Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-11-20
NARRATIVE OF A NIGHT.

NARRATIVE OF A NIGHT.
A darker night than that which
closed around the disabled merchant
ship. Carlos. as ! headed her off the
coast or the Island of Mindanao, I had
seldom seen.
Occasionally, however, ZIg-zag
lightning flash would play about her
ugly-looking jury-masts. and reveal her
ragged stump of a jib-boom, forward.
Having been damaged by a tempest,
IN which she lost her captain and her
mate, her distress signal had been an
swered by our ship, the sloop-of-war
Congress, few days before the pres
ent time, and as there was no one
aboard capable of navigating her, our
captain had put me in charge OF her
with few men, and Mr.. Shelburne, a
passed-midshipman or eighteen, to con-
vey her to Manila, her destination.
She was Spanish vessel, and as, be-
sides a large amount of gold and a
valuable cargo, she carried few pas
sengers, among whom were women and
children. j realized to the full the re-
sponsibiity of my position.
Now, as / walked the deck, the
breeze freshened. and a distant moan
Ing sound foretold gale, if not hurri-
cane.
Far astern could just make out the
light OF our sloop, dipping with the
swell, and the sight afforded me some
consolation. The Captain had prom.
lsed to hover in our vicinity until we
were well past Mindanao, lest we be
pounced upon by some of the formid-
able Mrndanayan pirates that were
I'M 70 hs.r I'D a.,
cayerns and rocky bays along the coast.
Suddenly one OF the zig-zag flashes
OF lightning l have mentioned showed
me the dark, excited visages of the
Spanish seamen forward, and also of
some of my own men, as they stood
peering and pointing, while the hoarse
voice of the outlook was, the next mo-
mems, borne TO my ears.
.'Sail hoI''
Where awayp" l shouted.
about two points on the weather
bow" was the answer.
Shelburne came running up to me
and touched his cap.
EXCUSE me, lieutenant" he said Z,
but had as good view of that craft
as the brief flash would permit, and
believe her to be some pirate whose
captain has probably heard from Nh
nil a people that this vessel has gold
aboard OF her, and thinks he will have
Glance to take some of it from her
bs fore our sloop can come to our aid
Would 1t not be best, sir, to wear ship
and make a straight wake for the Con-
gle-sg'
looked at the mdshipman's handsome
face, at his earliest blue eS es, cleaning
in the light of the binnacle lamp, and
answered him, far very gruffly, for L
WAS not at all pleased at having this
youngster making suggestions to me.
Sire may not lie pirate. When l
want your opinion, sir, will ask you
for 1t. De not SO ready to imagine
danger"
Ny manner hurt him, and he hast
ened to ada:
II WAS lot thinking of myself, sir,
when / spoke, but of Miss Melton and
-and-the other passengers.
L could not help smiling at his youth
ful readiness in first mentioning Miss
Melton, though l WAS not surprised,
for l, too-a bluff matter-of-fact sea
lieutenant of thirry-had been i'm
pressed by the wonderful beauty of this
young lady of sixteen.
Her parent, a widower, who was
glish merchant, but her mother, as i
had already learned, had heen u Span
ish lady, and il was from her she in
herited the large lustrous black eyes
that flashed or soTtened with every
thought and feeling, while the light
brown hair and clear complexion were
like her fathers.
Never mind about Miss Melton" l
now said, in answer to Shelburne.
THAT young lady's being here Will not
turn the vessel ahead of US into a
pirate"
/ spoke testify, for to tell the truth,
was little jealous of the girls seeming
preference for my handsome midship-
man. As he turned away and walked
over to leeward, the wind rose TO a
howl, the white foam of the waters
CLEANED through the darkness, and,
with the gale now off our weather quar-
ter, we tore along at rapid rate.
The main-mast, my tallest spar, was
very weak, and when at length a rather
heavy sea set the ship to rolling and
plunging, feared every moment TO see
il go by the board.
Meanwhile l had been watching the
distalst schooner by the electric CLEANS
that still broke occasionally over the
waters. She was as sharp as a sword
fish, had a suspicious look, and soon
had reason to regret my oostinacy in
not taking Shelburne's advice, for sud-
denly saw her alter her course, and
head straight for usi
She was not mile distant, and with
the aid of a powerful night-glass, to-
gether with that afforded by the light
ming, l soon beheld her crew-as fierce
looking set of rascals as ever manned
lawless craft, for that she was a pirate
there now was no room to doubt.
Ay, there on her deck they were,
about sixty tall, robust fellows, armed
with daggers, kreeses and pistols,
thrust In sashes about their loose trou-
sers, with their open jackets above
flying back from their brawny bosoms,
and their red and yellow caps pushed
away from their low, broad foreheads.
They had guns, tCo, small guns-four
eight-pounders on a side and one for
ward-looking ugly enough to annoy
ME, when I consider that aboard this
bulk of merchant ship there was on y
one cid twelve-pounder, and also when
i remembered having, heard that the
Mindanayans make good seamen AID
know Row to handle their pieces like
gunners.
The schooner was running alohg