The Opelousas courier., 1889-05-25
nThat's it, is it? never head of that

TO-"
"Wha does that mean I"
"Why, when vessels are out in a storm
and lose their mast, the only thing to d.
is to keep the ship going just the way tn
wind and waves are going. If she shoult
turn around, or breach to, as the sailor
call it, she would be most likely to rol
over"
why do you always speak of the shil
as 'she?'"
"Now, Sonny, you have asked mt some
thing that do not know. I've Away!
heard q ship called she, and never any
thing else, so you will have t. ask some
one who knows more than do"
'If you, who have been to sea all you
life, don't know, | don't think it will b.
any use to ask anyone else. So go on will
the story"
"The next morning the wind went dowr
and the sea was not nearly so rough, anc
the sailors went to work and rugged up 6
jury mast"
What is that 2"
"When all the masts are cut away, the
ship will not mind its helm, and so tbs
first thing to do is to put up some kind OF
a mast on which to fix a sail so they car
make a vessel point the way they want il
to otherwise they would keep on going
just the way the wind blows, and perhaps
be blown upon the rocks"
90. yes, l see; but where did they gel
anything to make a mast OFF,
"All ships carry extra spars, so in case
any of the masts or yards get broken they
canc3qr~fr them"
IBID they have enough to fix the ship
nm ac Oood &c il VI hofora ~
"Ob, nc they only rugged the jury mast,
and then when the sun came out, Captain
Williams got out his instruments and took
an observation to find out where they
were"
what does that mean?"
81 thought you would ask that. All
ships carry what are called sextants and
quadrants. They are funny little instru-
ments by which they get the latitude and
longitude. All captains know how to use
Them, and no sailor is competent to~be a
c4ptain who does not know how to take an
observation. Do you understand now?'
eyes, l guess l know what you mean,
but | shall ask my father to explain them
more some time"
81 would. Pm not scholar enough to
tell you much about the instruments, but
| know Captain Williams knew how, for
he told the men just how far they were
from the nearest port, over three hundred
miles, aud he also CAV them a course to
steer, and then two men were given direc-
tions to watch for sails. One was put up
at the top of the jury. mast, and about half
an hour after we heard him cry out:
"'Sail HOP
"'Where away? 2 asked the captain.
"fOn the starboard bow said the man.
"The captain got his spy, glass aud soon
made out that the vessel was a schooner
and was coming towards them. The cap
tain and mate were both watching the
schooner, and as they stood near me
could hear them talking to each other.
They thought the schooner was a pirate,
and that if they fell into their hands all on
board would be killed"
"Was it a p~iratef"
Yes; and before night she came up to
told the captain of the pirate vessel that
our crew off and bound their hands With
liams and Mary, but they carried theh on
board the ship. Then they took everything
they 'tFaHted out of u ship, which in.
! ClflcU"c, anu euon Sucy SOB Luc snip VI
| fire"
did they kill the menu
"No. Thee carried them to an island
and Lee them all go except four sailors and
Captain Williams and his wife and child
For some reason they would not let them
go, but took them off again in their vessel
was put in the place of the old bin
nacle light, for I was SO much better thar
theirs, and SO had a good chance to SEE
and hear all that was going on.
''The captain of the pirate vessel had
the four sailors brought aft and"
"What does that meanf"
"The sailors speak of the two ends of
ship $ forward and aft. Aft usually
means the space back of the mizzen, mas
on a ship, and back of the main mast of
schooner. When they zane to where thu
captain was he asked them il they woulc
JOIN their crew, and they said they would
for they knew they would be killed if the.
did not.
Zone night two of these men happened
to be at the wheel together, and L heart
them talking about taking the pirate cap
tain and crew prisoners and release Cap.
tain Williams and his family. | won
dered how they could do it, but they die
not talk over their plans, SO | did not know
Zone afternoon little Mary was on del
running around, for they did not keep he.
locked up, and when she went near one o
the men who were in her fathers ship, b
slipped a paper in her hand, which sh'
put slyly in her pocket. Soon after sh
went below and staid awhile, then cam
back, and in passing the same man sh
said, sAll right, Peter That was all, bu
| knew that they were planning to talk
the vessel that night, and | was in hope
they would succeed, but I was afraid tina
they would not, for there were fifteen o
the pirates men. It was a very dark night
and just at midnight a dark figure stole u
behind the helmsman aud struck him owe
the head with q Delaying pin. He droppe,
to the deck, and before any one knew wha
had happened Peter tied his hands benin
him and put something in his mouth, so i
he came to he could not make an cutlery
Just then there was an outcry from tn
foreeastle, and two or three men came run
out"
Johnnie |"
"What is it, Mother?'
s'Supper is ready now"
"Weli, Mr.. Lantern, I suppose I've GO
to go and leave that story right in the mos
interesting part, but I'll be up to-morro,
to hear the rest of it," And Johnnie wen
down and told his,mother and father wins
he had heard, and that he was to hear tn
rest next daHt-Heary D. Taylor, i
Springfield Homestead.
A Monkey Raid on a Cornfeld.
Whey they get ready to start ON thei
expedition an old monkey, the leader of
tribe, with staff in his hand so as to stan