The Hickman courier., 1877-07-27

# experated to see his prey escaping
yaed suddenly, displaying his entire
brslside.
j saw what was coming, anC
shdted for all hands to lie fiat on deck
wbs |, grasping your grandma rounC
thewaist, dove below. [ was non,
tooOon to escape the whIstling storm
of on which tore over the ship. 1
mae the splinters fly, but no one wa
hus sheets and halliards, booms anC
spas remained intact, and in less thar
six hours our Antagonist was hui
dow.
aThe Mabel was kept off for Cam
peaa Bay, which was reached il
safe5; but do you think we hac
seenthe last of the pirate? l thought
so that time, but we hadn't.
.Isucceeded better at Champeachy
in dsposing of the Mabels cargo thar
| | expected. The prices were good
the mofits large, and l nearly filled
her up With a cargo, of cochineal, log,
w,od indigo, and a goodly share OF
SSsts ab lsst Aaas RaGhea n ihs rum IN kegs
Il had succeeded so much better
han | had hoped for that l resolved
to clear for New York direct. | was
all ready for sea, but before leaving
your grandma took it into her head
that she wanted to DO some trading,
50 l took her ashore to buy the articles
she required.
:" 1t was late in the afternoon when
we drifted into a refreshment saloon
or cafe for a cup of coffee and Il roll,
before pulling off to the ship A
number of persons were coming and
going continually, to whom | paid no
attention-their movements were
nothing to me.
But suddenly / felt Betsy's hand
tighten on my arm, which caused me
to glance up at her in surprise. Her
face was flushed, her e. es d oping,
and [ knew something out Of tlc com
com run had happened.
&c What IS it, wife p 1 asked n a
low tone.
Don't look up. she said; but
there under the large lamp in the cor
ner of the room, is that wicked pirate
who hailed us and fired at us some
weeks ago.
" Cautiously I looked in the direc.
tion indicated, and there, sure enough,
was the biack-whiskered scoundrel,
dressed in broadcloth shore togs, with
a diamond pin sparkling in his shirt
bosom, which, no doubt, he stole
originally. | made up my mind TO get
away as soon as possible, for l felt my
temper rising and in those days, so I
have been told, | had the reputation
of being something ola Tartar.
" Standing six feet, broad-shouldered,
and muscular in proportion, it was a
word and a blow with me, the blow
generally corning first.
" Walking over to the cashiers desk,
l settled my bill; at the same time a
scream from your grandma
startled me. l turned, and, youngster,
what do you think l saw? Nothing
more nor less than my wife struggling
iyeI -,ifsU0lIoof ~ .r'7fate .s'II II},-~.4ll:v.-
But it did not last long.
81 was almost blind with rage as |
darted forward. Some one tried to
restrain me, to whisper a word of eau
ton in my ear, but | brushed the
would-be adviser aside ; at the same
time the brawny rascal released my
wife in order to attend to me. A
wickedlooking knife cleaned in his
hand which have no doubt the
scoundrel would have used, but [ was
too quick for him. My fippers took
him full by, and he heeled over like
a ten-gHn brig in a squall.
In an instant the room was in con-
fusion, Cries of XII the Yankee ,
were heard on all sides as the crowd
increased, and things looked pretty
squally as l squared myself before my
wife, who was almost fainting away.
"' Follow me, captain, quick, as you
value your wife's life and your own,
whispered a voice in my ear and, as
the speaker brushed by me, ! recog-
nized one of the clerks belonging to
the firm l had dealt with at Cams
peaehy.
at was growing dark rapidly. The
lamps were on the point Of being lit
as passed forward in the direction my
friend had taken. My wife / had
almost to carry, but it is astonishin
what a man can do when his life's in
jeopardy. A small door, partially con-
ccaled by curtain, was quietly opene
by the clerk. The obscurity of tn
room favored the movement, ard by
a rapid step 1 passed through, leaving
the excited throng yelling and cursing
behind me-
Through a narrow passage the
young man hurried us, urging me to
renewed efforts by various vague dark
hints, which | bat half comprehended.
| could not understand what had to
fear from pirates, now that | was al
most under the guns of Spanish sol
diers But | soon found out to my
entire satisfaction.
Captain, you have been kind to
me since you have been here, and |
haze tried this night to prove that
am grateful. Yonder lies your boat
Ise no time in quitting the city, or
the harbor either, for that matter,
the man you struck to night is des-
psrate character, who Will have re-
venge. | am in possession of infor-
nation that your vessel will be at
lacked to~night if you remain. Do
not ask me how 1 know, but be
warned in time. Adios, and, with
wave of his hand, the clerk disap-
Rared. -
"I had heard, but never credited,
that certain Spanish merchants re-
csived a percentage of profit from
piratical vessels, in the fitting out OF
which it was more than suspected
thew were interested. But | made up
NV mind to teach the unprlnclpled
rascaIs a lesson which they would not
forget for a while.
8The harbor of Campeachy, young,
ster has but little depth OF water, ana
at that time was not capable OF ad-
hitting vessels drawing more than SIX
feet-those of a heavier draught We're We're
necessarily compelled to anchor three
miles from the city. This was my case,
bnt as the land breeze had set In and
was freshening, felt no particular ap-
nrebensions fol the Mabel.
mAs soon as | reached the deck, |
ranJD,a halow ont al