Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-02-26
TWO NANCY LEES.


.
In the month of Juiy, 1857. nm away
from british ahlp which entered the port
of Madras ] wna boy 81 n. runaway
10 sea, and captain and mates had done
their very bcat to take tho romance out Of
me. They had succcrdrd 40 well that
slipped ASHORE determined 90 die u siarya.
ton bcfore would return 70 n life on the
deep No effort was put forth 10 capturn
me. and two weeks later. when ! sat IN tho
thado of wall one day hungry and pcnnl-
Les aud ready 10 pive up, an English
woman halted before me and began To
question me. She was asmall, slim woman
Abont forty years ~ are. quick Of speech
aud movement, and ] got the Idea At once
that shs was sea captains wife. | was
not far out. ~ ehe proved 10 h. sea cap
taln's widow. md was Va command of a
brig trading with the cnat cohst Of Ceyion.
Sho happened TO be In want Of another
hand. and after being told what could do
shr made proposition that accepted.
found the brig TO 10 called the ORIENT
She was small, hut almost new, and =
rapid hllcr The crew CONSISTED N an
Tngllsh mate. two Norwcgisns, a French
boy who hal run from his ship. and my.
self Mn. Sweet. tho captain, stood her
watch. and this gave the mate himself q
man and boy in his watch, while shc
had man anil n boy only. though the
cook had 10 turn out In her watch " ~
quired. The lhttsrs>yaa full bloosle,l
negro. big aud powerful, and srilor enough
10 steer or 40 alot, Mr.. sweet. a. all
agreed. being aide to navigate tho hrig
anywhere. aud being thoroughly pasted In
every detail Of the ships work,
saw on tho briggs dcct, almost ~ soon
M vet foot aboard. a nine FOUNDER mount.
ell on n carriage. aud later on nsccfisinei
that she carried supply II small arms,
but gays the matter llttie thought and
asked no questions. yWu got away next
day after Joined. aud we had fne run
down tho cost 10 Cape ksAikal. FROM
which point va laid our course 20 the
southeast. We had erased tho gulf Of
Manenr, which separates tho island OF Ccy-
Ion from the southern cad Of llindoostan,
When the wind fe,l 10 calm one evening
At O'Clock. and all night long we rolle,l
about without making the least progress
Next morning there was n heavy mist on
the water until after Aunriso, aud II grsdu.
ally burned away without bringing tho
hrrc=s va hoped for.
When the horizon was clear We siw n
bark rugged craft ~ thrc times our liza
lying about three miles north of ~. Sho
had come down on tho last Of the wind.
probably bound through the Htraits. and
the currunts had set TO the eastward dur.
Ing the night Those were Suspicious days,
tnt the bark looked 10 bo an honest I'm.
gllshmnn, and we gave her no attention
nntil about midaftemoon Then the
faNN A Al.
she had lowered two boats. The glass was
seut up To him, and he soon made out that
the boats were heing mnnnnd by armed
men. and dark Skinned fellows NJ that.
ThlA looked rs II the bark Ind fallen Into
piratloal hands, for no trader could have
any honest purpose In armlng his boats,
They took their time about IL, and final.
~ headed In our direction. Had there
becn any wind they would doubtless have
tried to lay rs aboard. ~ soon aa II was
sccn thht tho h.,Ats were headed for US
Mrs. Sweet called us all M and announced
that the stranger was pirate who meant
our capture aud destruction. She was a
little paler than usual, but spoke In low
and even voice. and did not seam n ba n
bit frightened. sho said ID was a cn,r
where We must hrht for our lives. They
4
aud could do no more n wa fought 20 thu
last. She seemed 10 accept Il as n matter
Of course that We would light, and she wis
the hrsi 10 lend baud 10 clear away the
KUN. The two boys Of IA brought M tho
uiuskots and loaded them, distributed tho
pixies along the rail. and then passed M
shot aud cartridge for the hlg gun Every
thing had been made ready for Just such
an emergency. There were thirty solid
nina pound shot and tweniv two londsd
shell In tho magazine, a. well az about
thirty cartridges containing tho proper
quantity OF powder. A | hft.rward
learned, all had been purchased at the
government Arsenal In Madras
We were M ready a. we could he before
the boats were pulled anilo from the bark.
The mate loaded the gun with a shell. and
PLACED two Others md several stands Of
grape near at hand. our brig lay broad.
aide 10 tho north. headed In tho east. The
boats must therefore pull how on 10 ~ un.
I'll Gloss AZ hand, even II the plan was 10
separate and board from different points.
THIS gave ua u hlg advantage, ~ we could
all lay along the port rail. The gun was
wheeled over, tho decks cleared of every
obstruction, and then we were ready. Mn.
swcct had doubled hariclcd English
fowllng piece loaded with buokshot. She
was nearest the stern. The rcst Of us had
government muskcts. ! WIS pretty nrf-
Vons, knowing what was AZ stake, and sha
noticed this, and kindly chlded me, saying
that must take good aim, keep cool, aud
that We should sulely beat them OH. She
called the French boy over aud told him
the same, but there was no need " speak
lng 10 the other. They were rs cool IA II
Il were nm every day matter. and | heard
tho mate nay 70 tho cook that lac wiz
afraid the fellows would hack out,
The boats came On 10 within hnf mil,
OF us and then siopnod Some ,ort Of d
signal had been run up ON Tho hark-prob,
Ably.a notification that we were ready ~,
n stout resistance They could have seen
Us preparing by all OF the glass. There
was a consultation oi about hive minutes
and then came a cheer ~ tho bonts moved
forward Mira sweet looked over nt ths
mate, anl he nodded his head, sighted hls
gun, and nitor long moment applied
the port IRE There might hayo been some
luck about e though hn WIS an old
gunner, but lis shell struck the eastern,
mo,t boat plumb on tho bows. exploded
with q loud report. and she was wlned ont
10 completely that We could not even seo
The fragments. believe that every man
" that boat was killed. This ought 4.
NAaaaaa Na a . "A. -.