The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-09-24
NUMBER 16.
Running Down "A Pirate.

| While the ship was coming about he gave
minute orders to the mates and the gunner,
to insure cooperation in the first part of the
delicate and dangerous maneuver he had re-
solved to try
The wind was blowing w. N. W; he was
standing North one pirate lay on his lee
beam, stopping leak between wind and wa
ter and hacking the deck clear of his broken
masts and yards. The other, fresh, and thirst
ing for the easy prey, came up from the N.
E. to weather on him, and hang on his quar-
ter, pirate fashion.
When they were distant about cables
length, the fresh pirate, to meet the ships
change Of tactics, changed his own, put his
helm up a little, and gave the ship broad
side, well aimed but not destructive, the guns
being loaded with ball
Dodd, instead of replying, as was expected,
took advantage of the smoke, and put his
ship before the wind By this unexpected
stroke, the vessels engaged ran swiftly at
right angles toward one point, and the pirate
saw himself menaced with two perils; col
lision, which might send him to the bottom
| of the sea in a minute or a broadside deliver
ed at pistol shot distance and no possibility
of making return, He must either put his
helm up or down. He chose the boldcr
course, put his helm hard lee, and stood
ready to give broadside for broadside
But ere he could bring his lee guns
to BEAR he must offer his bow for one
moment to the ships broadside and i'll that
moment which Dodd had provided for, Monk
and his mates raked him fore and aft at a
short distance with all the five guns that were
clear on that side; the carronades followed
and moved him slantwise with grape and
canister; the almost simultaneous discharge
of eight guns made the ship tremble, and en-
veloped her in thick smoke loud shrieks
and groans were heard from the schooner
the smoke cleared; the pirates mainsai hung
on deck, his jib boon was cut off like car
rot, and the sail struggling, his foreseil look
ed like lace, lanes of dead and wounded lay
still or writhing on his deck and his lee soup
pers ran blood into the sea.
The ship ran down the wind leaving the
schooner staggered and all aboard But not
for long the pirate fired his broadside after
ALL at the flying AgrG. split one of the car
ronades in two, and killed Latcar, and made
hole i'll the foresal this done, he hoisted
his mainsai again in trice and sent his
wounded below, flung the dead overheard,
to the horror Of their foes, yawning and firing
his bow chasers. @
| The ship was silent She had no shot to
throw away. Not only did she take these
blows like coward, bat all signs of life dis
appeared on her, except two men at the wheel,
and the captain on the main gangway.
Dodd had ordered the crew out of the rig
ging, armed them with cutlasses, and laid
| them flat on the forecastle He also compelled
Kenealy and Fullalove to come down out of
| harms way, no wiser OH the smooth bore ques-
ton than when they went up, tilH.
The great patient ship ran environed by
her foes one destroyer right i'll her course,
another in her wake, followed with yells OF
vengeance and pounding away at her-but
no reply.
Suddenly the yeIls of pirates on both sides
ceased and there was a moment of silence on
the sea.
''Yet nothing fresh had happened.
Eyes, this had happened; the pirates to
windward and the pirates to leeward of the
Agrd, had found out at one and the same mo-
ment that the merchant Captain they had
dashed and bullied, was patient but tremen
dous man. 1t was not only to rake the fresh
schooner he had put his ship before the wind
but also by a double daring, master-stroEe to
hurl his monster ship bodily on the other
Without fore sails he never could get out of
his way. Her crew had stopped the leak land
cut away and unshipped the broken masts,
and were stepping a new one, when they saw
large ship bearing down. in full sail Moth
ing easier than to slip ont of her way could
they get the foresail to draw; but the time
was short, the deadly intention manifest, the
coming destruction swift.
After that solemn silence came a storm of
cries and curses, and their seamen went to
work to fit the yard and raise the sail while
! their fighting men seized their matchlocks
and trained the guns. They were we'll COM
nanded by heroic villain. Astern the con-
sort Numbered: but the Agr0'S response was
dead silence more awful than broadsides
For then was seen with what majesty the
Anglo Saxon fights.
One of that indomitable race on the gang
way, one at the foremost, two at the wheel,
COINED and steered the great ship down on
hundred matchIocks and grinning broad
side Just as they would have conned and steer
ed her into a British harbor
''Starboad ]" cried Dodd, in a deep calm
voice, with motion of the hand.
"Starboard it is.
The pirate wriggled ahead little. The
man forward made a silent signal to Dodd.
Port !" said Dood calmly.
sport it is
But at this critical moment the pilot astern
sent mischievious shot, and knocked to
atoms one of the men at the wheel.
Dodd waved his hand without a word, and
another man arose from the deck, took his
place in silence and laid his mistaken hand
on the wheel stained with that mans warm
blood whose place he took.
The high ship was now scarce sixty yards
distant; she SEEMED 10 kaolo: she reared her
lofty hgure-head with awful shouts in the air.
But now the painting pirates got their new
foresail hoisted with a joyful shout it drew
the schooner gathered way, and their furious
consort close on the Agfa'S heels just then
scourged her deck with grape
'Port y said Dodd, calmly.
Port it is"
The giant Prov darted at the escaping pi-
rate That acre of coming canvas took the
wind out of the swift schoouers foresailj it
| tapped oh, then she was doomed That aw-
full moment parted the races on board her; the
Papuans and Sooloos their black faces liyid
and blue with horror, Ieaped yelling into the
sea, or crouched and whimpered; the yellow
Malay and the Brown Portuguese, though
banched 70 one color now, turned on death
! like diving panthers, fired two cannon slap In
to the ships bows, and snapped their muskets
and matchloczs at their solitary executioner
on the ships gangway, and out flew their
knives like crushed wasp stings. Crash the
Indiaman's cut-w water in thick smoke beat in
the schooner's broadsides down went her
masts to leeward like fishing rods whipping
the water wild forms leaped off on the agra,
and were hacked to pieces almost before they
reached the deck-a surge, chasm in the
sea, filled with an instant rush, engulphing
waves, long, awful, grating, grinding noise,
never to be forgotten in this world, all along
under the ships keel-and the fearful maies-
tic monster passed over the blank she had
made, with pale crew standing silent and
awe-struck on her deck cluster Of wild
heads and staring eyeballs bobbing like corks
IN her flaming wake. sole relic Of the blotted