Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-09-04

When she reflects upon the change
nne iail from school sublimities
10 tattered books Of recipes.
-Nutn'egs, in Springfield Graphic,
A TRAGEDY OF THE SEA.
September 8, 1868, at z o'clock in the
morning, with the Cape of Good Hope
bearing almost due east and 700 miles
away. we sighted ship dead ahead. I
was second mate of the English brig
Lord Give, and we were bound from
Australia to Liverpool with wool.
TWAS my watch-which you must
know is the port or captains watch
and we were within two miles of the
stranger when the morning mist cleared
and we sighted her. She was small.
square-rigged vessel, driving slowly off
before the westerly wind, and she did
not show square foot of canvas on any
OF her masts. I took the glass and
went aloft, and my wonderment in
creased. There was one man aboard of
her, but only one as far as could see.
He was pacing the quarter deck, and
had his face turned towards us. There
was no signal of distress flying. and yet
It was plain enough that something was
wrong there.
I descended after long look, and just
then the Captain came on deck. We
had about five-knot breeze, and We
were not long in overhauling the
stranger. Her wheel was dashed, and
Is We came upon her starboArd quarter
we still failed to make out more than
the one man. We we're near enough to
see that he was a Portuguese, and
evidently one OF the crew. The name
Of the ship was the Three Brothers,
and she hailed from the Cape. We all
Immediately remembered seeing her at
Sidney, and of her having left two
weeks before ne did. She was loaded
with wool to be taken on at the Cape by
the liners coming down from India.
Our Captain hailed as we swept past
signify that nothing was wanted.
"There is something very queer
there" said our Captain as we got clear
of her, "and propose to investigate. :"
Weluffed up couple of point. to be
clear of her and threw the brig into the
wind. I was ordered to take two men
and pull off to the stranger, which was
drifting along at the rate of about two
miles an hour. We had boat down
and we're off in q minute, and in an
other ten we should have been up with
her had not something happened. The
Portuguese stood looking at us for half
q minute rs we approached. Then he
disappeared and I suddenly caught
sight of musket-barre over the rail. I
was wondering if my eyes deceived me-,
when the villain fired and one of my
men pitched forward on his face. shot
through the back, and breathing his
last within five minutes. The sailor
then stood up and warned US by gesture
to keep away or he'd serve out another,
and you may guess that we lost no time
in returning to the brig.
What had occurred only deepened
the mystery. There was ship, evil
IDENTIFY in the best condition, but with
out sail set and in charge of only one
man. Instead of persuing her voyage
she was drifting like log. If in dis.
tress she showed no signal and one of
our men had just been murdered Will e
we were on the way to offer our serv-
ices. It was a pretty tough nut to
crack, but our captain was determined
to find the kernel. We hauled back on
our course and again overlook the ship
and this time we ran down so close to
her that ono could have pitched his cap
aboard. Every man of US was looking,
but we saw only that Portuguese sailor.
He had five or six muskets piled up on
the cabin skylight and he turned his
back ON us As we swept past. The decks
were clear and in perfect order and the
sails had been neatly slowed and furled'
"What's tho matter! What has hap
pened! What do you want"
So our captain shouted ut the man,
but he paid not the slightest heed. we
ran ahead Of her about mile and then
luffed up again, and as the ship came
drifting down the captain said:
sThere's been some awful doinga
aboard Wonder craft. It hasn't been
mutiny, because there'd be more men
about. but I'm thinking that man has
some how made way with every other
soul! It's our duty to solve the mys-
tory if we can, but we don't want any
more murders. Mr.. Piper, you will
pull off to him again and try to get
aboard. Take musket with you. and
if he fires at you try and kill him!,
Invent off. with two more men, hold
inc tho boat across the course OF the
drifting ship. When she was within
max et.shot. the Pc. ,s3e began blaz-
ing away. could ~ zee the top OF
his head above the II. as tie ship had
high bulwa.ks, an3 IT suppose my
bullet even whistleo is ears. ne
had a terrible adyal ,5e OF US. but !
had determined to mese dash ana
hoard him, when his third shot struck
one of nv men in the arm and crippled
him for life, and within fifteen seconds
he fred again and knocked my hat OH
my head. :.oon+ aboard
the brig when we pulled back. Every
man Of us now felt that the Portuguese
was the sole survivor OF some awiul
trooadv. and that he meant to 1lgnt 10