The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-08-02
| should think it was lilo when | retired.


utes later when l was awakened from a
light sleep by pecu lar sound in the cap
tain's room, which l knew instnctlve,y
could only have been produced by an AK
cleaving Amiel's skull. No sooner did the
"thush" strike upon my ear than | leaped
out of bed, and leaning against the door
casing in the partition, saw the steward dart
through the twlight--for he had extin-
guished the light--noiseless as cat, across
the cabin toward the second mates room.
also saw, at the same glance, Capt. Amiel
| rise from his berth and attempt to follow
him; but the blood blinded him, aud he fell
to the floor, with horrid gurgling sound
in his throat. Ali this was but the work
of a second. The cleavDg of the skull, like
the flash of gun that precedes the report,
was followed by weak, faint cry, like that
| of sick child, and the gurgling in the
throat. l knew then that his wound was
mortal. STOPPING sideways the steward
| entered the second mates cabin, and once
more swung his AK, but not so effectively.
1he mate started up with Odd
d--n you, don't strike me again. and
| clutched at the stewards breast, but eluding
the wounded man he ran on deck, to where
the man lay near the wheel house, aud
keeping his axe behind him, demanded
"what all this noise was about ?" The
mate who had been aroused by the outcries
of the captain and mate, had raised himself
up on his elbow, and stared at the steward
in half stupid, half fascinated way, not
seeing the pistol which Stedding the man
at the helm, had pointed at him for use in
case of necessity. AS he turned his face to-
ward the steward, the latter drove his wea-
pom home into the base of his skull. Sted-
ding and the steward then tumbled him
overheard. He rose on the wave, with a
hoarse cry, when about two lengths astern,
the water having raised him; but he must
soon have gone down to his long account.
Then the steward came down to the ca
bin, where l still stood, while Shedding
stood, pistol in hand, to guard the deck.
The captain cried family to me twice by
name. Help me-help me !" but be was
past help. Another swlshing blow of the
axe, and he did not repeat the cry. Then
the steward returned to the second mates
cabin, where, seated on pile of starch box
es, MS legs drawn up, and his head between
his krees, was the half Supplied man.
Again and again the axe fell, and again and
again the cry" Don't DO that" fell on my
ear, each time fainter than the last. Sted-
ding now came down, and the steward and
he took the corpse of the captain by the
feet and, dragging it up the companion way
tossed it overheard. Meantime | had got
some irors out, hoping to intercede to save
blOodshed. Shedding and the steward once
more came down, and each taking the Sc
cOnd mate by the shoulder, led him cut from
the place where he had crouched on the
starch boxes. He seemed to walk with
| their assistance, as they went up the COM
panion way, but his head lay pulpy mass
upon his shoulder, and moment after a
loud splash alongside told the fate of ano.
ther OF the privateers
There were three persons on board who
knew nothing of all this. The two priva-
teer sailors and Donald Mcleod, one of our
sailors, whom | subsequently learned would
not join the steward and Shedding in the
attempt to recapture the vessel. Handing
me his pistol, Shedding went forward and
reused Minor, the South Carolinian, a
young man of two or three and twenty,
from his sleep at the fo~t CT the mainmast
and called him att. Not seeing his com
rades when he came into the cabin, he was
much frightened and begged for life. The
steward told him be would not kill him, but
iron him, and his fate must depend upon his
good behavior he wanted to spill as little
blood as possible. He willingly held out
his wrists for the irons. They then went
forward to the forecastle and called the 9TH
er privateer, Dorsey. Upon learning the
condition of affairs he begged for his lie,
which they promised to spare if be would
| assist in working the ship and be true and
faithful, to all of which he agreed.
The steward now took command, and the
schooner headed for the North, with fair
wind. None of US knew any thing of nav
| igation, but we trusted to good fortune and
the land to enable US to make out our
course. The South CarOlinian was releas.
ed from irons the next morning. and proved
a very useful and willing fellow in working
the ship. On Friday, the 10Th, at o'clock
in the morning, we made the land, which
became quite distinct by noon, and we kept
on our way with good weather, sounding
our way as we went. OF course we had to
be vigilant.
Two of our hands might turn upon US at
any moment, and Mcleod was not faithful;
for three days before he got in we went
forward and slept with them on the forecastle
Shedding, Tilman and managed it so that
two of US where on deck all the while, and
always aft of the other three. The men on
watch carried the two pistols, and the one
that slept always kept one eye open, lest
we might be attacked. On Sunday morn.
ing at o'clock we got pilot of Sandy
Hook, and soon after hired tug for $50
to tow US up to New York, where we ar
rived about P. NJ, truly thankful for our
great deliverance.