Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-03-13
TWO NANCY LEES.


to sea, and captain and mates had done
their very best to take the romance out of
me. They had succeeded SO well that l
slipped ashore determined to die of starva-
ton before would return to life on the
deep. No effort was put forth to capture
ME, and two weeks later, when sat in the
shade of wall one day hungry and penni-
less 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 movement, and I got the idea at once
that she was a sea captains wife. was
not far out, as she proved to be a sea cap
tain's widow, and was in command of a
brig trading with the east coast of Ceylon.
She happened to be in want of another
hand, and after being told what | could do
she made proposition that accepted.
l found the brig to be called the Orient.
She was small, but almost new, and a
rapid sailer. The crew consisted of an
English mate, two Norwegians, a French
boy who had run from his ship, and my
self. Mrs. Sweet, the captain, stood her
watch, and this gavesthe mate himself, a
man and boy in his watch, while she
had man and boy only, though the
cook had to turn out in her watch if re-
auired The latter was a full blooded
negro, big and powerful, and sailor enough
to steer or go aloft Mrs. Sweet, as all
agreed, being able to navigate the brig
anywhere, and being thoroughly posted in
every detail OF the ships work.
saw on the briggs deck, almost as soon
as / set foot aboard, a nine FOUNDER modnt-
ed on a carriage, and later On I 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 coast to Cape Karikal, from
which point we laid our course to the
southeast. We had crossed the gulf OF
Mancar, which separates the island of Cey-
lon froln the southern end of Hindoostan
when the wind fell to a calm one evening
at 8 O'Clock, and all night long we rolled
about without making the least progress
Next morning there was a heavy mist or
the water until after sunrise and it gradu
ally burned away without bringing the
breeze we hoped for.
When the horizon was clear we saw q
bark rugged craft of three times our size
lying about three miles north of us. She
had come down on the last Of the wind
probably bound through the straits, and
the currents had set to the eastward dur
ing the night. Those were suspicious days,
but the bark looked to be an honest En-
glishman, and we gave her no attention
until about midafternoon. 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, for no trader could have
any honest purpose in arming his boats.
They took their time about it, and final
ly headed in our direction. Had there
been any wind they would doubtless have
tried to lay US aboard. AS soon as it was
seen that the boats were headed for us
Mrs. Sweet called us all aft and announced
that the stranger was a pirate who meant
our capture and destruction. She was a
little paler than usual, but spoke in a low
and even voice, and did not seem to be a
bit frightened. She said it was case
where we must fight for our lives. They
Wculd cut our threats if we surrendered
and could do no more if we fought to the
last. She seemed to accept it as a matter
of course that we would fight, and she was
the first to lend 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 cartridge for the big gun. Every
thing had been made ready for just such
an 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 [ afterward
learned, all had been purchased at the
government arsenal In Madras.
We were as ready as we could be before
the boats were pulled a mile from the bark
The mate loaded the gun with shell. and
placed two others and several stands Of
grape near at hand. Our brig lay broad
side to the north, headed to the east. The
boats must therefore pull bow on to us I'M
til close at hand, even if the plan was te
separate and board from different points
This gave us a big advantage, as we coulc
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 doubled barreled English
fowling piece loaded with buckshot. She
was nearest the stern. The rest of us haC
government muskets l was pretty ner
vous, knowing what was at stake, and sht
noticed this, and kindly chided me, saying
that | must take good aim, keep cool, ant
that we should surely beat them off. Shit
called the French boy over and told hin
the same, but there was no need of speak
ing to the others. They were Us cool as il
it were an every day matter, and | heard
the mate say to the cook that he was
afraid the fellows would back out.
The boats came on to within half mile
of us and then stopped. Some sort OF 6
signal had been run up on the bark-prob
ably a notification that we were ready fol
stout resistance. They could have seer
us preparing by aid Of the glass. There
was a consultation of about FIVE minutes
and then came a cheer as the boats moveQ
forward. Mrs. Sweet looked over at tbs
mate, and he nodded his head, sighted his
gun, and after long moment applied
the port fire. There might have been sonle
luck about it though he was an OLD
gunner, but his shell struck the eastern
| most boat plumb on the bows, exploded
with loud report, and she was wiped out
| so completely that we could not even SEE
the fragments. I believe that every mar
| in that boat was killed. This ought tt
have discouraged the other, but it did moi,
| She was pulled for us as fast as possible
| and the stand of grape fired at her wenl
too high.
After that discharge we began to EIazt
away with the muskets, and I hit one o.
the rowers and almost stopped the boat fol
moment. While the mate and negro
worked to load the big gun the other five
of us banged away, and we hit somebody
at almost every shot. The boat came on,
| however, the wounded cursing and the I'M
| harmed cheering, and was within $50 feet
of our side when the nine poundsr roared
again. She had fired a shell plump into
the boat. 1t had acted as solid shot and
gone through her, killing and wounding
and smashing, and when the smoke blew
away only three men were swimming away
on the surface. These We ordered aboard
and made secure at once The bark dropped
another boat, but after coming half way
it returned. About noon she got rifle OF
wind which did not-reach Us, and made of
to the west to be seen ne more
When we came to question the prison
ers, who were lusty looking cut threats, We
found that they belonged to the Maldive
islands around in the Indian ocean, They