Smyrna times., 1889-06-05
A STORY OF PIRATES.

IN
the captain Of the Silver Crown. one .
the company's traders. was an old friep,
OF my fathers, and so it came about tba.
took service in the company under
him' with the rating Of cabin bov. The
schooner carried dozen muskets. 10,
OF boarding pixies and half dozen emf
lasses as an armament, but everything
was boxed up and stored away. if not
forgotten. Capt, Wharton had been in
the service for six years and had never
met with any trouble.
When we got away it was with ordars
for the Philippine islands, among which
the company had many resident aoants
VINO collected products. Ourc course was
TO the southeast, to pass between For
mosa and the Loo Choo Islands. and we
had made the run thus far without inci.
dehC when one day about noon a Junk
rugged native craft, which doubtless
came from some port in Formosa. inter
CeP0ed us to the eastward Of that island
we were about thirty miles Off shore
when she hailed us. She claimed tn bo
SNORT OF water, owing to an accident.
ouC TINS, as we afterward came to know
was only an excuse. When she learned
UhaJ we were bound to the PhiliDnines
Sne mad three passengers to transfer
Aney were three natives Of Fornosa
VINO were going down there to found n
colony, and would pay literally for q
passage by the schooner
am only giving you the gist of what
was urged IN excuse. We lay to for
couple OF hours, and heard only a part of
what was said. 1t did not seem to strike
capt. Wharton or Mate Williams nc
queer or suspicious. and after hacplino
over terms for a while the three n9tives
were transferred to our decks and the |
vessels separated Then | had time to |
| look the strangers over, and | was not |
! long III concluding that ! did not wish !
lor an intimate acquaintance. Tbov |
We're tough looking trio, and the cool, |
Idu scarcely set eyes on them before ne
ueclared that we had made a great mis-.
IaKe In taking them aboard. We had no
accommodations for them aft. and as the
schooner was in ballast they had agreed
to occupy the hold
took an early opportunity of rom.
iiIil'iilcallhg my suspicious to the captain.
DuU lle laughed at me in good natured
way. tried the mate, but he saw notb-
ing TO arouse distrust 1t was singular
however, that every man of the crew
OUTSIDE OF the two officers was satisfied
that there was something wrono wifi
the trio. While their excuse was roo
sonable enough, the looks and actions of
Ine men were suspicious, and il was
plain toall that they were sailors. They
leC US all severely alone except the can
tam ana the cook, and called it to mind
aIUerward that while one interested the
IorIner the other two were occupied with
Ihe latter. | could 'chin-chin" n ~
ana the cook could speak a little En-.
glish, and so we MANAGED 10 undo,.s+.,,,,l
each e Other pretty well. Three davs {
aI'er the men came aboard "Slop-Slin."
as we called the cook, assured me with
very serious face that the strangers were
e'H minded men, who had planned to
capture the schooner They had asked
nm 10 JON them, and he had refused {
PosCed OH to the captain with this news
and he greeted it with contemDt $
we We're getting we'll down toward the [
norIhernmost island of the group. when 4
something happened which should have il
opened the captains eyes. The leader IF b
Ihe three borrowed the glasses and won't n
up to the crosstrees Of the nlainrnast and .
took a long look around. We saw tho e
sailor III his every move. and he had ro+ s.
oeeh down an hour when a native craft S,
came creeping up from the south. bows Is
'h 10 US. She had a free wind. while a!
we had been beating down all the fore e,
loon' We were at this time forty or Of
MY miles to thenorthward of the oro,,n M
Win a beautiful afternoon and n smooth re
ga. Half an hour after the native craft "
lad been sighted, one of the natives and e
ne captain retired to the cabin. Five i.
u u uIeS Iater the native showed his head 8
.DOVe the deck and called to the n1ota
'ho had just come on watch Ho dis.
pPeafed down the cOmpanionwav. and
i the same time ! entered the forecostl,,
look for something wanted v,as .,
own there about five minutes boorJ !;
. particular row on deck, but when e.,
SaPpeared l was struck dumb bv tho j.,
2ectacle. One Of the natives was at tbe If
.heei' and was bringing the schooner an
ito the wind to lie 10. The decapitated I'M
Oules OF the two Americans and tba no
'ok were lying amidships. while tbe
No 0Wedes were at the fOremast cross "
ees not shout had been raised nor M
cry uttered. The work had been done de
l.h terrible rapidity and in silence
@As 1 reached the deck one of the na- ces
yes came forward with bloody cranso for
MS hand and called me good bov, bei
III SAID 1 should not be hurt. He I.f, mo
G sitting on the windlass. so scared or,5
eak that could not stand and tI,a,, in
oiS'eG % ms companions to lower the is Z
US when this had been accomplished
ey called to the Swedes to come down bro
le poor fellows began CRYING and pne
nenting and refused to descend Tho c
1iVes picked up the bodies from, tLo Dor
ck and tossed them overheard and me-
en- descended to the cabin and bro,,oI,t G
the bodies Of captain and mafa snd mel
Ved them the same way. Both had and
III klIIed by the one native who ON %
ca them down. About the time tba dan
Oody was flung over the rail the po- frol
craft drew alongside. She b,d mon
rty men on board. all of whom, soo,,,'(i Il
AiiO" our three passengers and their we.
rs mere was great rejoicing over OF
capture OF the schooner, and for MIR;
- vi al HOuf no one paid me aDv are
ention Then there was a hot disc,,s- tied
L. part Of the gang seeming anxions
my life, but the result was tbat
conducted to the cooks ra.lny orJ II
en- to understand that was To- do tha lns"'
king. Although our COO; ygs the
nese they did not spare him E.bn. publ
ed me was my youth. or Tie. p,i.I. t-lrl
e planned to cut my throa. :.frr l4c1
served their turn Ion
hen m! fate had been ...,.l +. % se
des were again ordered down. One - .,.. -
lem descended, begging ana plead. .,,i,a ~
but he was cut down the moment '''. ,'''''s
feet touched the deck. The Other o''''
sed to come down, and half dozen .,''''',
YES ran up the foremast shrouds with " 90
es IN their hands Before they could ''-'''4'
n him the sailor made his wav hand y '''e
hand along the frantic stay 10 tbe o'''.N
mast. His feat was. CREATED with ~ -
ause, but others ascended. and there 'oi Il
no longer any hope for him. The oite ..I'.
iellow made the best defense possi- i'e
'ue they cut and hacked him mill ,io' 4
So his hold and foIi 70 FL -, tile IA