The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1886-08-26
FIGHT WITH. PIRATES.

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5$ James Terrence was foremost hand
on the British bark Huntress, and one
morning in the seventies we left Singa-
pore, bound to the south by way Of the.
Straits Of Sunda. We had sixteen
hands on the bark, and for armament
we had q nine FOUNDER mounted on a,
carriage and q good supply Of muskets.
and spikes. All the seas to the north
of Australia are suspicious waters for
an honest ship. Pirates have abound.
ed there ever since ships began to sail
and I'm thinking it will DO long before
the business is entirely wiped out
There: are hundreds Of islands in the
Java and Banda Seas, and each one of
them offers d secure head uarters for a
gang Of native pirates: They are not
as bold as before the Government
cruisers got orders to patrol those
waters, and sink every craft which
could not show honest papers; but they
are there still, and the temptations are
too great to expect they can ever be
entirely suppressed. On our way up
when off the Red Islands, on the north
ern coast Of Sumatra we overhauled an
Italian brig called the Campello. She
was stripped Of sails, cordage, and
most of her cargo, and had been set
\ fire .to.and scuttled. For some re ason
the flames died out, and the water came
{ in SO slowly that she was; hoated six
hours after the pirates saband oned her.
Our mate was sent off to board her,
{ and he found q sho cking state Of affairs.
She had been laid aboard without re-
I sistance BY two native boats, armed only
with muskets and pistols. The crew
had at once been made prisoners, and
set to work to strip the ship and hoist
out such cargo as the pirates coveted.
Size was run in behind one of the
islands and anchored, and for three
days and nights the pirates were hard
S atlwork on her. Each mar? Of tile crew
worked under o guard during the day,
and at night captain and all were
secured in the forecastle. The crew
numbered fourteen. !ss
Toward evening OF the third day the
pirates had secured all their plumber.
B Several native crafts had been loaded
\ and sailed up the coast to some rem
devious, and only one remained to take
the last Of the plumber. AS no actual
violence had been offered Captain or
crew during the three days there was
hope that the pirates would go away
and leave them in possession of the
robbed and disma tied bril- Just what
shift they would have madesit This case
cannot say, for the craft was left
without sail, rope blot or provis-
u ions. About A o. o'clock in the afternoon
! the crew were ordered forward, while
{ the natives ollected aft, and at d given
n 81 gnal fire was opened on the defense
\ less men. To their credit let it be re-
corded that they seized whatever weap-
i ons they could lay hands on and DASH
ed at the pirates, but 1t was simply to
die like brave men. IA ten minutes
the last one was shot. down. The
pirates then raised the anchor and got
Lit into their boat, bored holes into the
{ ships bottom, and started q fire in the
4 hold amidships The inf ton y
i. have given you came from % little chap
on board who was NAL ling his first voy-
s age as an apprentice He was. il Ire
member right only thirteen years old.
{ On the morning Of the third day he
4 managed to, hide among the cargo, and
Il the pirates c6niple ted their work and
sent the bulk drifting out to sea with-
ont having missed him. He was on
deck to catch the painter Of i the mates
: boat when she drew alongside,
nj, III # I'd ne Eli of m ts M tv who