Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-07-12

board pulled back to our craft for instruc-
tions, and was ordered to take one of the in
terpreters back with me and let him explain
the situation. 1t was impossible for him to
do so owing to the yells and shouts which
greeted us. They could see him, and see that
he was not one of us, but when he stood up
and made signs the confusion was increased.
The other boat now returned from her vain
chase, but we had as yet formed no plan when
the land breeze sprang up and the blacks be-
gan to make sail on the brig. There must
have been two or three among them who had
been aboard of a sailing craft, Or they were
sharp enough to study out the rig and dis
cover which ropes to haul on. None of them
dared go aloft, but they let fall or hoisted
away until the breeze got a purchase on the
hunts and festoons, and then the jibs were run
up and trimmed down almost as well as sail
ors could have done it. We sought to board
her while so many Of the blacks were busy,
but there were enough left on guard to
thwart our efforts. If we could have used
our pistols and cutlasses we could have been
on her decks in two minutes, but our orders
were not to injure man OF them, our cap
tain hoping that after their first squirt was
over the Interpreters might find opportunity
to explain.
What followed the coming of the breeze
has never been detailed except in official re-
ports. The wind came up strong and gusty,
showing an atmospheric disturbance inland,
and the management of vessel was some
thing that no one aboard understood She
had got her nose pointed up the blight by the
time the breeze took her, and away she moved
as fast as we could pull our boat behind her,
yawing to starboard or port in such way
that her wake was like a rail fence The
blacks evidently wanted to return to land,
and as she moved that way their yelling was
tremendous. After little practice at the
wheel the helmsman kept better course, but
the breeze gusted up strong every few min
utes, and during these gusts he lost his nerve
and everything was in confusion. However,
the brig kept advancing up the blight all the
time, and our two boats followed behind.
She was holding tolerably fair for the mouth
of the river, and we had made up our minds
that she would certainly be beached when
she suddenly fell off, wabbled about, came up
into the wind again, and, after hanging for
a moment, paid off and turned almost on her
heel and headed for the ocean.
Things must have been at skies and sevens
aboard, for the whole crowd yelled in terror
We did not know until later on what had
caused this erratic movement. The crew of
the SLAYER, after pursuit had been given over,
rested on their oars to see the affair out.
When the brig headed up the blight they cut
across her bows to recapture her, not seeing
us in her wake. They probably attempted
to hook on to her fore chains, but in any
event they got in her course and were run
down and sent to the bottom as surely as if
the blacks had planned it, Not man es-
capped.
When the brig headed for the sea the
breeze helped her along faster, and the helms
man got back his nerve and managed to hold
her pretty even Our own craft slipped her
anchor and made sail as a matter of precau-
ton, but the Lion passed her by quarter of
mile and held straight out. We had now
to pursue the foolish crowd, which we did as
soon as our boats could be recalled. We
hoped that the seas now getting up would dis
able the blacks, but few, if any, of them
seemed to mind it. We could sail five feet
to her one, and we ran as close as was pru-
dent and made every effort to get them to
understand that we were friends They an
swered us with threat and menace. When
we fired a gun, hoping to brighten them into
submission, it seemed to have just the oppo-
site effect. She was held straight out to sea,
and we followed, feeling that disaster must
soon happen. She was a good ten miles out
when we got the word to reef and clew for
an approaching squall, and we were hardly
ready for it when it came booming down and
shut out sight of everything for ten minutes.
When it had passed the brig was bottom up
a mib away She had turned turtle, and not
a soul aboard of her escaped.-New York
Sun
Almost Strang1ed for Splinter.
Fremdenblatt tells of machinist in Luz
beck who got an iron splinter in his eye,
which could not be discovered by any of the
local eye doctors He was informed that he
would have to prepare to lose the injured
organ. The man went to DR.. Binder and
told him his trouble.
"Ah, then" said the popular doctor, tive
may try first some other remedy. Have you
a good sized handkerchief on youa"
eyes, but it's colored one"
"Oh, the color makes no difference. Give
it here, my lad"
DR.. Binder twisted the handkerchief into
rope, which he coiled round his patients
neck, tying it tightly till the man thought he
would suffocate, and his eyes started from
their sockets. DR.. Binder now examined the
sore eye, and detected the splinter in por-
ton of the ball which had hitherto remained
invisible. He proceeded to remove it and the
eye was saved.
"My conscience, thought you'd have
choked me straight off" said the patient, as
soon as he had recovered his breath.
"Pooh!' answered Binder; "don't make
fuss about such trifles."