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

almost into its very teeth, and 1 be-
heved that the next tack would enable
her TO reach US, which her captain W: s
evidently In hurry to do, as the gale
WAS now bowling, and the thunder rat
ling over our heads in a way which
boded a heavy tempe=t
Presently l saw Miss Melton. come
up from the cabin. She looked alarmed
on hearing the frequent repetition of
the word pirates" among our msn.
and was somewhat nettled to see her
go over to the side of my midshIpman,
as IL he were the one on whom her sal
walton depended. Ny orders were
quickly given, the ship was got round,
and away We went on the suarboard
tack Then there came a forcible re-
minder to US from our pursuer that we
must not hope to escape so easily, in
the shape of an eight-pound shot, which,
after viciously knocking a chip from
the cabin-house almost into my eye,
went buzzin2-on, and neatly took off
the miZzen jury-mast, bringing down
hamper and all rattling about Miss
Melton's ears, with flying rope whip
ping the feather from her hat as cleanly
as If 1t were cut off with a knife.
As the Tapping canvas almost dashed
her OFF Eer feet she shrieked, and then
L saw Shelburne actually put his arms
around her, and almost carry her to the
companlonway, gently requesting her
TO 90 below, out of danger.
"Ohl'' she softly cried-''and you?"
My place is on deck" he gently an
swered, and then this Is what l said
ana l ratified it out like a musket shot:
VI course 1t isl Do your duty, sirI
Clear that wreckage away at oncel''
"Ay, ay, sir,' he replied; and he
soon got some of the hands to clear
away the hamper that obstructed the
deck.
Meanwhile there was the pirate
banging away, as if he had not a mo-
ment to spare, and down went our fore
jury mast, falling over the side in
slow and easy sort of fashion, for all
the world like an invalid gentleman in
his nlght-gown, gong to bed. Tie
sight was exasperating and, as soon as
the WE ok was cleared away | got the
old twelve FOUNDER into position, and
at the next lightning-haSh, gave the
order to fire.
With loud metallic ding-dong, the
piece at once exploded, and when saw
how the men scrambled and tumbled
over one another, in their necessary
haste to escape the flying fragments,
which did not go within four feet of
them, was disguised. called the
men together and had Shelburne dis
tribute arms to them; but | noticed
that the Spaniards all looked dismayed.
Meanwhile l perceived that our sloop-
of-war's light seemed to be receding
from instead of advancing toward us.
In fact, at her distance from US, aud
owing to her being to windward, also
owing to the bowling of the gale and 10
the almost incessant rafting of the
thunder, it was evident that none OF
her p ,ople had heard the firing, while
the pirate craft, being very small and
on line with our own, had not, of
course, been seen by them.
"A pity We have no rockets aboard
to signal the sloop with" L said 10
Shelburne.
'Yes, Sir, it is. All that we had
were ruined by that clumsy Portuguese
cook accidentally spilling boiler of
hot water on them, and soaking them,
and causing them to go TO pieces"
I'VE must contrive to signal the
trigate, and that speedily" l said.
81 doubt if a signal would be visible
at all from our Geek, now that the
spray is flying up so high about us 1t
must be made aloft. Have lantern
brought here at once.'
The lantern was brought.
l gaZed up at the mainmast, our only
remaining spar. 1t was tottering with
every plunge of the ship as if ready to
go over, while the iron missiles from
the pirate, who was aiming for it, flew
whizzing and shrieking about it. l
could not lose the time required To
reeve the lantern; besides, it could not
thus tie properly worked IN such a gale,
which would tangle any rope we might
put N block. No, 1t must be taken
aloft by hand; and who was there brave
enough to carry that signal up, on IA
totterlng mast, seemingly ready O.
itself to go by the board, even IL it were
not soon cut III twain 10y the pirate,
whose shot was so rapidly flying about
il?
L called for volunteer from among
the men, but noticing how they hung
back, and feeling that / had not a mo
ment to spare, L was about to pick up
the lantern and spring into the rig Iing
myself, when Shelburne, seiZing it,
cried out:
mo, no, Lieutenant; you are com
mander herel Better l should take the
riskl"
Ere could object lie was mounting
the rigging of that perIlous, swayIug
mast, needless of the frequent shots
from the pirate.
L watched him anXiously. He soon
gained the top-galiant-misthead. and
began waving the lantern to attract the
attention of the sloop-of-war
A moment later a shot struck the
top-gallant-mast, a splinter shattered
the lantern. and L believed the youth
would be lost, but ere the spar went
over he dropped as lightly as falcon
into the topmast shroud5 below, and
then slid, hand over hand, down back
stay to the deck.
The pirates now stopped firing. The
thunder, too, had ce lsed to boom IN
the darkened heavens and the lightning
no longer flashed. There was something
ominous, 1t seemed TO me, in their
sudden cessation. Nor was l mistaken,
for all at once the tempest broke upon
us with such terrific fury that for sew
eral minutes L thought it would sink us.
1t quickly passed to leeward, however,
although it still blew a hard gale
and there was rather rough sea. l
could 10 longer make out the sloop-of-
wars light, for now black masses of
flying rack shrouded the foaming wa-
ters ahead of us, adding 10 the gloom
in her direction, although astern the
weather was not yet so ''thick' as to
prevent my discerning with my night
glass, the pirate schooner, still in pur-
suit of us. 1 could perceive that she
had lost her jib-boom as well as one of
her sails i'll the late telnpests, and by
getting up canvass on the stumps of my
masts l was enab' ed to elude her for
some time, but at last L heard the yells
of her rascally crew close on our star
board quarter.
L got my fifteen men ready for COM