Wichita eagle., 1886-11-25


east OF the islands, as / overheard the cap
tain say, and then altered our course to tn,
southeast, calculating to pass to the east O.
| Billion island before hauling away for Sunds
strait
| The bark made good weather Of it, and W.
| had crossed the equator and run down ON til,
new course until Billion might have beer
| sighted from the masthead, when there came
calm The wind had died away about mid
forenoon, and the drift of the bark was TO the
north. We looked for change at sunset. bu.
nothing came, and the night passed withou,
wind enough to move q feather NJ watch
was below when daylight came, and we got
the word to turn up lively. Tothe northeast.
off the coast Of Borneo. two or three green
Islands were in sight, and between Us and the
Islands were two native craft bearing down
upon u. These craft were about the size Of
pilot boats, half decked over and rig-ed like
4 catboat. They had been sighted when six
OF seven miles away, and as ny watch came
on deck the mate descended from the perch
aloft, where he had been using the glass. and
reported to the captain that the craft were
approaching Us BIZ the use of sweeps. The
calm still held, but it was clear enough to q
sailors eye that we should have : breeze as
soon IS the sun began to climb up. No man
asked himself the errand of those boats max
ing out for the Huntress. At that time and
locality there could be but one answer. The
captain presently called Us aft and said:
Men, the craft which you see pulling out
for Us are pirates. We shall have q breeze
within an hour, but they viii be here first.
If we cannot beat them off we are dead men.
They take no prisoners. l look to see every
man do his duty"
We gave him q cheer, and began our prep
aratiols. The cook was ordered to fill lis
coppers full Of water and start q rousing fire,
and the arms were 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
q shell. When the captain called for some one
to use the rifles, the only one who answered
was an American. He took them aft, loaded
them with his own hands, and by the time the
pirates were within a mile we were 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 broad
side. The mate kept his glass going, and an
nOunced that both craft wera 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 a mile
away, the captain passed word for the gun
ners to send them 4 shot. In few seconds
the big gun roared, and we all saw that the
shell few over the pirates and burst in the
air. 1t was good line shot and something
to encourage, but before the cannon sent an
other 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 before he shouted:
Good for the Yankee, lie hit 1t least q
,ouplc Of them"
Tho second she'll from the cannon burst
over one Of the boats and took effect on some
+ She men, Is reported ~ the mate Tho
American then fired again, and again his
Uilet told. We were doing bravely and were /
I'll Of enthusiasm, bit the struggle was Yet /
o come The fellows bent their energies to /
Keeping closer, and pretty soon they opened /
= Us with musketry, and the balls began to /
in through the rigging in a lively manner. /
e had our Inus.etS ready, but the captain .
Tdered Us to hold our fire and keep sheltered /
ehind the rail One Of the piraticaI craft /
Tas q quarter Of 4 mile in advance of the (
ther, and the third shell from the cannon /
urst aboard of her and must have killed
nd wounded q dozen or moro men. There
'as great confusion on board and she re-
lained stationary untf the other craft came
p. During this interval the American gOs
l two more shots which found victims. We
Ow looked upon the victory as assured, and
here was cheering from one end Of the ship
. the other We we're little ahead Of
me. The third shot from our big gun burst
. and although none Of the men was hurt
re were thus deprived of great advantage.
Is soon Is the captain knew what had
b. ,1.l-d upon all the crew to
better themselves and wait to fire at close
Uarters. One man was detailed to assist the
ooL with the hot water, and powder and
uilets were placed handy for reIOadipG the
Illslets | was stationed near the gun car
age and | noticed several shells living abOst
uder foot The American kept firing away
18th the rides, knocking over q pirate at
very shot and pretty soon the two craft
ere near enough for Us to open fire with the
luSketS. | presume we wasted a good many
IOts, for We were green hands and greatly
zcited, but | am likewise certain that we
$50 did great execution. We had plunying
re down upon mass Of half-naked fellows,
nj we must have weeIed out full third Of
lem. There was no air stirring and the :
nole soon gyew thicl; about Us. By and by .
Ie shouts and yells of the pirate, sounded :
o>e at hand, and their craft were laid :
onSsida. We now flung down the !nuSl,ets {
nj used the revolvers and pixies When the !
,vo,yers were empty we used caps-an bars, |
ubbed nUSkets, or whatever would serve 6
strike blow. One dhow lay on our quar- :
Ia. In,
led TO carry u by boarding. i
| can't DESERT the fight 10 you. further G
ian 10 sly that ,here was shooting. club :
M and s-a5bing all along our port rail f
- beat them off the rail again and again
III twice. | Drained pirates who reached
c deck over the blades Of pixies. By and
heard some one sing out that the fellows
III boarded Us forward did not >1e how
e could spare q man from the quarter, for I
20 had gone down and the rest of Is were 2
u, pressed. III Of a sudden l thought Of s
TO shells living ~ my feet. There were half
dozen burning wa'is on our decks from the 7
l-IeS 81 jae pirates and with one II these 1
,atca the fuse 90 q tlTec->acoal shell and
va tl- bail t5s, for the dhow. /. fell right
81 L. taIc--. ~ her crew. and l. wcs /
-t.e-. Oar rail vas clear in half q minnie. C.
- then | picked UP another hell AMI q I
.-,u- ral AMI ran forward. \ dozen
civcs had gained the iorv and var- pushing
= men ha.a- l l.Edtei the fu>e AMI give
e shell r3I along the de-k into =,
-Wi ana l give yoG M word thar Eet +
g. 81 them was left alive after the yzr.l-
l One Of or men on the quarter threw
third she'll, and I brought the fourth one
/ threw i tpm the bow !
Tie fight yy.,~ endeL ! biz OF wind blew
smoke away, and We looked down upon 4
--lla Si-.lc. The boats seemed f1li Of dead &