The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-05-23
BRAVE MRS. zLpRloH.-

FFICIAL PAPER.
BRAVE MR5. zLnRloH..
An Old Salt Tolls Of - Eassaasee. VIII
Arab Ptretss.
One season back in the COS shipped
aboard Of British ship, the Swallow,
to make . voyage from Bombay up TIE
Persian Gulf and back, writes N Old
seaman In the Boston Commercial Bull
letin. She was IN old craft and . poor
sailer, and her crew Of twelve men was
made up Of four or i've nstionalities. I
remember there wero two KAnAkae. O.
Sandwich islanders, one Lascar, negro
or two, and the others were American,
English and Dutch. We had scarcely
left Bombay when the captain wastaleen
sick with fever. His name was Aldfich,
and his wife, who was . woman Of thir-
ty, always sailed with him. She now
took command In general way, and
this to the satisfaction Of the mates,
though both were thorough sailors.
heard one of them say that she could
take an observation or work Q dead
reckoning, and saw from orders she
gave that she knew all about ship.
We had good weather and made good
progress until after we were above Mus
cat, in tho Bay Of Ormux. Then, one
forenoon we got squall which did not
last ten minutes, but which brought
down our fore and main to'gallant masts
and carried away sail OF two. There
was only a light breeze after the squall
had passed, and we were lying to and
hard at work when an Arabian dhow Of
about two hundred tons burden came
steaming down the coast. We were
within four miles Of the rocky and
mountainous shore, but she was two
miles inside Of US. She was no sooner
made out than the frst mate became
anxious, and Mrs. Aldrich was sent for
to come on deck. She took good look
at the stranger through tho glass, and
as she turned away she queried Of tho
mate:
"Can we depend on the crew to dght?''
81 hope SO, ma'am," he replied.
"Have them como aft"
All moved aft, and I can remember
through all the long years just how she
looked and every word she said. She had
q worried, anxious look, and NO wonder,
and there was trembling in her voice
as she said:
"Men, you know that your captain is
sick. Yonder comesa pirate II there ever
was one. II he captures us, those who
live through tho fight will 60 into the
interior as slaves and worse. II we are
all agreed we can beat him of. What
do you say?"
"we'll fight to the last!'' shouted one.
and the cry was taken up by all.
"Thank God!'' she fcrvcntly ex-
claimed. "Give them brave fight and
no ono can be blamed II we are defeated.
Sooner than fall into their hands will
blow the old ship sky high and all Of Us
with her"
We had no cannon, but we had fifteen
mMskets, a lot of cavalry sabers, and the
captain had not lodged about those ws-
tcvs with his eyes shut He had two OF
three years before purchased dozen
hand-gScnadcs or stink-pots, such %
are used by the Chinese. These were
brought up with tho rest and found 70
be fused and in good condition. They
weighed about TWO pounds apiece, ana
each was incloscd in . net, so that Il
could be tossed quite . distance. We
loaded our muskets, took our stations,
and were az ready as we could be. The
captains wife alternated between the
deck and the cabin. He vas ont OF
| his head, which was the better for him,
and she had his revolver ready for use.
Down camc the dhow, foot by foot
with never cheer from the crowd o,
cut-throats on her decks. There was Z
menace in their silence, but it had nc
effect upon us. We were determined q
fight, and to fight to tho last. Igot the
first shot and knocked over . man N
her forccastlc, and then all began r
blaze away. She did not fire in return
but forged upon our quarter, and could
see fifty Arabs, each one armed with I
crease, crowding against the rail to bs
ready to board.
"Now, heave, yelled one Of the sail
ors with the bombs, and both lighted ;he
fuses and hesved away.
Before we cou!d t.ll vs::lat ja.aagc hat
been done the dhow was air.. .s.s:,.c. She
threw her grapnels, but they did moi
catch, and she rubbed our whole length
and went ahead. As we SAW her failur,
We blazed away agsin,with the muskets
and every ball found : uten. She sailed
like witch, aud befie 1he could b,
checked was cable lea : ahead. Sh,
had Just put her helm ovsfs*hen ther,
was an explosion, followed by grca
sheet of flame, and we saw that she wa
hard hit. Confusion reigned from stcn
to stern in moment, and we added Il
1t by peppering away at fair range. Al
; ablaze within Ave minutes, sho fell od
; headed for shore, and was run ON rec
about mile away. We saw some saw
. themselves by boats and RATS, bein
swept upon the shore by the tide, but
was afterwards learned that upward q
forty-fve men were killed or drowned
and that tho loss Of the dhow broke up
bad gang of pirates.
Mrs. Aldrich was on deck through
/, all, emptying the revolver into th
crowd rs the dhow passed us, and whe
all was over she won't down to her hui
: band with face only littlc white
!, and a mouth moro firmly set. She -di
not betray her womanly weakness unit
}, she came to thank US, Then she brok
down and cried like swell, Just like
: woman.
y Railroad Ties OF Eirs.Clay.
r Adams P. Hopkins, of West Brfdg'
g water, Pa, has filed . caveat upon Z
Improvement" in the form Of posts On
roi1road fioa ma6o NJ hnrnoN Aro-.,fn,