The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-08-18

there could be but one answer. The
Captain presently called US ait ana said
Men, the craft which you sec pulling
out for US are pirates. We shall nave q
breeze within an hour, but they Will be
here first. If we cannot beat them OIL
we are dead men. They take no prisoners.
I look to see every man do his duty.
We gave him cheer, and began our
prcparations. The cook was ordered to
ill his coppers full of water and start
q rousing fire, and the arms W re
brought up and served out. There were
three or four men who had served at a
heavy gun. and these took charge of the
cannon, and the piece was loaded with
O shell. When the Captain called for
some one to use the rifles, the only man
who answered was an American. He took
them aft, loaded them with his own
hands, and by the time the pirates were
within mile We we're as ready as we
could be. The bark was lying with her
head to the east, and the fellows were
approaching US from the north, on our
broadside. The mate kept his glass
going and announced that both craft
we're crowded with men, but that he
could see no cannon. They made slow
progress, and we were impatient to open
the fight. BY and by, when they might
have been three quarters of mile away,
the Captain passed word for the gunners
to send them shot. In few seconds
the big gun roared, and we all saw that
the shell flew over the pirates and burst
in the air. 1t was good line shot and
something to encourage, but before the
cannon sent another shot the American
had a try with one of the rifles. The
mate was watching his shot from the
rigging, and the report had scarcely died
away b fore he shouted:
"Gcod for the Yankee! He hit at leasa
a couple of them"
The second shell from the cannon burst
over one Of the boats and took effect on
some of tie men, as reported by the
mate. The American then fired again,
and again his bullet told. We were doing
bravely and were full of enthusiasm, but
the struggle was yet to come. The fell
lows bent their energies to creeping
closer, and pretty soon they opened on us
with muskctry, and the balls began to
sing through the rigging in lively man
ncr. We had our musdets ready, but
the Captain ordered US 10 hold our fire
and keep sheltered behind the rail. One
of the piratical craft was quarter OF
mile in advance of the other, and the
third shell from the cannon burst aboard
of her, and must have killed and
wounded dozen or more men. There
was great confusion aboard, and she re-
manned stationary until the other craft
came up. During this interval the Ameri.
can got III two more shots, which found
victims. We now looked upon the VIC
tory as assured, and there was cheering
from one end of the ship to the other We
were a little ahead of time. The third
shot from our big gua burst it, and al
though no one was hurt, we were thus
deprived of great advantage.
As soon as the Captain knew what had
happened, be called upon all the crew to
shelter themselves and wait to fire at
close qrar.e-s. One man was detailed to
assist the cook with the hot water, and
powder and bullets were placed handy
for reloading the muskets. was sta
toned near the gun carriage, and I no.
ticcd several shells lying about under
foot. The American kept firing away
with the rides, knocking over a pirate
ut every shot, and pre-. .ty soon the two
craft we're near enough for US to open
tire with the muskct1. l presume we
wasted a good many shots, fof we were
green hands and greatly excited, but ]
am likewise certain that we also did
great exc utlon. We had plung,nS
lire down upon mass of kalf-nakel fel
'owS, and we must have wceled out
full third of them. There was no air
stirring, and the smoke soon grew thick
about us By and by the shouts and
wells Of the pirates sounded close at hand,
and their craft were lail alongside and
they gan climbing the rail. We now
flung down the muskets and used The re-
volvcrs and pixies. When the rcvolveTs
were empty We used capstan bars, clubbcd
maskcts, or whatever we could lay
han Is upon. Our rail was clear in half
minute, and then | picked up a shell
and burning wad and ran forward. A
dozen natives had gained the bow and
were rushing our men back. lighted
the fuse and gave the shell roll along
the deck into thu crowd, and give 20:
my word that not one of them was left
alvo after the explosion. One Of our
men on the quarter threw second shell,
aad brought the third one and threw it
from the bow.
The fight was endel. \ bit of wind
b!cx the SIN Ike away, and we Looked
down upon a terrible sight. The boats
seemed full of dead and wounded, the
living sought shelter under the half
decks. Why, there were bodies without
heads, heads without bodies, and arm'
and legs and pieces of bl ody meat enough
to make the bravest turn pale. AS we
cut their lashings they driftci off, and
the Anne ica1 with his big rifles, an two
or three of the men with mlsketi, kept
up q fire ON eve: ything that moved. Tres.
emily the breeze came up, and as we made
sail and got the bark where We could
handle her we ran down for the dhows.
They were light built, and it needed
only fair blow to crush them. The first
one we struck on her starboard quarter,
and, although the bark glanced off, we
crushed in her 'mbers, and she filed and
went down inside of five minutes. There
were about twenty living men on the
other, and as we bore down for her at
a good pace they uttered shouts Of terror
and made signs of surrender. Our Cap
tain had no mercy for them. We put
the ship right at the dhow's broads:dc,