News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-10-18

dozed and nodded.
"When morning came the breeze
freshened and hauled to the southwest
| was now sure that could not make
the Farce Islands, and that was driv
ing out into the Arctic Ocean. There
fore, as soon as [ had secured bite tc
cat, went aloft with my knife and cut
away most of the cloths, leaving only
sufficient to give her steerage way or &c
enable her to lie to in a gale, l then
held her up for the coast of Norway, but
as had crippled her powers she swashed
along like an old tub, making only a
mile or so an hour. was in hopes to
re able to strike Christiansand, know
ing that it was the only port below the
Arctic Circle, and it seemed that I Ger
talnly must fall in with some craft dur
ing the day. Before noon l sighted two,
but they were far to the east. During
the afternoon espied three others, but
the nearest one was eight or ten miles
away and sailing another course. | got
through the day fairly well, being much
occupied IN figuring my position and
wondering where l should eventually
bring up. Just at sundown the wind
fell almost fiat, and / had figured out
that | was already above Christiansand
and fairly into the Arctic Ocean. The
change in the temperature proved that.
There was every appearance of quiet
night, and ct 10 O'Clock, when the brig
lost steerage way, [ bunked down be-
side the wheel and was soon fast asleep.
l awoke about l in the morning to find
all quiet, and dozed off again, and was
still asleep at daylight when l was
boarded by boat from merchantman
on her way home from Russian port.
'I got help to work the brig hack to
Hull, and snug little sum got as
salvage, but as to what became of the
crew no man has ever discovered. Twen-
ty-five years have passed andall attempts
to trace them have brought no tidings.
Expeditions were sent to all the islands
and all along the coast of Denmark,
! Sweden, and Norway, but never trace
was had. | have heard hundred theo-
/ ries about it, but one was as good rs
another, because none could be
/ proved"
! In the year 1913 my father was car
/ penter of an English ship called the Col
den Rule, chartered from Liverpool to
the West Indies and return. She was
small but snug ship, carrying about
twelve men, and she had two guns
mounted on her decks as a protection
against pirates. There were plenty OF
suspicious craft hanging about the Car
ribbcan Sea in those days, aud all mer-
chant vessels had to be prepared to de
fend themselves. One of the guns was
big fellow presented to the owner of
the ship by q club of gentlemen, and
after it was mounted he was warned
that it would wrack the ship to pieces if
ever discharged.
The Golden Rule made fine run of it
until almost down to the islands, when
one morning, at about 9 o'clock, she
came up with a brig flying English
colOrs and flag of distress. The cap
tain ordered the ship to lie to, and the
mate to pull off TO the stranger i'll the /
yawl. The distance between them was
only quarter of n mile, and the yawl .
was soon alongside. The mate went up
first, and the twosmen soon followed,
and in few minutes the stranger show I
ed a signal which read: "More help, or
We sink" It was q beautiful day, with
n light wind and no sea, and the captain
mt once sent off the second mate with
four men. This made eight out of the
twelve.
Neither OF the guns were loaded, but
when the second boat left us my father
went at it and loaded both pieces, hay
ing the help of one of the sailors. Into
the smaller they crammed anything to
answer for grape and caunister, and into
the larger solid shot. When the crew
of the second boat reached the brig and
went over the rail they were received
with a cheer, but in few minutes both
boats, crammed full of men, LETT the
brig for the ship. Seeing this my father
made bold to tell the captain that
lie believed the stranger
pirate, and that the boats should be
fired upon. Captain Davis laughed at
tho idea, as the glass revealed the faces
of his own men in the boats, or so he
thought. 1t turned out they had been
forced to yield up jackets and caps, bnt
not one of them had left the brig. The
boats pulled right alongside, and when
it was too late it was discovered that
they were heavily armed, and were no
doubt pirates. They were aboard in o
jiffy, meeting no opposition whatever.
1t may perhaps be called cowardice
in my father for slipping into the cabin
rs the pirates tumbled aboard. He
found n hlding-place under a lounge.
and he heard ali that went on. The pi-
rates didn't seem to be such q murder
Gus lot. They towed their brig along /
side, broke out such of the cargo as ,
suited their fancy, and cleaned the lock- ,
rrs of every dollar in cash. They were
full of horse play and rude jests, but no
one WAS hurt. About noon they were ,
ready to depart. The wind was now ;
blowing from the west, and they put all :
the ships crew into the yawl without =,
food, water, sail, or oars, and turned the ,
boat adrift. The idea was to get rid of :
them without bloodshed, and it was / :
pretty sure way. She drove off, broad !
side on, and the slightest increase in =
the size of the waves must swamp her. 6
If the weather held fine, it was death :
from thirst and starvation. When the I
crew had been disposed of the pirates
descended into the hold and bored :
several auger holes through her bottom. !
They laughed and jested as if it were a !;
good joke, and ali were pretty drunk I
when the brig was ready to depart. :
My father now removed the imputa- I
ion OF cowardice 10y performing nervy !
lct. He didn't know how many holes {
lad been bored or how soon the ship 7
would go down, but thought from the
Ictions of the pirates that she would not
win another half hour He felt that he :
'tso a. hOOLlCAA L1Aully anu lC ndIllCu It. |
7enge. As soon as he heard the pirates =,
:asting off lie crept up the companion, |
nd saw that the big gun, which WAS on +
hat side of the ship, had not been med :
He'd with. He got a horn of powder q
rom the arms chest, crept along the y
leck to the cooks house unseen, and :,
here found the iron poker in the stove !
ed-hot, as if one of the pirates had =
meant to use it to carry out some design. +
The two vessels had locked yards, and =
he brig had some trouble in getting 9
lear. When she finally drew away she a
ell off astern, but as she made sail she 7
anne up again. She was not more than r
istol shot away, and was just even with n
he big gun, when father kicked the n
ort open, took hasty sight, and primed !,
nd discharged the cannon. He was
nocked down and temporarily deafened
Y the loud report, and when he reached
is feet again three mangled bodies were
ying on the deck, together with great
fife of splinters, blocks. boards, and r.
-uff, The sea around was covered with 7
reokage, while the brig was nowhere I
} be seen.
What had happened? Well, sir, tho n
all from the big cannon had smashed n
ito the briggs powder magazine and n
Iown her up. 1t was entirely chance b
not, but it went straight to the mark. a
80 Tho cIyty orr o.