The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-05-11

arms seemed Ia put the fellows in gooo
aumor There was about $500 in golc
aboard in the cabin. and this was count
Il out and divided pro rata. or in some
Jthcr satisfactory manner ~ we lay al
anchor. Then was ordered to draw .
pailful Of wine from cask an sort O.
azarctto or store room reached from thu
galley The cook might have known o.
the presence of the wine there. but Ill,
not ! had never looked into the place
There was a tin pail holding about tci
quarts 10 the galley. and this filled au1
carried to the main hatch with se1rl
slas-es. and everybody proceeded to he'll
himself Now that wc were M anchor
all discipline had ceased. AMI one maj
was rs good a. another They were
prowling AL over the schooner and per
iecily at home
The wine must have tickled then
palaies nightly, for second plilfu
was soon demanded II WIS while ! wa.
drawing 10 that noticed tine barrel haf
no bung ia IT, and ! wondered WIS thl
wine had not s0ured retired to ths
galley as soon as had filled the scconD
order. and for half an hour there was O.
GOOD Gch Of loud talk and laughter. All
Of sudden. while | was rejecting or
the situation and perhaps crying a bit
in my sOrrOw and anxiety. it struck mt
that things were wonderfully quiet. J
looked ont Of the galley 10 see half O.
dozen figures lying on the deck, and
later on, when had summoned courage
To walk the length Of the schooner.
found every man aboard apparently
sound asleep Their breathing was la
bored. but supposed this vas the result
of too much drink. The night had come
down dark and gusty with the wind
directly off shore. and as the sleeper-
continued TO lie quiet some strange ideas
came to me was tempted to take one
of their knives and begin killing but J
doubted my nerve The yawl was al
the davits. and planned to lower 1t and
let the breeze carry me out TO sea.
held 10 this idea for "a few minutes
and then surrendered 10 for another
would swim ashore and hide in the forest
{ had to abandon that scheme as well
for I saw al glance that the tide was
running out strong. ! was wondering %
! should not start a fire ln the forecastle
or cabin when discovered that the craft
was under way She had her .ightanchoi
out and had been tugging heavily undc
tide and gust The chain had ground oa
against some sharp edged rock or the pin
bah Slipped from a shackle. 1t was prob.
ably the latter case. as / heard a splash
as OF the end Of the chain falling from
the hawse hole Sine drove oil stern iirsi
and then. as she began 90 swing about. ]
stepped softly back 70 the wheel. put it
over 90 get horoil. and then cxtinguishcI
thc two lanterns ON decs and the lamp
m the cabin ann not bOasiing of my
nerve in stepping over tle sleepcr- to do
this work or of my sasacity ia getting
the idea was working like one in
dream and could hardly have identified
myself
/. What occurred between Che time pat
ont the lights ami davlightneXt morning
! never can clearly remember The
schooner took care of herself for amy
effort Of min, and think ] went into
thc galley and crew helind the stove
AZ least crawl d ont OF that contracted
space soon after daylight. iu response to
call suppose was called 90 pre-
pare breakfast for thc pirates. bat j was
uo sooner oul OF the galley than ! saw 90
large ship hove toa quarter Of g. mile
away. while one oi her boats. with trc
meu ln il. wa, alongside thesch03ncr J
must have looked and acted stupid
for % couple of men came over thC
rail one of them gave me hearty shak
ing and erowlcl ont
You idiot, c.ll't son cot your mouth
OPEN
There were twenty-five men lying on
the decks and in the cabin sound asleep
Sol Dead. Every one OF them dead and
cold and the only living thing aboard.
10 took some time to explain matters and
get az all the PARTICULARS. bat With what
could tell them and what they couli
see 81 finally became plain to all Iaat
barrel ol wine had been dosed with some
deadly drug The cook must have done
IL previous to the attack CO.. the buug
had been lclt ont us another AMI som.
poisonous reptile had crepi in to die $50
one could tell for certain. bat the drml.
crs were all dead. and all haI died in
sleep The ship was English. and the
schooner was over thirty miles of tle
land one of her majesiy's mcn-oi wir
assisted by "a civil functonary attempi.
cd an investigation. hut nothing came
of TO- Our crew bad been slaughtered
and lhe schooner capiurcG, but she had.
rocapuutd herself and brought of
twenty-five cousos Nota living man
could ever boz found among the islands
who wound acknowledge that he hal
ever seen the schooner much less par
ticipated 90 her capture. New York
sun