The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1890-03-08

| mad Deen boarded Dy large gang. Two
or three pistols were fired, there was
shouting and running, and after few min
| utes made certain that the Algerinc had
taken possession. Men began to rum
| mage the brig, and AZ one of the matches
| was pulled off | retrcated to the hiding
| came down with lantern to examine the
| hold, and I heard them cursing away in
the Moorish tongue because they found
| no cargo.
1t was row evening and the wind had
! died entirely out. ] crept out Of the
box and stood under the main hatch, and
as the cover was partly off | could plain
/ y hear what was going on, although /
| could not understand what was said. As
| heard nothing from any Of our crew, l
! concluded that they were either prison
ers in the cabin or had been transferred
to the dhow. Up to midnight the YES
sells lay side by side, the flap OF Their sails
proving dead calm, but soon after that
a breeze sprang up and We were forging
slowly ahead. | heard them haiing
4 from one craft to another, and | would
! have given great deal to have been able
/ to understand the tongue. Il was my
/ idea that they were going to run the
BRIG over to the Moorish coast as prize,
! and that the crew would be sent into the
interior as captives and slaves. This had
been the fate of more than one crew
shipwreci1ed on that inhospitablc shore.
and at that very time France had a man
, of-war on the coast and was demanding
the release Of fifteen sailors known to be
held in captivity.
The wind not only held light during
the remainder of the night, but came
from the east and thus headed us off. |
sat on the hard ballast under the hatch,
Wondering and planning but arriving at
no conclusion. 1t was fair to presume
that | had not been missed, as no search
was made for me, but this was little
comfort If the brig was taken into some
bay on the coast she would be thorough
" searched and | would be dragged out.
1t would be only two or three days at the
, longest before hunger and thirst would
drive me out.
DAYLIGHT was not half an hour old be-
fore | heard an alarm on deck, and it
NIGH have been another thirty minutes
when the boom of a cannon proved that
we had a signal to heave to. The brig
was brought head to the wind, amid a
great clamor of voices on deck, and then
everything vas quiet. | now made my
way across the ballast to the sliding door,
opened it little to find the forecastle
deserted, and at once passed through.
Not hearing any one Immediately above
me, assembled the ladder and got a look
along the decks just as a French naval
officer came over the rail. | sprang up
the ladder and rushed aft with such a
speed that no one saw me until was at
the officers side. Lying off te wind
ward was big French frigate, and
alongside was one of her boats. Hang
ing in the wind, half mile distant, was
the dhow, with another of the frigates
boats just boarding. On our decks were
thirteen Moors-swarthy, ragged, and
showing the villain in every movement.
The fellow in command was just opening
his mouth to make explanations to the
officer when came upon the scene and
shouted:
Lieutenant, that dhow yonder is
cursed pirate, and she captured us at dark
last night"
Explain" he replied as he looked
me over with curious eye.
I briefly told him who and what we
were, and the actions of the Moors cor
roborated my story. He called four
marines aboard and sent the boat back
with message. The frigate had drifted
down little near, and some of her guns
had been cast loose This was lucky, as
all Of sudden the dhow spread her
wings to sail away. We saw the frigate's
boat sent adrift, and afterward learned
that the boarding officer was cast neck
and heels over the rail to take care of
himself. 1t was a desperate resolve with
longer range. As it was she had not
moved hundred yards when boom!
boom! went the guns and we saw the
splinters fly. She at once luffed up and
let everything 60, and another boats
crew was soon alongside.
Every thing was soon made plain to the
Frenchman. When the dhow boarded
lis her hot headed crew were ripe for
killing, and without the slightest provo
cation Shields was shot through the
head. Harper protested, and shared the
same fate, while one of the villains
slashed our Captain across the face and
gave him wound which was months in
hool;nr rrhn IooI IoI;oc 1voro rooroho1
and thrown overheard, and the living
transferred to the dhow. They were
found in her hold half dead for want Of
air, and momentarily expecting to be led
out and murdered. The Algerine was
caught red handed, and could trump up
no excuse. He and his whole gang were
transferred to the frigate, prize crew
put aboard Of the dhow, and we sailed
away for Malta. was taken very ill
there, and had no part in the proceed
ings. The Captain, mate, and one or
two others were condemned and exc
cuted, and the dhow was made prize
to the frigate. 1t was currently reported
that large sum of money was found
under her cabin floor, and that every
man abosrd the frigate was we'll re-
warded. The remaining prisoners, num-
bering over forty men, were after time
exchanged for the shipwrecked French.
men, while our brig sailed home empty
handed and much the worse off for the
strange voyage.--New York Sun.
Dyes.