Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-07-18

and said should not be hurt. He left
me sitting on the MINDLESS so scared and
week that could not stand, and then as
sisted his companions to lower the sails.
When this had been accomplished they
called to the Swedes to come down. The
poor fellows began crying and lamentlng
and refusing to descend. The natives
picked up the bodies from the deck and
| tossed them overheard, and then de-
seconded to the cabin and brought up the
bodies of captain and mate and served
them the same way. Both had been
| killed by the one native who enticed them
down. About the time the last body was
! flung over the rail the native craft drew
alongside. She had thirty men on board :,
all of whom seemed to know our three
passengers and their plans. There was
great rejoicing over the capture of the
schooner, and for quarter of an hour
no one paid me any attention. Then
there was hot discussion, a part of the
gang seeming anxious for my life, but the
result was that was conducted to the
cooks galley and given to understand
| that l was to do the cooking. Although
our cook was a Chinese they did not
| spare him. What saved me was my
youth, or they might have planned to cot
my throat after | had served their turn.
When my fate had been settled the
Swedes were again ordered down. One
of them descended, begging and plead
| ing, but was cut down the moment his
| feet touched the deck. The other re-
| fused TO come down, and half a dozen
| natives ran up the foremost shrouds with
knives in their hands. Before they could
reach him the sailor made his way hand
over hand along the triantic stay to the
mainmast. His feat was greeted with
applause, but others assembled, and there
was no longer any hope for him. The
poor fellow made the best defense pos
sible, but they cut and hacked him until
he lost his hold and fell to the deck. His
body was thrown overheard, deck and
cabins cleansed of blood stains, and
about shutdown the schooner, with
twenty five men, was headed for the
Philippines. The rest of the gang num-
bering seven or eight, followed with the
native craft. Iboiled large quantity of
meat and got the best supper possible,
and was glad to find that no one gave me
any attention.
We had a brisk wind all night and
during the next forenoon, and at about
2 O'Clock we reached an anchorage on the
a quarter of mile Of the beach. The
native craft passed Us and entered the
mouth of river. From what I could
gather she was going to bring out mel
and cannon to the schooner. A hunt was
made through the schooner for gun car
riages and the discovery of the small
arms seemed to put the fellows in good
humor. There was about $4,000 in gold
aboard in the cabin and this was counted
out and divided pro rata, or some other
satisfactory manner as we lay at anchor.
Then l was ordered to draw a pailful of
vine from oask in a sort of lazarettO or
store room reached from the gallery. The
cook might have known of the presence
of wins there but I did not. / had never
looked into the place. There was a tin
pail, holding about ten quarts, in the gal
ley, and this l filed and carried to the
main hatch, with several glasses, and
| everybody proceeded to help himself.
Now that we were at anchor all dsc-
pline had ceased and one man was as
good as another. They were proving
all over the schooner and perfectly at
home.
The wine must have tickIed their pal
ates nightly, for a second pailful was
| sooD demanded. 1t was while was draw
ing it that noticed that the barrel had
no bung in it, and l wondered why the
wine had not soured. / retired to the
gallery as soon as l had filled the second
order, and for half an hour there was
great deal of loud talk and laughter. All
of sudden, while l was rejecting on the
situation, and perhaps crying bit in my
sorrow and anxiety, it struck me that
things were wonderfully quiet. l looked
l IS hsa] oil -
figures lying on the deck, and later, when
had summoned courage TO walk the
length of the schooner, found every
man aboard apparently sound asleep.
Their breathing was labored, but sap
posed this wss the result of too much
drink. The night had come down dark
and gusty, with the wind directly off shore,
and as the sleepers continued to be quite
some strange ideas came to me. 1 was
tempted to take one of the knives and
begin killing but doubted my nerve.
The yawl was at the davits, and planned
to lower it and let the breeze carry me
out to sea. / held this idea for q few
minutes, and then surrendered it for
another. / would swim ashore and hide
in the forest. / had to abandon that
scheme as well, for l saw at glance that
the tide was running out strong. I was
wondering if / should not start fire in
the forecas tie or cabin when discovered
that the craft was under way. She had
her light anchor out and had been tug
ging under tide and gust. The chain
had ground off against some sharp edged
rock or the pin had slipped from
sheckle. It was probably the latter case,
as l heard splash a. the end of the cabin
falling from the hawse hole. She dove
off stern first and then, as she began to
swing about, stepped softly back to the
| wheel, put it over to get her off, and then
extiDguished the lanterns ON deck and
the lamp in the cabin. I am not boast
ing of my nerve in stepping over the
| sleepers to do this work or of my sagac-
ity in getting the idea. ] was working
like one in a dream and could hardly have
identified myself.
What occurred between the time 1 put
out the lichts and daylight next morning,
never can clearly remember. The
schooner took care OF herself for any
effort of mine, and I think / went into
the galley and crept behind the stove.
At last l crewled out of that contracted
space soon after daylight, in response tc
a call. l supposed | was called to prepare
breakfast for the pirates, but | was no
sooner out of the galley than saw a large
ship hove to quarter of mile away,
while one of her boats with five men in it
was alongside the schooner. 1 must have
looked and acted like stupid, for as a
coupls of men came over the rail one of
them gave me hearty shaking and