The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-10-03
CHAPTER XVII.
A LONG SCORE,

The last dinner had in jamaica, and q
very jolly one it was, as You all know, oil
at Escondido, where VIC kept it up So late
TINT only got on board the Scourge at
daylight, in time to get her under way with
the land WIND. Well, We were bound to
windward, and fora week after we rolled
about in calm off Morant Bay, maybe
twenty leagues off the island, and one morn
ing we discovered n sail She was large
merchant brig, heading any way and bob
bing about, as we were, in the calm. To-
ward noon, however, light mir sprung up
and got within hail, and went Oh board TO
say word or two to the skipper, for We had
news before leaving Kingston that that in
famous pirate Brand, in his long. legged
pirate schooner, had been seen of Guadn-
hude; and. in fact we had actually chased
him off MantanZas three months before;
and SO was ordered to give the brig warn.
ing, particularly rs she lad reported sus-
picious craft in sight that same morning Mt
sunrise. When got on board of her l
saw"
Here Piron placed both hands to his
face as he leaned his elbows OH tho table,
and the commodore, checking himself, huy-
ried OH
"Ah, we'll; We kept tho brig in sight all
day and ran around her once or twice in
the evening, but toward midnight the trade
wind freshened, and as the coast seemed
clear and we We're anxious to make up for
lost time in the calm, we gradually came up
to our course and went bowling away TO
wind-ward.
"Iremember going below at the time, and
just when was about to turn in heard n
duartermaster sing out to Hardy there, who
was junior lieutenant of the ship, and who
had the middle watch. that he saw light
going up to the briggs gaff. In five seconds
Twas pn the poop. where met tine captain
This is his only son, gentlemen, and a
Drawer or more skillfEl seaman never trod a
ships DECK" said the commodore, US he
passed his hand affectionately over the bows
head who was sitting beside him.
But he forgot, perhaps, to say that he,
Cleveland, had stood by the father when
! he was struck dead by q cannon. shot. and
that afterward no had the boy appointed a
REFER, mud out Of his own means helped
the widow to exc out her pittance of pen
zion. Yes, Cleveland forgot NIL that as he
smoothed the youngsters soft hair, while,
With the men around him, he drained his
glass i'll silence to the memory of his de-
parted friend and chief. Then resuminc
lie went Oh -
In less than no time after the light was
seen--for you must know, gentlemen, that
| it was an understood signal between us
the Sconrge was flying off with stiff
breeze abaft the beam, the crew Mt quarters,
and the boats ready to be lowered from the
davits. When We ranged up alongside tho
brig, and even before, VIC felt certain that
our misgiyings would prove true, ind NO
they did; aud merely slamming n shot oyer
her and dropping o couple of armed boats
into the water, We luffed round her bows,
aud there We saw that cursed schooner
yenomous snake TINT she was-just hoisting
her sailq and creeping away 70 Eindward.
"We let her have two or three divisions
of grape, and followed the dose up with
round shot. I am sure We hit her, and
that pretty hard, for We knocked away her
fore topmast. aud We saw the splinters fly in
showers from her hull. However, she was
we'll handled and lying nenrer the wind
thaa the Scourge; when day lawned she
was clear ont Of range and leaving us every
minute. So We up help and ran down
again te the brig, to see what mischief had
been done, and to pick up our boats.
An, yes!you all know what had taken
place, SO won't so over the details; but The
sa,ne afternoon. after seeing tho brig point:
ed straight for Port Royal, and while we
were once more on our course, We fell in
with water-logged boat in which were
half dozen dead and dying men. One, Il
mongrel Indian from Yucatan, who wat
frightfully torn bv two or three grape shot
before he died on board--ns did all the
others-gave us, in his confused dialect
snma account Of the pirate he had served
under, and the haunt he frequented. As
near as we could learn, the haunt was sit1
ted somewhere on the south side of Cuba
on rocky island having safe aud secure
inlet; but as he did not know the latitude o,
longitude. We We're left somewhat in The