The National tribune., 1881-12-17
A NARROW ESCAPE.

While the Cuban insurreCtiOn was in progress
l shipped at Mobile, on board the barque Ocelot
lying below Dog River Bar, and bound, as her
papers said, for Neuvitas.
No mention being made to me Of anything
contraband in connection with the voyage, !, of
course, looked upon it as an ordinary one, and in
all simplicity went down to the vessel.
Soon after reaching her, however, was sur
prsed by the coming off to us of score of sallow-
faced passengers, consisting wholly Of middle
aged men, all gabbling in Castilian, and i'll their
general appearance completely answering my
idea of Cuban patriots.
The circumstance was little startling With
revolutonistS above matches, might we not also
have arms and munitions below? In short, might
not the Ocelot be carrying aid and comfort to the
struggling forces of Cespedes? And ifso what a
gauntlet were to run.
But the barque was already getting under way.
The windlass clanking, the topsails were
Stating in the buntines, and whatever the con-
sequences to myself it was now too late to get
on shore.
Just off Mobile Point, and not two hours out
of port, we were overtaken by thunderstorm,
in the midst of which a stream of lightning ran
played upon the chainsheets of the foretopsail.
The officers all showed great anxiety regarding
the contents Of the hold, and presently the first
mate, Mr.. Offenburg, yellow-haired German,
ventured proposition.
"Dond't We hadn't peter preak oudt dot keks
of bowders," he said, "unt drOw him oferpoart
sir, we're he dOnd't drouple in der vet water no
more, eh?"
"No," said the captain. "Let the powder
alone If we 60 into the clouds We go, that's
ALL"
"VelI, den," muttered Mr. Offenburg, "ve must
Wait dill he catches, unit den drow him righdt
oferpoart Yaw, dot viii do, eh?"
1 wish the streaks wouldn't 60 scooting up
and down them tOpsail sheets SOL" remarked
little Mr.. Drew, the second mate, who was Cape
Cod man. with very quaint ideas Of etymOlOgy.
"Ive seen bout 'nuff it," (He would never say
"enough of it.") Il spec to see them baggernets
coming up through the deck with a rush."
The squall soon took leave of us, and as the
clouds rolled away upon the gulf we crowded all
sail to the southeast, every one feeling doubtful
and i'll at ease.
The war-talk on board of US was incessant
The Cubans related stirring incidents Of the
patriot struggle; and one day heard the mate
in return, telling them something Of the Franco
German conflict, wherein a brother-in-aw of his
had been engaged in more as dwendty paddles
unit got gilled nit losing two of his legks."
Mr. Offenburg appeared to think his own hero
ism placed beyond dispute by this warlike record
of his relative, for he added: so bees some
vighdter-eh, don'dt id 2"
Instead of running directly for Nuevitas, the
barque stood in for the Cayos ROmanOs, a chain
of islands extending for a hundred miles parallel
with the Cuban shore, and was soon upon the
beautiful watershed inclOsed between.
Here, with the dusky hills OF Cuba upon one
SIDE and the long line of the Cayos upon the
other, we found ourselves in a position calculated
to keep alive a most keen anxiety.
1t was the captains intention to run close in
with the coast and, sending on shore the passen-
gers and the somewhat large amount of war
material, be off with the least possible delay.
But, at the moment we needed it, the wind
died out, leaving us totally becalmed in the long
and gulf-like basin.
Here and there, small vessel was in sight
and at length our commander in his impatience
for information, boarded the nearest craft, little
turtle slOop, about half a mile off The intelIi-
gence with which he returned was extremely
unpleasant The sloop was from San Juan de los
Remedies, bound over to one of the Keys and
the skipper reported that he had the evening
previous been passed by the great ironcad, Isabel
la CatOlica, which vessel, he added, was now at
anchor behind high promontory, not more than
twelve miles from us.
This is a pretty scrape this is a pretty
scrape," said Mr.. Drew, coming forward among
the men. "Here we be- tied by dead calm, and
fus thing we know, that old smoke boat'n come
pOkin' her nose round the pint yonder. We
shall get huff tive shall get 'nuff it afore we
take the turns out O. this snarlI"
The Isabel might at any moment, get under
way; in which case she must Immediately dis
cover us, and would undoubtedly endeavor to
ascertain our character.
Our mere presence in this particular neighbor-
hood would be regarded as suspicious circum-
stance, and we had little or no hope that any