Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-06-08

ClldU Ul1Il6 Uudu plTdU6S Ol DOfu6O dIu du-
jacent islands, and if they came down on us
they would come five to one. After IL o'clock
everybody was on deck and at his station.
We lay broadside to the entrance of the bay,
with the schooner lazily riding to the ground
swell, and swinging her head this way and
that by turns This was thought to be an
unfavorable position, as, if attacked from
the entrance, we could bring only the two
port cannon to bear. 1t proved, however, to
be our salvation.
1t was a little past midnight, and every
man on deck was listening for signs of the
enemy, when we were suddenly attacked on
all sides at once. We had scarcely got the
alarm when full dozen native craft Of all
sorts burst through the fog and were upon
us. 1t was clever piece of work. All had
come into the bay from the sea, our position
had been exactly located, and the fleet had
separated to take us on all sides and to at
tack at the same moment. The best white
naval officer could not have laid his plans
more perfectly. A merchant vessel would
have been in the hands of the pirates in five
minutes, even if expecting them. Discipline
saved us. There was no confusion. Every
man knew his station and sprang to it. We
gave them couple of broadsides inside of
half minute, and it was these which saved
the schooner. The guns were depressed and
fred at just the right moment, and the havoc
created was simply awful. The recoil of the
guns gave the schooner sheer which upset
two or three craft, and the only attempts to
board were at the bow and stern. l was on
the bow with others, and we each had a mus
ket and cutlass. blew the whole top of a
natives head off as he raised it above the rail
in front of me, and then used my cutlass.
The fellows just swarmed up the chains, and
they had ropes, with hooks attached, which
they threw over the rails and came climbing
up. In spite of the way we laid about us
they kept gaining on us, and I had just split
a fellows head open when a hook thrown
from below caught in my clothing, and I
was jerked to the rail and over it in three
snaps of your finger. I fell upon the heads
of several natives and rolled off into the sea;
but almost as soon as I struck the water, a
rough hand pulled me on to the raft or cat
amaran, and in thirty seconds my hands and
feet were tied and pirate took charge
of me.
Although dazed and confused by my sud-
den change of position, I knew all that was
going on. / hadn't been on the raft two
minutes when she was backed away from
the schooner, and as she moved dose Of
canister from one of the guns killed five or
six natives, who stood over and just behind
me- Again, after we were concealed by the
fog, another discharge tore off a corner Of
the raft and killed two more men. could
hear the shouts and cheers of my shipmates,
and knew we were one of the last parties
to withdraw from the attack. The schooner
had come out of it very handsomely, having,
as 1 soon learned, inflicted terrible damage
on the pirates.
After getting away from the vessel we
we We're joined by boats and RATS carrying
nearly 100 men, and a good third of these
were wounded. All made for the entrance
of the bay, and it was only when out of can
non shot that the fury of the pirates over
their bloody repulse broke loose. My pres
ence seemed to be forgotten for the time, and
it was lucky for me that such was the case.
There were several fights among the sur
vivors on our raft, and it appeared that all
those in authority had been killed
In about an hour after getting out of the
bay, and all the time progressing slowly to
the north under paddle, we ran into the
mouth of creek and landed in village, the
inhabitants of which were awake and alert
Ny feet were united and 1 was roughly jerked
to standing position, and when it became
known through the village that prisoner
had been taken the excitement increased to
fever heat. But for very old man, who
was probably a superannuated chief, should
have been cut to shreds at the first rush.
Everybody but this old man seemed to have
an insane desire to kill me, and why he
should try to prevent them was a mystery to
me- However, by voice and arm he kept
them off until cooled down, and then made
them speech. After that was conducted
to hut, and guards were placed at the open
ing.
why my life was spared the night before. An
hour after daylight stout crotched limb
was driven into the ground a few yards in
front of my hut. Then long, stout pole
was laid in the crotch. It worked exactly
like an old fashioned well sweep, but instead
! of the bucket they were to use my body.
| Fuel was gathered and fire kindled, and
| figured it out that the men at the other end
| of the sweep or level were to hold me sus-
| pended over the fame, taking due care that
my sufferings were drawn out as long as pos
| sible When I came to see the villagers by
daylight had no hope whatever of my life
| being spared. They were not only the most
| villainous lot white man ever saw collected
together, but many of those who returned
from the attack were grievously wounded
and bent on vengeance.
1t was about two hours after daybreak
! that was pulled out of the hut and roughly
| jerked along toward the fire. Every man
! woman and child in the village was in the
circle around me- and the benign old man OF
the night before now licked his chops like g
hungry tiger, and approached to give direc
tions MY hands were united, and two natives
helped me off with my clothes. AS my shirt
came off the old man, who stood in front Of
| me, flung up his hands and cried: Gonna
Onna!" at the same time pointing to the
mark on my breast. His exclamation wa:
taken up by Others and five or six of the old
est men came forward to inspect the mark A
minute later they signed to me to resume my
clothing, and was no sooner dressed than
was taken to the old mans hut, and {
hearty breakfast was given to me- HI
not only smiled at me as soft a
molasses, but patted ME on the bacl
many times After I had eaten I wa
taken out on the open ground, and every per
son in the village filed past and touched on
of my hands, Then every wounded mai
came and touched my shirt over the mark
and was asked by signs to remain in tn
village and become a head man. replied il
the negative, adding that desired to return
to the schooner right away. There was
kindly attempt to induce me to remain, an
when it was seen that would not was con
Quoted through the woods by an easy path t
the bay, got farewell all around, and wa
then padded off to the schooner by a singl
native in canoe. I do not know to this da
the significance of those queer marks in 1ndi
[ ink, but suspect they relate to some India
superstition. The awe and the servility c
the pirates could not have been greater ha
been a native king.-New York Sun.
The gilded youth fits bis boutonniere to tt
occasion of wearing it. For visit of col
dolence he wears purple flower; for a wei
ding, white; for party call, pink for bal
red.
| A Hotel in Honduras.
Do you want to see how Hondurania
hotel is furnished My room is OH corne
fronting on a plaza and the sea on the nortl
and looking toward the ancient church aero
the street on the west. The floor is covere
by one large oilcloth In one corner is
camp cot. On the canvas cotton sheet
spread; over that another sheet and viii
=