The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-04-01


are certain Of being picked up. In the
meantime, here is a purse for you, which
you will find will do YOU more good on
shore than any services of mine. A father
and mothers care" he added, II have
never known, and from rumor only do |
suppose who my parents were. | owe
mankind nothing for the kindness they have
never shown me; and the same love and
mercy which | have received from them,
have measured out to them again. Fare
well be said, and left me-
knew that he was the reputed son Of a
gentleman Wso had held extensive posses
sions in Cumbe, and, but that something
Of mystery hung over his birth, and that It
was reported cruel means had been resorted
to, to deprive him Of his lawful inheritance.
His words produced no pleasant feelings
in my mind. l found myself in tile situa-
ton Of a person who was pinioned to a
certain spot, with a sword suspended over
his head by a single hair. But while be
spoke / fancied that heard the sigh of a
female in distress. When be left me they
were repeated more audibly. went toward
door in the cabin, which led to an apart
ment from which the sound seemed to pro-
ceed. | attempted to open the door Of the
chamber, which was unlocked, and / en-
tered it. Before me sat lady whose age
appeared to be below twenty. She raised
her eyes towards me as | entered and tears
ran down her cheeks. Til then | had never
seen face so beautiful, and, | will add or
felt beauty's pcwer-I felt as if suddenly
ushered into the presence Of being more
than mortal.
Our interview | will now describe We
spoke little; and the words which we did
speak were in low and hurried whispers.
For we heard the sound Of our tyrant's feet
passing over our head, and to have found
US in conversation together might have been
death to both Almost without knowing
what | said, or for lack of other words, |
spoke of the possibility of our escape. A
faint smile broke through her tears, and
she twice waved her hand silently, as if to
say, 1T is hopeless lit is hopeless!'
From that moment she was present in all
my thoughts, when awake she became the
one idea of my mind, and in sleep she was
the object of my dreams. As | was in
dulged with some degree Of liberty, we met
frequently, and although our interviews
were short, they were as "stolen water" or
as "bread eaten in secret" Their exist
ence was brief, but their memory long. |
had informed her of my early acquaintance
with the pirate commander, and Of all that
passed between us from the time of my
becoming his prisoner. And when she had
heard all, even she INDUCED in the dream
that our escape might be possible.
1t was about week after my discovery
of the fair captive, that | ascertaincd that
two Of those two who had become with my
self bad joined the pirates, and the others
had been cast into the sea. My fate their
captain left undecided My anxiety to
escape increased tenfold; but how it was
to be accomplished, was question which
forever haunted me, but which / could
never answer.
ne-dsyr--wc-cu-ss-i 1->ccrtaet w. n
Dutch lugger, laden with Hollands. The
pirates boarded her, but they only bled the
vessel as they termed it; they did not take
the whole cargo. With what they did take
however, they made merry carousal they
first became uproarious in their mirth, and
eventually they sobered down into a state
in which a child might have bound them.
! observed the change that was wrought
upon them saw the advantage had
gained. My thoughts became fixed upon
how to profit by it.
1t was midnight-tbe moon Of an eastern
sky flashed upon the sea-the very waters
of the mighty deep moved in silence The
few stars that were in the heavens we're re-
fiected back from its bosom. On board
the vessel not a living creature stirred /; the
very man at the helm had fallen down as if
dead. With the fetters upon my feet,
stood alone, the master of dead crew. |
seized an instrument that lay upon the deck
and endeavored to unfasten the irons that
fettered me. | succeeded in the attempt.
1t was with difficulty that | restrained
from bursting into shout of joy. But /
recOllected my situation. | stole on tiptoe
to the cabin-I opened the door Of the
apartment where the fair captive was con-
fined.
sour hour is come" | whispered in her
ear: 1--WE must escape-follow me"
She started, and would have spoken
aloud, but placed my fingers on her lips,
and whispered-"Be silent"
''I come, I come" she said. She fol-
lowed me, and we assembled to the deck,
and stood alone in the midst of the wild
ocean, without knowing whittier to direct
our course. I unfastened the stern-boat,
and lowered it into the sea- | descended
into it with her beneath my arm, and cut
ting asunder the rope with which | had fas-
tened it, | pulled away from the vessel,
which was unto us both prson-house. My
arm was uerved with the strength of de-
spair, and within few hours | bad lost
sight of the pirateship. AT daybreak on
the folIowing day, we were alone in the
midst of the vast and solitary sea and
desperate as our situation then was, ! felt
glow Of happiness at the thought that
should be enabled either to save her life, ,or
to risk mine to save her in whom,
from the time that | had first
seen her, my whole soul had be-
come involved. | now felt and knew that
it was in my power to serve her, that our
fates we're united and, when | beheld her
alone with me upon the wide ocean, | felt
as though her life had been given into my
hands, and we both were secure The
thought in which l indulged was realized.
We had scarce been twelve hours upon the
sea, when a vessel passed us at the distance
Of scarce mile. | made signals, that she
might discover us, and they were oh
served. She was bound for London, and
we were taken on board. I may say that
it was now that my acquaintance with the
fair being whom | had rescued from the