Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-05-23
A DRAMA OF THE SEA.

On a fine morning in May, 1881, Twas
rounding Cape Frio, on the coast OF
Brazil, in the brig Carron, bound from
Glasgow to Rio de Janeiro, and, al
though we had our share of rough wea-
ther on the way, l cant remember a
voyage that | enjoyed more. 1t was
about ten in the morning, and | was ly-
ing on a spare sail in the maintop, read
ing and looking through my telescope
turn about, when all at once the skipper
shouted up to me, Master K, wull
We list TAX look through the prospec
(telescope) at yon craft on the weather
bowl" / leveled my glass at her, and
made her out to be long, low-lylng
craft, seemingly standing away from US,
and so / reported to the captain. But in
another ten minutes or so his voice
came up again land this time with rath-
er different sound in it), Master
K, dinna like the look of Yon
craft; wull ye jist TAX anither look at
her2 Why said |, leveling my
glass" she's changed her course; she's
coming right down on usl" Wad you
kindly bring down the prospec sirY l
wad like to tax a look myself This
time there was a tremor in his voice
which no one could mistake. began
to feel uncomfortable, and came down
in post-haste. The skipper took the
glass, and /, watching him as he looked
through it, saw his great red face
grow whittier and whittier till it vas liFid as
a corpse, and he just got out four words
in kind of half-choked whisper, " She s
an armed vessell" / understood
it all in a moment, and so did every
one else that heard him. This was Just
at the close of the war between Brazil
and Buenos Ayres; and the Eastern
coast was swarming with ex-prlvateers,
who had been thrown out OF work by the
peace, and didn't care whom they at
tackled so long as there was anything to
be got by it. For one moment we
thought of showing fight. That idea
wouldn't hold on water. Not q cutlass
nor . pike was there on board, let alone
firearms, and our crew was the most
Innocent set you can imagine-quiet,
easy-going Westland Scotchmen, mostly
married men, With broad, good-natured,
simple faces, like tho villagers in pan
tomime.
The very sight of them would have
been enough TO reassure any pirate on
earth, and the only thing left to be done
was to try stratagem. So the captain
gave orders to rig up as many dummies
as possible, With spars and old iackets,
to look as If we mustered pretty strong
and every one began 10 CONCEAL his
valuables-I put my gold watch among
tbe grounds Of the coffee-pot, the sur
gaon slipped his case of instruments
9ndef . loose plank, and our skipper hid
the ehronOmeter. Meanwhile the pirate
lfor there could be 10 mistake about her
now) was coming down Epon rs like q
vulture. She ran across our COWS and
Law 10 within easy hail, so that We could
- avery face on board Of her.
And q rare sight they verei There
seemed to be no discipline among them
neither captain nor ofhoersj all were
dressed alike, in coarse guernsey frockss,
tsken. 10 doubt, from some ship which
ihsv lad plan3ared. There we're men
al 'aIl p.tioas-sallov Spaniards and
sed.facsd Englishmen. lean, ehFe.eol-
orai Portugess and brsFny, yellow
haired Gernans, gannt, hatehet-faeed
YantssI. and Ticioas-looqng hulattoes,
but upon each and al was that name