The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-11-08
is other man. All men in the fore.
castle dead; We stab them ALL

oMcerS renamed. The latter were
already at the point of death.
| told Bacalardo that I would come
on deck when the captain and mate
should have passed all suffering. It
seemed dreadful that the impatient
Wretches should murder them with
knives; and hence I could not bear to
leave them. My refusal to do so, how.
ever, awaited nothing, for crowding in
to the cabin, the pirates at once dis
patched their victims, and passed the
bodies out of thu windows.
The pirates divided the money
about ten thousand dollars and they
then informed me that must navigate
the vessel to South America. They
were all sailors, and the brig being
easily managed the task would not be
very difficult. But to think of heading
ing for distant seas, with that sicken-
ing horror upon my heart There
were blood stains upon the deck, in
the cabin. and in the forecastle- and
how could | remain in such vessel
But no one knows what he can do I'm.
tilsuffering has taught him.
We were now becalmed, and with
the full strength of the Gulf Stream
were drifting northerly at the rate of
four II lies an hour. The ignorant pi-
rates, whose operations had never
brought them much to the northward
of Cuba, had no idea that the current
was thus bearing us along, while it
was upon this fact that I built almost
my only hope.
In high spirits at the success of their
enterprise, they laughed over their
gold, and were continually boasting of
the murders they had at one or anoth-
time committed. Bacalardo remarked
that he had probably sent more persons
into eternity than any other man ]iv-
ing and I had little doubt of my be-
ing added to the list, whenever my
services should no longer be required.
Three days were passed in this man.
ner; and in the meantime I had as
sured the Spaniards that it would be
madness to proceed on the South
American voyage without a further
supply of water. [ had at favorable
opportunity, let out the contents of
two casks in the hold. At the end of
this time, the wind sprang up and it.
was decided to enter an inlet which I
described as upon wild portion of
the southern coast, with which they
were entirely unacquainted, and there
obtain the needed supply.
Though it was the month of August,
the weather now, fortunately for my
purpose became tempestuous, with
squalls and heavy gales from the south
and west. We were obliged to short
en- sail, and sometimes to lie to; and
all the while l managed to keep the
brig in the Gulf Stream, so that even
while lying with her head to the west
ward she had a strong northerly drift.
The pirates kept me almost, all the time
at the helm-I dared not let them sus-
pect that this was the very thing I
could have wished-and two OF three
times | wedged the compass so
that it could not play. l was afraid
they would discover that we were
making too much northing. and though
their ignorance Of the lay of the coast
was most hopeful circumstance in
this connection, [ dared not wholly
trust to it.
At last ran out of the Gulf Stream,
and, just after had taken an observa-
ton of the sun, which till then had
not shown itself for several days, leav-
ing me to be guided by the gulf weed
and the waters temperature-th wind
came out north east, piping in right
good earnest. My heart beat quickly,
for the quadrant had shown me that
my hour had come. I was in latitude
thirty six, ten; longitude Seventy.four,
eight.
Our water casks were almost empty,
and the pirates who had all this time
supposed me to be beating and bang
ing about to gain the southern inlet,
were very glad when I told them we
should reach the coast in few hours.
And I-yOu cannot imagine my sensa.
tons. Oh, if the wind should die out
If it should head us off if morning
should dawn, and my plan be only half
accomplished! Often had the villains
drawn their knives across my throat,
in Specification Of what would come
should play them false and now it
was success or death.
Headed west-north-west, the little
brig bounded along, and you may we'll
believe that I watched every variation
of the breeze, and the drawing of ev-
cry sail, as I have never watched be-
fore, over and over I revolved previous
reckoning-Yes, yesterday struck out
for the Gulf Stream last night head.
ed thus and thus to-day I was sure of
my figures. It must be sol have
made no mistake. Yet, how, if | CAN
not manage at last? A single error, a
shadow of SUSPICION, and q knife will
end ALL Thus mentally conversed
with myself.
Here and there were vessels sailing