Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-02-28

that hung over the sea, showed four low,
| suspicious schooncrs, with black hulls,
and with bows rs sharp as sword fish,
swiftly clcaving the golden yellow waves,
under clouds of canvas, toward the Co
| lumbia. One Of these vessels was really
| ahead, another astcrn, and the two 9TH
crs were coming up from windward and
lceward, the aforementioned and the lat
| ter being, of course, 'sclosc- hauled. :"
They were still about three miles of, and
by crowding additional canvas Will
hoped he might manage to escape. In
fact, he had nearly passed the one off the
Ice bow, when baug! went Il gun, and Il
| shot crashed against the fore c-topmast
alott. Slowly and gracefully the spar,
with its broad canvas attached, inclined
to lccward, and then away it went rat
ting down by the lun alongside.
"Hi-yah! hi-yah. Hooray!" yelled
the pirates, as their sharp proved craft
came on, cutting the water like knife.
Out on the booms and in the rigging they
swarmed, with caps pushed back from
iusky faces, the long daggcrs and pistols
in their sashes plainly revealed.
''Wc will, at least, make Il good fight
before they take u.s." said Will to his
crew consisting of fifteen sailors. "Out
with the guns!"
These, three in number, were run out.
and tired again and again, but without
much affect, while so thick aud fast were
the shots from the pirate craft, rs the
Tour vessels came on to hem in the crippled
Columbia, that several of Wills men soon
were killed.
Meanwhile nothing could exceed the
Captains surprise at the conduct of his
wife, now that thc expected peril was
really come. Instead of dropping from
terror, as he had thought she would do,
Charlotte, although very pale, was reso-
lutte. and composed. Will had requested
her TO stay in the cabin, but she had
braycly vcnturcd up to the companion-
way, from which she watched her hus-
band, who, with sleeves rolled up and
face begrimcd with powder, was assist
ing his few men to work the guns.
The fog, which, as stated, had partly
cleared, was again thickcning, so that
finally only the booms and forc-masts of
the enemy could be seen. Now, however,
they were not more than half Il league
oil, and by some skillful shots, Will sue
cccdcd i'll crippling two of them, by bring
ing down the forc-topsail yard of one and
the for-topmast of another. But even
while hc joined in the cheers of his little
party, "A spitcful shot struck him slant
ingly in the side, and lie fell bleeding TO
the deck
In moment, Charlotte was kneelne
I hV him ffivip,r him,
''Takc him into the cabin!" she then
ordered, in clear voice.
He was carried there. and laid on n
Tongue, his wife carefully arranging a
pillow under his head. There was a
good doctor aboard, and while he was
dressing the wound, Charlotte bathcd the
sufferers forehead and gave him cooling
drinks
"Would not he be more comfortable in
his bcrth?" she inquired.
''Hc must not be moved Mt present. y
was the doctors answer. ''It would be
his death to move him now."
Tears came to the Young woman's
eyes; her lips quivercd.
"Don't worry, Charlotte" said Will.
in faint voice
Knowing it distressed him TO witness
her grief, she wiped away her tears.
Then she kissed him, and continued to
bathc his head.
Above, the booming of guns and tho
howling of shot became every moment
nearer and louder.
A minute later, nine men-all that
were left of the young Captains crew.
rrSbnd in tn tba cob;r
"It's all up with u.s." said one, lifting
his cap. "The pirates III soon be aboard
Of us; but the fog hns thickened so that
we may escape in one of the boats. We
can put the Captain in the boat, ma'am, "
he added, addressing Charlotte.
"No, it would kill him to move him."
spoke up the doctor. "But you had bet.
ter 80" he added, turning to the young
wife.
"What! leave my husband?" she
said.
"You can do him no good, for the
pirates will not spare you. The rascals
will show no quarter either to man or
woman. All that can be done for him
has been done, and"
Ere the doctor could conclude shot
came whizzing through the cabin window,
severely wounding both of his legs above
the knees
"Comc, ma'am, come." cried the sailor
who had previously spoken.
81 will not leave my husband," was
Charlottes answer.
Unable to persuade her to go, all the
seamen except one, who declared that he
would not desert craft that a woman
''stuck to-" made for the boat, assisting
the grooming doctor into it, after which,
screened by the smoke and fog, they
pulled away from the imperiled ship.
The solitary sailor took his place at the
wheel. Then he noticed that there was
slight change of wind, causing the
nearest pirate to tack so as TO fetch"
the Columbia. Through the drapery of
fog he could dimly see the vessels fore
yards swing round.
"Ma' am, - he called Mt the comnanion