The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-07-27

mast and top-galIant studding sails are
bent on, booms run out upper yards
slightly braced in the passenger takes
the wheel and hoists the colors All the
others, Including cook anu ste ward, man
the s-udding sail halyards, and they are
run up man-o'war fashion.
The course is changed barely point,
and the little bark gathers fresh head
way, going good eight knots. The stran-
ger shows Spanish colors and keeps on
his course. AS we draw ahead he grad
ually fails into our wake, now perhaps
two miles off.
An immense weight is Lifted from the
hearts of the crew. We are safe She's
a SLAYER, but she is not pirate strictly
speaking. The captain orders the men
to get dinner, but the order is scarcely
out of his mouth when it is seen that the
schooner has also made more sail and is
running directly for us.
''Hold on, dinner, Mr. Smith, get an
other gun UP here ; wet the sails. Be
handy, boys, he's not honest, and we
have got to sell our lives"
Whips are rugged, sails are wetted
down, and we coax in the yard another
point, the schooner gaining slightly.
''Now, captain, says the passenger,
''what are you going to do?"
Eight when he gets nearer"
"Ill tell you what to do. Open latch
es and pitch over bales of domestic, light
en- her as fast as you can, and then per-
haps we can beat her going before the
wind"
It is done. Saving off the rails abreast
Of the fore and after hatch, the men strip
ped to the waist, work gallantly, and
over went the bales ; the captain, mate,
passengers, md the steward standing by
and watching the schooner. Still she
gains very slowly, and at about p. IN.
is only mile off, getting his square
sail ready to set.
In the meantime he clears away his
long Tom, and, luffing up, fires shot
under our lee quarter, falling far short.
The process of lufing and bearing off
again has lost him quite pace, and we
keep off still more, getting out our lower
studding sail and discharging cargo with
will.
Still she gains on us, and by p. m.
is within shot feeling sure of us now,
he cannot afford to change his course
and fire at us.
'Now, captain, says the anxious pas
senger, "let us give him our two guns
by good luck we may cripple some of
his spars. You sight one, and [ will
aim the other for his fore top sail.
We give him two guns and imagine
some result, as he saws a bit, perhaps to
clear The demestics, going over at the
rate of twelve bales a minute. Again
We fire, and down comes his fore top sail
to the cap, but i'll very few minutes the
damage is made good, and he gains
slightly.
Now, at 6 o'clock, he is only lfalf &
mile astern, his main boom well guyed
off, and the deaths head and marrow
bone flag plainly seen.
''Now, captain, - says the anxious pas,
senger, ''try him again. Rake him,
hard up your helm AMI jibe him. 1t call
do us no harm, and put him in irons il
he follows us.
We fire, and down comes his fore top.
nast-port our heInl-he follows-iibe
his mainsail-we righj our helm, and &C
on gaining rapidly, while he fires his
long Tom and hits not.
''keep her steady south-south- west
for time. He cannot catch u.s.
In fact he hove to and amused him. eli
iii picking mp some of our goods. By
sunset he was out of sight, and at mid.
night we hauled our wind and went on
rejoicing in fortunate escape. Oul
crew needed no rocking to put them tc
sleep. and after fixing our course al
hands, save the captain, The mate aud
the passengers were fast asleep.
Never did crew behave better, and
on the return of the bark the underwrit-
er gave the captain handsome token OF
approval, and paid willingly for the
heavy jettison of cargo.
0r,c,,.,fr.vryx-r, T,zEr1 WcT>T II