The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1890-01-08
TWO PLUCKY WOMEN.
7. THE CAPTAINS WIDOW.

from Il BRITISH ship which entered the
port of Madras. l was boy of fourteen,
a runaway to sea, and Captain and mates
had done their very best to take the ro-
nance out Of me. They had succeeded
so well that ! shipped ashore, determined
to die of starvation before would re-
turn to life on the deep. No effort
was put forth to capture me, and two
weeks later, when | sat in the shade of a
wall one day, hungry and penniless and
ready to give up, an English woman
halted before me and began to question me.
She was small, slim woman, about forty
years of age, quick of speech and move
ment, and ] got the idea at once that she
was sea Captains wife. | was not far
out, as she proved to be a sea Captains
widow, and was in command of BRIG
trading with the east coast coast of Cey-
Ion. She happened to be in want of an
other hand, and, after being told what
could do, she made a proposition that
gladly accepted.
found the brig to be called the
Orient. She was small, but almost new,
and rapid sailer. The crew consisted
of an English mate, two Norwegians, a
French boy who had run from his ship,
and myself. Mrs. Sweet, the Captain,
stood her watch, and this gave the mate
himself, man, and a boy in his watch,
while she had a man and boy only,
though the cook had to turn out in her
watch if required. The latter was a
negro, big and powerful, and sailor
enough to steer or 90 aloft. Mrs. Sweet.
as all agreed, was thorough sailor and
a perfect lady, being able to navigate the
brig anywhere, and being thoroughly
posted in every detail Of ship work.
saw on the briggs deck, almost as
soon as | set foot aboard, nine-pounder
mounted on carriage, and later on /
ascertained that she carried a supply of
small arms; but | gave the matter little
thought and asked no questions. We
got away next day after joined, and we
had fine run down the cost to Cape
Karikal, from which point we laid our
course to the southeast We had crossed
the Gulf of Manaar, which separates the
island of Ceylon from the southern end
Of Hindoostan, when the wind fell to
calm one evening at eight o'clock, and
all night long we rolled about without
making the least progress. Next morn
ing there was helvy mist on the water
until after sunrise, and it gradually
burned away without bringing the breeze
we hoped for. When the horizon was
clear we saw bark-rigged craft of three
times our size lying about three miles to
the north of MS. She had come down on
the last of the wind, probably bound
through the straits, and the currents had
set her to the eastward during the night.
Those were suspicious days, but the bark
looked to be an honest Englishman, and
we gave her no attention until about mid
forenoon. Then the French boy, who
was aloft, reported that she had lowered
two boats. The glass was sent up to
him, and he soon made out that the boats
were being manned by armed men, and
dark-Skinned fellows at that. This
looked as if the bark had fallen into
piratical hands, and no honest trader
could have any honest purpose in arming
his boats.
They took their time about it, and
finally headed in our direction. Had
there been any wind, they would doubt
less tried TO lay us aboard. As soon as
it was seen that the boats were headed
for us Mrs. Sweet called us all att and
announced that the stranger was a pirate
who meant our capture and destruction.
She was a little paler than usual, but
spoke in low and even voice, and did
not seem to be a bit frightened. She
said it was a case where we must fight
for our lives, They would cut our throats
If we surrendered, and could do no more
five fought to the last. She seemed to ac-
cept 1t as t. matter Of course that we would
fight, and she was the first to lend a hand
to clear away the gun. The two boys of
us brought up the muskets and loaded
them, distributed the pixies along the
rail, and then passed up shot and shell
and cartridges for the big gun. Every
thing had been made ready for Just such
emergency. There were thirty solid
nine-pound shot and twenty-five loaded
shell in the magazine, as well as about
thirty cartridges containing the proper
quantity of powder As l afterward
learned, all had been purchased at the
Government arsenal in Madras
We were as ready as we could be be
fore the boats had pulled mile from the
bark The mate loaded the gun with a
shell, and placed two others and several
stands of grape near at hand. Our brig
lay broadside to the north, headed to the
east. The boats must, therefore, pull
bow on TO us until close at hand, even if
the plan WAS TO seDarate and hoard from
different points. This gave us a big ad-
vantage, as we could all lay along the
port rail. The gun was wheeled over,
the decks cleared of every obstruction,
and then we were ready. Mrs Sweet had .
a double-baIrelled English fowling piece
loaded with buck shot, She was nearest /
the stern. The rest Of us had Govern /