This pistol, and it is loaded. / nut the
barrel to the head of this man with nv right
hand, and take out my watch with my left.
wait five minutes for an answer. II / don't
get it in five minutes, ! bloY THE mans bpains
out ! wait Ave minutes again, and if / don't
get an answer, / blow the next mans brains
out. And so 60 on, if you are obstinate, and
your nerves are strong, till not one of your sol.
diers or your sailors is left. On my word of
honor, as gentleman buccauier, / promiqe
you that. Ask my men if I ever broke my
-, Ae rested the barrel OF the pistol against |
Tom Packers head, and locked at his watch,
as perfectly composed, in his catlike cruelty,
as II be was waiting for the boiling of an egg.
II you think it best not to answer him, Ia
dies" says Tom, "never mind me. It's my
trade to risk my life; and ! shaii loqa it in q
"a brave man, said the Pirate Captain,
lightly. SWELL, ladies, are you going to sacri.
fee the brave MANI"
we are going to save him." said Miss Ma.
ryon, as he has striven to cave US. I belong
to the captain of the sloop. ] an L:s sister,
She stopped, and whispered anxiously to Mrs
Macy, who was standing with her, "Don't ac.
knowledge yourself, as have done-you have
children"
GOOD ~ said the Pirate Captain. "Ths