The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1890-02-12

like the speech OF the model sort of
woman we often read about, who
would say: ~ viii brave and hard
ship for the sake of being with my
husband?s / wish she had said
that to me instead of what she did.
/ fear my pretty wife is fair
weather craft, whom trouble or dan
ger might drive from my side; but,
then. after all, must remember she
is delicate, and has had but few
trials
On that very day merchant
bark, called the Northman, from
Rio Janeiro, for New York, was
spoken, and her Captain coming
aboard, informed Will that he was
chased by pirates, three days before.
off the coast of Cuba; for at this
period qs2O) the shores and waters
of the West India Islands were in
Tested with swarms of freebooters,
who often attacked and plundered
passing vessels.
"oh, Willi' cried Charlotte, pale
with alarm, snow that we are sure
there are pirates near us, / feel very
much afraid. Let us put off going
to Cuba for the present. We can
go to the Bermudas and wait until
the sloop- of-war there, which you
said was going to cruise off the
West Indies, is ready to sail"
"No, she has probably sailed be-
fore now. Besides, the owners of
this ship want their cargo at GER
tain time, and as / promised, if pos
sible, to bring it to them at that
time, l must not break my word
OF course, the risk from pirates or
shipwreck was understood, but that
was not to keep me back. After
all, we may see no sign of pirate, .
he added, soothingly; then, deeply
touched by the look of terror on the
face of his gentle wife, he continued:
81 think it best you should not be
exposed to any risk. Here is the
bark Northman, homebound for
New York. 1 will transfer you
aboard of her, if you will go"
"No," she promptly answered. 81
will stay with you"
Her husband could not persuade
her to leave him, and soon the skip
per of the Northman having depart
ed, the Columbia was kept on her
course.
Will was sorry his wife had not
taken home passage aboard the
other craft. Her refusal, he believ-
ed, was owing to her having con-
cluded that there would, after all,
be no danger. Should pirates really
be encountered, he dreaded the eff
feet upon the delicate nerves of his
fair consort, who, he feared, might
lose her reason, or even expire from
sheer terror.
Sure enough. three days later, the
rays Of the rising sun partly dispcr-
sing a mist that hung over the sea,
showed four low, suspicious schoon-
ers, with black hulls, and with bows
AS sharp as sword fish, swiftly cleav-
ing the golden-yellow waves, under
clouds of canvass, toward the CO.
lumbia. One of these vessels was
really ahead, another astern, and
the two others were coming mp from
windward and leeward, the first
mentioned and the latter being, OF
course, "close- hauled" They were
still about three miles off, and by
crowding additional canvass Will
hoped he might manage to escape.
In fact, he had nearly passed the
one off the lee bow, when bang!
went a gun, and a shot crashed
against the fore-topmast aloft.
Slowly and gracefully the spar, with
its broad canvass attached, inclined
to leeward, and then away it went
rattling down by the run alongside.
"Hi-yahl hi-yah! Hoorayl" yell
ed the pirates, as their sharp-prow-
ed craft came on, cutting the water
like knife. Out on the booms and
in the rigging they swarmed, with
caps pushed back from dusky faces,
the long daggers and pistols in their
sashes plainly revealed.
"We viii, at least, make a good
fight before they take us" said Will
to his crew consisting of fifteen
sailors. "out with the gunsl'
These, three in number, were run
ont, and fired again and again, but
without much effect, while so thick
and fast were the shots from the
pirate craft, as the four vessels came
on to hem in the crippled Columbia,
that several of Wills men soon were
killed.