The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-12-15

and the first dhow had gone down before
either of the other two seemed to think OF
escape. Then it was too late. Our shot
went right through them and left terrible
gaps for the sea to pour in, and in just
seven minutes by the watch from the
firing of the first gun we got the order to
cease firing. =
zone dhow was at the bottom, the
second with her rail awash, and the third
was ON her beam end and slowly turning
turtle The survivors of our cannonade
were floating about on pieces Of the wreck
age, but by the time we had lowered our
boats and picked up seven the rest had
been pulled under by the sharks, which
came to the feast in q great school.
Among those rescued were the captains of
two of the dhows. Seven worse looking
Villains than those we picked up were
never seen in or out of prison. They were
q defi;lnt lot, too. Having recovered from
their shock of surprise, and comprehend
ing that trick had been played on them,
they fought us even as we rescued them
from the sharks. No matter how bad q
gang you get hold OF, on sea or land,
some one of them will be ready to turn
nose to save his neck. It was SO in this
case Six of them refused to answer q
QucSUlOu COuCCAu1AS tAO xAAAOAANesAA OAAS,
but the seventh was willing to tell all If it
would save him from the yardarm. He
said that every one of the crew had been
made away with, and that the brig was
then lying in the bay spoken of. They
were intending to plumber, dismantle and
scutt1e her. but had not yet begun the
work, having espied the Spitfire and come
out to investigate her. He gave the mum
Der of men aboard the three dhows at 40.
Sin those days the captain Of one of her
majesty's vessels on foreign station, or
I might say on a barbarOus coast, had
things much his own way. Breakfast was
only over when our captain ordered whips
at the yardarms, and informed the six
pirates that their time had come Not g
man of them even changed countenance
while each uttered the word 'Kismet'-it
is fate. Each man went to his death as
calmly as if it was an every day affair,
and the infOrmer gaZed upon the spectacle
with as little concern as you please. When
the necks of the six were well stretched
the bodies were lowered and sent to
sharks. Then we spruced up a bit, headed
in for the bay, and by mid-afternoon were
alongside the brig. She was anchored
within pistol shot of the shore, and nine
or ten villainous Arabs made their escape
from her before we had come up.
''The sights aboard that brig have al
ways haunted me. There were stains of
blood all over her decks, proving that the
crew had fought gallant fight and in
the cabin were the cory heads of two of
the sailors. At the foot Of the companion
was bloody hand, and near the scuttle
butt was another. / believe three or four
of the briggs crew surrendered, and were
deliberately tortured to death. Our cap
tain had agreed to spare the informer's,
life. We put a crew aboard the brig to
sail her out, and when ready to go tht
Arab was ordered overheard. It was cnl,
fair swim to shore, and he did not nee,
to be told twice. He made dive of thu
rail, came up like duck, and then heade
for the beach with an easy stroke. Il
had gone about fifty yards when dozc
of our crew called out in chorus. We say
two or three black fins cutting the water
CLEAN of white at the surface, and til,
swimmer was gone. New York Sun.