St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-04-25


1 slid down I lWked towards tho shore,
and saw they'd seen the women getting
eyer the stern into tie boat, and had start
ed after US. r,. ~, tf.,...s. ..,.,,. -,.,
rhey couldn't e. see the sail, ri we nei:
J Itold Ned, and lowered myself into th''
boat. ~ob 5a#si~z5 ~ -: !.'.1:.&l& ~ e
: You'll have to pull for it now, says I :;
and we did pull. l thought I'd done some
hard work in my life, butI neter did such
work as that .iu' the broiling sun--we two
pulling beat that. would take four. J.
=. Ned's oar bent like q, whip--he was
pulling stroke. and went ovor the water in
style. We'd got our shirts and 'waistcoats
on, and 1t was tri2htful work. Z. IT
The dark ono sat in tho stern sheets,
with the fair ones head in her lap, and
looking at us with kind Of encouraging
smile. l thoushtNed would burst blood
vessel every minute, the veins, in his neck
swell d like bits OF co,d. ..:i;...s .. .
She saw the pistols lying on the seats
by us, and came and tovk one-Ned's..
I can use. it, says she; you pull !!nI! :
A ship! a ship! cries the tair: one, get
ting up. I looked round, and there she
was. coming hight on to us-anothcr half:
hour, and We should be alongside.
Behind us was the captain iu: the quar-
te" boat, pulling nov six hancs-she came
along like a. racehorse. We had had a
good three-milcs' start, and might beat
them yet.7 :A,! ..rr~..F = !; .H:
There wasn't mile between US when
Ned's after-tholepin broke off short in the
hole I looked round; there wasn't an
other in the boat except the two l was
using. His pulling got very unsteady.
Can't I make new one? said Clara
that's the dark one. -.
Yes, yes! and quick, for Gods sake -
Take up the board your feet are on, split a
bit of, and round:it. s.''.. r. -:
She took up the, board, split bit off,
and sat, looking up in Ned's face, as SIZE
cut chip after chip off to round it, and then
pointed the end, drew out the old piece,
and stuck in the new pin. I never saw
such cool thing in my life before as that.
They gained on us-our pulling was
getting feeble and weak-she looked at
Ned, and said to him: -.
Tell me how to fire this. -
So Ned told her between his pulls, to
phil up the hammer. put her finger on the
trigger, and look along the barrel, till it
hid some of their heads.
Don't fire yet, though, says he, itwould
only be waste; wait till I tell you j =.
The fair one, Alice, looked quite .stupi
fed; Clara looked back now and then, aud
took a sort Of aim with her teeth set to-
gether and her eyes like fire. We were
near the ship now; and I could see them
lowering boat to'meet us; the captain
was about quarter Of a mile astern Of US:
ana the ships boat three quarters of a
mile ahead Their boat was pulled by
eight men,-reSular nIan-of.war stroke.
1 Pull Charley;-pull nov, for Gods sake!
says Ned, and pull We did,, straining our
backs and arms, at every. stroks till they
ached again.
Shall FIRE? said Clara, turning to Ned
far the captain was within hundred and
fifty yards.
No, no, not yet, says Ned. How near,
Charley?
Another cables length and its done.
" Pull, you two! cried the man. oi-war;s
men, pull-you'll il win! ~ 80.
Pull between us. and take them out ov-
er the stern! called Ned. - ,.>i ..
The ships boat shot between u.s. ~
Way enough | sung cut the officer >s::'
Half the chaps tumbled into our boat
and handed the two; girls into their own
in less time than I can tell of it. The
captains boat came up with the way full
on, aud smashed in one or two Of their
planks. .nwo5+,>& J.:
What's all tlis?, said the officer to me,
whats it mean? II - -';.'dS.l*%"N .
Il was 50 done I could not speak; [ poin-
ted to the cruiser aud nodded, as much as
to say, Take Us there but for the life of
me | couldn't speak.
These id thieves have bolted with my
niggers, says the captain ;>i3" ''*' "~:'1'E
, Where are they? says the officer, There
were none in the beat! ~. ....%..a ...: +.
Those. two women in the stern are my
slaves, bought with my money in New
Orleans, aud here's witness. Where's
O. 'Connel .:>,..:: t!y'sa* .tt,v mr,s>i IN
= Didn't buy these women in: New Or
leans ....
Absurd! said the officer, these ladies
are not negroes to be bought and sold, you
have kidnapped them. AMI right, mad
am? 80 .~> -: .,.-.. ~.,v..,, q:
No, sir: This man brought u.s. from
New Orleans, where we were sold to him
as sluves,tor the purpose Of selling us on
the coast. We are his slaves, but thought
five eouhieseaps, the English flag was a:
You viii t,d i So, ',sladu ladies. MIKE i tbat
boat fast for towing;Aa PAYS these men II for.
ward.: You can follow if you like sir:'1aa7