The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1890-02-20

beating her off, but when was told that
there would he no resistance, and wheL
she was within pistol-shot of us, | eli
tered the forecastle, and from thencc by
means by means Of a sliding door in th,
bulkhead. passed into the hold. w,
were rock .ballasted. and in the hold wcr,
| Il score or more of empty crates and boxes
| selected one of these as II place of refuge,
having u plenty of matches to enable nt
TO see my way through the darkness, bui
waited while to see what would hnppei
above. heard hail from the dhow, an.
| other from above, and then "A shock rs the
stranger came alongside. In moment,
as knew by the tramping overhead, we
had been boarded by a large gang. Two
or three pistols were fired, there was
shouting and running, and after few min.
utes | made certain that the Algerine had
taken possession. Men began to rum
mage the brig. and ~ one of the matches
was pulled of | retrcated to the hiding
place had selected. Three or four men
came down with lantern to examine the
hold, and heard them cursing away in
the Moorish tongue because they found
no cargo.
It was row evening aud the wind had
died entirely out. ! Crcpt out of the
box and stood under the main hatch, and
rs the cover was partly OIL | could plain
ly hear what was going on, although /
could not understand what was said. As
heard nothing from any of our crew, |
concluded that they were either prison.
crs in the cabin or had been transferred
to the dhow. Up to midnight the ves-
sells lay side by side, the flap of their sails
proving dead calm, but soon after that
breeze sprang up and we were forging
slowly ahead. | heard them hailing
from one craft TO another, and would
have given great deal to have been able
to understand the tongue. 1t was my
idea that they were going to run the
brig over to the Moorish coast as prize,
and that the crew would bc sent into the
interior as captiycs aud slaves. This had
been the fate Of more than one crew
shipwrcckcd on that inho3pitable shore,
and at that very time France had man
of.war on the coast aud 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 MS of. l
sat on the hard ballast under the hatch,
Wondering and planning but arriving mt
no conclusion. 1t was fair TO presume
that had not been missed, rs no search
was made for me; but this was little
comfort. II the brig was taken into some
bay ON the coast she would be thorough
Is searched aud would be dragged out.
II would he only two or three days at the
longest before hunger aud thirst would
drive me out.
Daylight was not half an hour old be-
fore heard an alarm on deck, and it
might have been another thirty minutes
when the boom OF cannon proved that
we had signal 70 hcayc to. The brig
was brought head to the wind, amid
great clamor of voices on deck, and then
everything was quiet. | now made my
way across the ballast to the sliding door,
opened it a little to find the forecastlc
deserted. and at once passed through.
Not hearing any one Immediately above
ne, ascended the ladder and got a look
along the decks lust rs French naval
riiiccr came over the rail. / sprang up
the ladder aud rushed aft with such
speed that no one saw me until was at
the officers side. Lying off to wind
ward was a big French frigate, and
alongside was one of her boats. Hang
inc IN the wind. half mile distant, was
th, dhow, with another of the frigates
boat, Just boarding. On our decks were
thirteen 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 ut dark
last night
Explain" he replied as he looked
me over with curious eye.
| briefly told him who and what we
were, and the actions of the Moors cor
robonted my story. He called four
marines aboard and sent the boat back
with message. The frigatc had drifted
'oNu II Hlllt near, anu SOlHc DI HeI guns
had been cast loose This was lucky, as
all OF sudden the dhow spread her
wings to sail away. We saw the frigates
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 desperate resolve with
the dhow and it might have succeeded at
longer range. As it WAS she had not
moved a hundred yards when boom!
boom went the guns and we saw the
-pintcrs fly. She at once luiied up and
/ let everything 90, and another boats
crew was soon alongside.
Everything was soor made plain to the
Frcnchmau. When the dhow boarded
us 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
sashed our Captain across the face and
I gave him a wound which was months in
hcalin & The dead bodies were searched
,pl fhr,u,n ,V,rl,narI aud tbn Guinrr