Morris tribune., 1881-06-30
THE PILOTS'S YARN.

CLhLuelb. Ill lue udIheSI ulSuI duu WOISC
gale ever experienced"
II thank you, Captain Masterton," an
swered the old, weather beaten pilot, Dan
Rawlings, who had spent fifty of his sixty
years on salt water.
II was lucky in getting you aboard !"
continued the captain of the Virginia.
heartily, "for this night you have saved our
pretty cruiser from knocking herself to
pieces upon the Goodwin Sands"
"It was nasty night, captain, and this
craft is a staunch one, or she'd be drift
, wood now, modestly replied the pilot, and
then he continued: "She reminds me of a
trim schooner I once sailed in with Capt
Egerton, now thirty years ago, when free
hooters were rather plentiful in the south
ern seas"
"Ah! then you have had some experience
with these fellows, have you? but come
into my cabin and I will brew q hot punch,
and it may cause you to let run your
times;" and the cruiser having let fall her
anchor in o quiet cove, the captain
| beckoned to some of his officers to follow,
| and led the way to his cabin; treating the
| pilot with the marked respect his skill and
| courage had won during the past few
hours of storm and danger.
Brewing delicious punch it did unloose
| the tongue of the old pilot, for after dash
| ing off his second glass, he said bluntly:
$50 you'd like me to spin yarn o the
days of pirates, captain and gentlemen?"
A general assent was the reply, and
| Pilot Rawlings cleared his thoat of the salt
| spray, and began:
1T was over twenty years ago, gentle
in the Constitution, and his business was
pirate hunting, the secretary having
given him q rowing commission to run off
the sea few ships that always left red
| wake after them.
We had visited the Isle of Pines. and
| several other Euccaneering haunts, and
| had captured several lagoon pirates, when
we sighted a schooner which had often
seen before, and which was known to be
under the command of a man who answered
to the hail of Captain Cain.
''It was said he had once been British
naval officer, but had killed his brother
from jealousy, they both loving the same
girl, and had fled to sea, where he took the
name of Cain, on account of his crime;
but whoever he was he knew how to han
die craft in action and in storm, and got
rich off of Spanish and Portuguese treasure
ships, with an occasional dash at an Eng
lish OF French vessel, for he never robbed
an Ame ricah merchantmen. and always ran
from cruiser flying the stars and stripes,
though he'd fight double his weight under
any other flag.
"Well we spread our canvas and gave
chase, but he kept ahead of US well, and
though seemingly able to drop us, did not
| do so.
| cat length we headed him off SO that he
had to run in toward the coast of Cuba,
which he did in style that showed US he
l.. Iof, e., I, lo1I
steadily on and soon disappeared from
sight in an inlet that penetrate & into the high,
| bold coast.
''It was only blowing three knot breeze,
but that was enough to knock our forefoot
off, if we struck any of the numerous reefs
I saw around us, so we shortened sail to
just enough to work the craft and going
into the foretop, I piloted by narrowly
watching the water ahead.
"In this way we got into as ugly a hole
as I ever saw, and soon after dropped an
chor in the inlet, which was sorry to see
was not a safe harborage, except with the
| wind off shore.
"A dozen lagoors, or creeks, seemed to
rur off from the cove further inland, and
in one of these we knew the pirate must be
hidden; but as it was nearly sunset, we
concluded to wait until morning, we'll
knowing he could not run out without pass
ing US.
Il, however, took the gig and rowed
ashore alone, for I wanted to examine our
surroundings, and landing at pleasant
spot, was engaged in looking around me,
when was surprised by seeing gentle
man approaching
| He was dressed in uniform, and was as
pleasant looking man as one could wish
| to meet, and politely raised his cap, while
he said in perfect English
"'Good evening, sir; you are from the
American schooner, I helieve?
Yes, sir, answered, wondering who
he was.
"'And may ask who is her commander
Certainly, sir; Captain Egerton.'
"I saw him start, and, 1 thought, turn
pale; hut he said, pleasantly
Present my compliments to Captain
Egerton, and say to him there is a hurri-
cane threatening, and he had better put to
sea before dark, or his vessel will be lost
in that cove
"This made me little suspicious of his
desiring to aid the pirate and SO l asked |
him
"'And who might you be, sir?'
"'Ten Captain Edgerton that Edward
Herbert says he is in deadly danger where
he now is and again bowing he turned !
| away, Wueu L Cdlleu
Are you Edward Herbert?'
"'Once, sir, that was my name; now men |
call me Captain Cain
Il sprung toward him, my hand on my |
cutlass, but he laughed lightly and said:
Beware, for half hundred brave fell |
lows have their eyes on you, and if you |
doubt it, you can advance nearer to me.
Il did not doubt it. and he turned away,
while made my way OK to the boat and
then to the cruisar, and told what had |
passed.
Edward HERBERT he is my cousin, and |
he it was who took his brothers life, some |
said from iealously and some say in self |
defense; poor Ned, we were always good |
friends, but I'll not take his sdvice,' said |
Captain Egerton, sadly.
"But soon after dark we wished that we
had, sure enough the hurricane came, and |
then we saw that the cove was a death trap, |
for our vessel dagged her anchors, and |
wreck stared us in the face, while the sea
rushed into the inlet, and was hurled back |
from against the cliffs in way that threat
ened to swamp us,
Suddenly when we had given up all
hope, out of the very cliff, it seemed, came
schooner flying like whirlwind, and
directly toward us; hut strangest of all she
seemed to be phantom, rather than real
VeSSel, ana l. kueW tuat We Deueiu tue
wierd craft that sailors had often reported
beholding in storms off the coast of Cuba.
"And stranger still, she seemed to be
carrying heavy pressure of canvas, when
we hardly dared set storm sails, and a
greenish ght rested on hull and rig
ging.
''The Storm Phantom!"c cried some of
the crew, while others called out:
No! tits the pirate schooner.
'That che was armed and crowded with
| men we all now saw, and her guns were
run out and the men at quarters, in spite of
the storm; but at the helm saw one whom
I recognized by the weird, greenish light,
and that one was the man had met-Cap-
tain Cain.
Schooner, ahoyn suddenly rung out in
clear tones, just as Captain Egerton ordered
the men to the guns, believing he intended
| to attack us in spite of the storm.
g Set sail and follow me out! TO remain
where you are is certain DEATH, came in
| IL kz.>