The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1859-04-09
The Pirate.


A correspondent Of the n. " Chronicle
sends theIollovipg true Incident to that pa
per 90 an Illustration Of the power Of the
/ Prince Of Peace, The citation IL given by
/ the captains
. Twenty seven years ago the ship ! COM
mpudrd WHs On mission Of mercy Laden
with generous contributions of d New Eng
| land city she was bound 90 the Cape de
b Verde with bread Tor the Amine-slrlcken and
dying,
! Il was The fourteenth dag out in tho first
| Rrry Of The morning. that the mate aroused
me- with the startling intelligence that Is sua-
piCiuus vessel was IN sight with the first
ray Of light tho yigilint officer had deserted
| hcr aud she was su Hcaras 90 bo made Out
WITH lhe glass, went. on deck 10 pn Ia
slant,
The dut Stance ut the stranger almosl di,
ptll,d the fear chat tho mates alarm had
caused,
"Why, Nc Iarku,"I said laughing a.
spoke, "lhere IL nothing suspicious in that
lubberly looking craft, She is a Portuguese
] hHgautnc-ahe can't sail"
-"Ahe lnukA like that -lu.ld.' the mlio 90,
/ piled, "but jg't look nov a. the men on her
deck" -
/ One glance NJ the telescope Was enough %
SATISFY me that the mate was right
at ih no hunuat craft, M, Lurhin,' ! said,
"but she may not be o pirate fuf all that
| One need not he surprised 10 Gdl 10 with %
SLAYER hereabouts"
"She i no Shaver, Captain"
"Why do you think SOL"
"llccause there are guns on her deck, in
stead of Wntcr'cnsks."
Asif 70 put an end 20 our sprcululuns, the
suspicious vessel began 10 spread more can
Nass, aud ~ she gathered away with the
irchhruinB breeze, they ran up her foremost
q ilng, which when Il reached the truck, un-
shook - folds IN the Wind, On a white
field We Jaw the terrible insignia OF the free
hootcr, the deaths head aud cross bones,
painted la diaboioal black
We mad" all the sail We could, hut escape
Was impossible, A gun from the pirate, and
a ball whistiug over us speedily brought ~
%, The pirate came quickly along like
panther which II sure OF ia prey, aud Ia no
great hurry 10 seize H. The moment be-
came within speaking distance, lac hailed and
ordered me 10 launch boat aud come on
board. We got out the qunrler.boat, and |
vas about 20 jump into her to pay my res.
pcct' Ia person to the villains, when Mr..
Lnrkin asked leave 10 co.
III they want the captain" said hc, "et
them send for him. III see Il the mate won't |
answer aS we'll"
"lle descended 10 the bod,, which began /
TO pull back Almost at the same instant a |
launch was swung over the rail, into which .
twenty HaVage'lookiug rascals, armed 90 the .
teeth, sprung and pulled towards us. Ten
minutes afterwards they were on board of .
my vessel, and began clearing away the main
hatch.
The loadcr,a sWarthy fellow, whose cyca,
blacl, and hazy, and half concealed by the
lids, expressed cruelty and cunning, approach
al "A | 80 nd nd Ia ,...Ft
fair English.
Are you captain Of this ycsscl'"
"Ncs,' | replied.
whats your cargo ?'
Flour"
"Whcrc from?'
"liostun."
"Whcrc 60 ~
"Cape dc Verde"
"why, the, re all starving there" he said,
opening his eyes and looking full at me.
Eyes, and the -four in my vessel was free
ly given by the good Christians TO feed those
starving people"
The rascal continued his deliberate gaze n
moment, turned toward his men. who by this
iiiiit hsA hfrke4 iHia THE iitaiii lif,i,ii iiiit
a rough, commanding tone spoke few words
ia Spanish, which | could not make out. The
men looked up in astonishmcnt aud then
Withdrew TO the side, where they stood guz.
liE thhlthhTiN az Nl'iI tdIidlllt Tor. huGN was
my interrogation. lie thrust his hand behind
him and walked to aud fro quickly for five
mnutcs-thcn hc said sharply, turning TO !.
me:
"Iou Americans ARE all herctcs-why
should you send flour TO feed the Catholics p"
because they are our fellow men, and
their Saviour is our Saviour" answered,
astouishcd at the conduct of the man.
"lr you lie to me, he cried with fierce
al. ~ A.
nail YOU TO your deck. Is this cargo the free
gift of your couutrymcn 10 tho starving ?"
"lll prove 1t to you 10y my papers" | an
swcrcd.
"l don't want to see your papers--swear
il 10y the Saviour whose name YOU have Just
pronounced" As he spoke he crossed him
self deyoutly.
81 ,wear il by the Holy Trinity" replied, ,
iolemnly.
The pirate lifted his enp and bent his head
lcvoutly, when mentioned the Trinity. He
stood still with his head bent over whiie one
night have moderately counted fifty. When
le raised himself up, II seemed to me there
Sas less ferocity in his countenance. His
yes were no longer half closed, but open :
md clearer in their depths, | looked stead-
y at him.
Captain" he said courtcousiy. "cnn you
upply me with two or three casks of wa
cr ~
! gave the order, and the water was lower
ID into the boat. A word from him sent his :
ut-thronts over the side, and after n mo-
ncnts hesitation, he approached me with his f
lnnd extended. a
God bless YOU" he exclaimed, as he left
ny grasp land send you where the starving
ire praying for bread"
The next moment he was gone.
Nj T c II T. l. LIS PATEN