The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-09-09

slight struggle on deck, a groan and
fall; and next came heavy splash in
the water under the stern. had felt
that could as easily defend myself in
the cabin as elsewhere, for upon deck l
had been entirely at the mercy of the
pirates, momentarily expecting them to
strike; but reason for their not doing SO
soon became evident.
Bacalardo came to the slide and or
dered me to come on deck. refused,
and expressed determination to defend
myself.
1--WE no kill you," he said; tive want
you for navigate"
''What have you done with the cook ?"
l then asked.
"We stab him; he is overheard; SO is
other man. All men in the forcastle
deadi we stab them ALL"
Then | knew that the three villains had
killed the three men whom the poison
had rendered helpless, and that only my
self and the two fearfully sick officers re
mained. The latter were already at the
point of death.
told Bacalardo that l would come on
deck when the captain and mate should
have passed all suffering. 1t seemed
dreadful that the impatient wretehes
should murder them with knives; and
hence | could not bear to leave them
My refusal to do so, however, availed
nothing, for crowding into the cabin, the
pirates at once dispatched their victims,
and passed the bodies out of the win
dows.
The pirates divided the money--about
ten thousand dollars; and they then in
formed me that must navigate the ves-
sci to South America. They were all
sailors, and the brig being easily handled
the task would not be very difficult. But
to think of heading for distant seas, with
that sickening 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 be can do until
suffering has taught him.
We were now becalmed, and with the
full strength of the Gulf Stream were
drifting northerly at the rate Of four
miles an hour. The ignorant pirates,
whose operations had never brought
them much to the northward of Cuba, had
no idea that the current was thus bear
ing US along, while it was upon this fact
that 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 another
time committed. Bacalardo remarked
that he had probably sent more persons
into eternity than any other man living;
and | had little doubt of my being added
to the list, whenever my services should
no longer be required
Three days were passed in this manner;
and in the meantime | had assured the
Spaniards that it would be madness to
proceed on the South American voyage
without further supply of water. l
had, at favorable opportunity, let out
the contents of two casks in the hold.
At the end Ct this time, the wind spraug
up, and it was decided to enter an inlet
which described as upon wild portion
of the southern coast, with which they
ware entirely unacquainted, and there
obtain the needed supply.
Though it was the month of August,
the weather now, fortunately for my
>urpose, became tempestuous, with
squalls and heavy gales from the south
and west. We were obliged to shorten
sail, and somesimes to lie to-; and all the
while managed to keep the brig in the
Gulf Stream, SO that even while lying
with her head to the westward, she nao
a strong northerly drift. The pirates
kept me almost all the time at the helm
i dared not let them suspect that this
was the very thing could have wished
and two or three times | wedged the
compass so that it could not play. !
was afraid they would discover that we
were making too much northing, and
though their ignorance of the lay of the
coast was a most hopeful circumstance
in this connection, dared not wholly
trust to it.
At last ran out of the Gulf Stream
and, just after l had taken an observa
tion of the sun, which till then had moi
shown itself for several days, leaving me tc
be guided by the gulf weedand the water'
temperature-the wind came out north
east, piping in right good earnest. My
heart beat quickly, for the quadrant hac
shown me that my hour had come.
was in latitude thirty-six, ten; longitude
seventy-four, eight.
, Our water casks were almost empty
4 L. l. LII L.