Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-06-13

| ward. From aIOft l could see nef nun
up. AS soon as I drew bead on her
with my long telescope glass | was
satisfied in my mind what she was:
Going on deck | called all hands and
told them thought that craft was
pirate.
We had four guns Of fair callbre;
two of them, however, were Hnfor-
tunately slowed away below. We had
a score Of muSkets and as many more
cutlasses, but what would they avail
with a craft Of that kind. The pirates
would want nothing of us but pro,
visions-perhaps men, and of course
we must submit. We we're on the port
tack, standing along on the wind.
When he was within mile of us
we hauled up the main-topsall to the
mast. He brailed up his foresall, set
tied down his fore skysail and royal,
also his gait topsails, run up black
flag and fired gun. She now kept
straight off for us to cross our stern.
We could see two men alOft at the
main and two or three more In the
foretop, with their glasses, looking
down upon our decks, and could near
them talking in Spanish to the officers
on deck The captain of the pirate
jumped upon the rail and with his
silver trumpet in his hand, hailed the
ship rs she passed close under our
stern.
"What ship is that, pray2"
"The Sheffield"
How long out?"
Twenty months,
"Who commands that Shlp|
Il"
"Will Captain Il please come
on board?'
We could not fight him. He could
Law off distance and sink us with
his Long Tom, SO there rem aimed no
alternative but to submit and go on
board. | ordered the starb0ard quar-
ter boat TO be lowered away and the
crew to stand by. The pirate have to
close under our lee quarter, so that we
had but short distance to pull. We
drew up alongside to the leeward of
that beautiful craft. Before getting
out of my boat | cast my eye up along
the lee rail. Such a sight to behold!
At least Seventy-fve men of the most
desperate looking characters looking
down upon me. They were all nation
alities, all ages and all colors. Two
fine looking officers passed me the
main ropes, and politely touched their
hats.
AS | stepped in on deck who should
stand their to receive me but MY once
most intimate friend, Harry Jones,
captain of the pirate, Black Dog. |
must say | breathed n little more free
ly when found into whose hands L
had fallen. He quickly asked me to
send my boat with its crew, back to
the ship, evidently not wishing his
crew to hold any conversation with
mine, saying to me at the same time:
This is no place for your men to be,
with such characters as we have here.
| shall keep you long enough to make
me Il good long visit
Turning to his irst Officer he order
ed him to Keep the ship closed aboard
and report il any strange sail should
heave in sight, whilst we walked into
the captains private cabin. 1t is not
enough to say it was finely fitted up;
it surpassed in elegance anything |
had ever seen. NV boat was soon
alongside the Sheffield and holsted to
the cranes. The ship braced forward
her main yard and stood along by the
wind, the Black Dog keeping along
on her lee quarter, in hailing dis
lance.
Great excitement prevailed on board
the Sheffield, the officers and crew
not understanding the meaning of my
being detained on board the pirate.
They thought the ship would be
prize to the Black Dog, not knowing
the captain and r.yself had been ship
mates on three years cruise. After
time we locked the craft over.
Her complement Of officers and men,
all told was ninety, but at that time
the crew was somewhat reduced i'll
numbers. She carried four eighteen
Founders on each side, with a Long
Tom amidship aud everything fitted
for the business in which she was en-
gagged. Upon the rim of her wheel,
in large gold letters, were the words:
Black D0g-"The world owes me y
living
She was perfect vessel in all her
appointments. | remained on board
one night and part of two days.
The time was occupied in rehearSIng
our voyages Since we had last met
Harry told nae he had become SO noted
as buccancer his name was known
all over ,hc world. \ brand was upon
him worse than that upon Cain.
"Ohl' said he, You have no con
ceivabie idea of the wretched nights
and scenes that have continually
haunted me the last four years. Oh;
that | could but wipe them from my
memory and be placed once again
upon that little clipper, Gray Eagle!
Would that [ had never left her to
take charge of this dreadful craft,
hands of my officers and crew, they
holding me with rope around my
neck. Wherever | may go there is
someone ever to recognize me, to know
me as SLAYER and as one of the worst
aud most noted of the buccaneers.
But Gsy mind is fully made up to
leave this bark in charge of my first
officer as soon as my business can be
arranged. If l had little more time
| would leave her now and go on
board your ship as passenger to Hong
koag aud then make my way home
to Baltimore, But all my old friends
know what 1 have been" he contiau-
ed, and how could l meet them?
There is one so long TO see my poor
mother-she would forgive me, She
and one brother are the only relatives
| have living. | used to tel, you my
mother was left poor and hsd hard
struggle to get along in life, Bat the
first thing 1 did after taking command
of the Black Dog, when gold was roll
ing in great abundance, was to send
large amount of bonds sufficient for
her 70 live in luxury the rest of her
days But since leaving Rio two years
ago 7 have had no tidings of her,
neither have written to her.
Since taking command of this
bark, he went on to say, ''it has not
been my purpose to take life. At one
time lost forty five out of ninety of
my crew with ship fever. Night and
day was | with them, ministering to
their wants with my own hands,
whilst l, the worst of them all, was