The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-01-24


in the 5rmory and prepared to hold out
TO the last. l then informed the pirates
that 7 could not think of surrender, ana
as they began battering at the door with
a capstan bar / showed the muzzle OF
revolver out and killed one and wounded
another before they could get out OF
range.
There was only a gentle breeze blow
ing. and that was at our backs. The two
hunks were coming down slowly, having
to make frequent tacks, and when about
a mile and half away saw that they
were loaded with men. 1t was put-up
lob between the two parties, and all the
details were thoroughly understood. The
engineer had been blowing off steam to
prevent an explosion, and l asked him
to hold fast and give me show to carry
out plan which had suddenly suggest
ed itself Fortunately for us the natlve
stoker had just fired up before they got
the signal. They had murdered the
chief, who was an Englishman, as also
the oiler, who was a German, and had
left the furnace doors shut as they
rushed up on deck to join in the MUIR
derous melee The boilers were there
fore making steam at lively rate. AS
soon as the engineer understood what L
wanted he started ahead, and took the
wheel and brought the steamers head
in line with one of the junks. We were
headed about north. One OF the junks
was headed southeast on her tack, the
other southwest. They were, therefore,
nearly broadside on to me. We went
ahead at moderate speed, as l did not
want to alarm them. The natives on
board gathered in the bows and began
waving cloths and hats as warning to
the iunks. The people on the latter
must have argued that the steamer was
in the hands of their friends, for they
fired their jingals and waved their cloths
in reply.
held for the junk headed to the south
east, and she at once lowered her sail
to wait for the steamer to come up.
When within quarter of mile of her
I rang the bell for the engineer to go
ahead at full speed, and the steamer
started off like wild locomotive. We
were almost upon the junk before the
people OWNED our object, and they had
only time to utter one png-drawn shout
of terror. / held the steamer for her
broadside, and she divided that junk like
the two halves of an apple falling away
from knife. l expected great shock,
but there was none. It was no more than
as if we had run down a yawl believe
she held at least fifty men. A great cry
| T hoI
headed the steamer around not more
than half dozen of the poor wretches
were in sight, and those were clinging
to fragments of the wreck and tossing
about. l gave the engineer information
of how we had succeeded and told him /
proposed to serve the other junk the same
way. The natives aboard the steamer
seemed helpless and terror-stricken at
first, but when they realized my plan they
moved to prevent it. They ran down and
opened the furnace doors to lower the
steam. and gang of six or eight attacked
| the wheelhouse. A second party made
| an attack on the engineers room at the
same moment.
The second junk, seeing the fate of
the first, had gone about, and was stand
| ing due north with all sail set. The
wind was light, however, and we could
run five feet to her one. We had a
large reserve of steam, and after had
her nose pointed for the junk gave the
gang outside a little attention. They
were banging at the door and the shut
ters with the capstan bars, and l
wounded two of them before they would
desist. The engineer, also using re-
volver, killed one and wounded two.
The fellows then drew off, beaten at
every turn and disguised with the job,
and now was close up with the junk.
She also held about fifty desperate look
ing fellows. Aware of my intentions,
about twenty of them who were armed
with muskets gathered aft and peppered
away at the pilot house, but the few
bullets which hit it fell harmless. When
the bow of the steamer was within a
cable length of the stern of the junk
every native began to howl and wall,
and most of them threw themselves
PROSTATE on the decks. White cloths
we're held up in token of surrender, but
in answer l rang the bell for the en-
gineer to pull her vide open. He did
SO and we seemed to lift out of the
water, and be flung at the doomed craft
like missile. The steamer struck her
square in the stern, crashed into her fo1
ten or twelve feet, and then the junk
fell apart and became heap of wreck.
age which was cast aside from either
bow. l ran on for quarter of a mile
and then turned. Not living man was
to be seen in this last disaster. ran
over to the other heap of wreckage and
saw two men still hanging on, but the
sharks pulled them under just as l rang
to stop our way. The steam was about
exhausted, anyhow, and the time had
come for move against the pirates on
board.
Believing that they were badly fright.
ened, l reloaded the revolvers and
stepped out on deck with one in eithe,
hand. The only man in sight was the
leader of the band, who stood on the
bows looking up at me. AS 1 stepped
out he said:
Don't shoot me! We meant YOU nc
harm! We have thrown away oul
weapOns!'
went down to find them covering in
the passageways, every mans pluck
completely gone. The captain and sec
ond mate were in the armory 1 lei
them out, and then freed the engineer
The four of us were the only white mer
left alive. We collected the prisoners
in the mess room, held short consul "a.
sloh. and then proceeded to act. While
remained among them to check any
new ambition, the captain took his sta
ton at the forward port gangway. The
engineer then led the pirates out to the