Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-12-05

him. The pirate heard bis movement,
turned, and instantly raised Iis cutlass,
80 you were trying TO steal on me, y
he snarled "T'll put you out Of the
way"
The steel flashed down as he spoke.
Abel iustinctively lodged back at the
moe ~. but that would not have saved
him had il not been for the dangling
tackle that had been used In moving
the barrel Ia the hold. IL swung in
the way of the falling bleda. catching
and turning the blow, 50 that the edge
Of the cutlass sank deep into the
wooden block. Before his enemy
could disengage it the mate sprang for
ward, and his heavy fist landing
squarely upon the jaw, knocked the
pirate backward into the hold.
With strength and quickness he
could not have shown in a lesser emer-
gency he flung the hatch down into
place. Quickly as it was done he
caught a glimpse of the three pirates
grouped about the cask, half sobered
by the sudden alarm, starting up and
grasping their weapons.
Directly beneath him the fallen
wretch. as he lay on his back with his
head bleeding where it had struck the
edge of a barrel. had pulled a pistol
and with the slamming down of the
hatch there came from below flash
and report that in the confined space
was deafening. A whistling ball tore
upward through the woodwork and cut
a long swath through Abel's beard and
a thin smoke wreath curled along the
hatchs edge as the mate forced the
clamp on the staple and secured it.
He sprang to the forecastle and
opened the door
"Come out, come out, Captain
KnowIton," he cried; i've got the
pirates under hatches"
Steady" he shouted to the I'M
prisoned crew, eager to rush out. Zone
at time, and only two of you. If too
many of us are about the deck Wen
rouse the suspicious of that fellow
ahead; and if we do we're worse off
than ever"
Captain Knowlton, with two men,
handled the ropes, and with Abel at
the wheel, still keeping the Dolphin
! headed for the pirate craft, they con-
trived to spill so much wind and to so
steer that the vessel should make the
least headway possible. The distance
between the two schooners steadily in.
creased until they were two miles apart
Then the wind fell, leaving the Dolphin
rolling on the swell with tapping sails
The last puff, dying away to leeward
carried the Piroqua along some distance
farther, and the three vessels lay be
calmed at equal distances apart. Ir
anxious suspense the Dolphin's crew
waited for the next rise of wind, fol
upon it's direction would depend thei
fate.
At four bells in the afternoon the
captain and his mate still stood anx
iously at the wheel, their gaze turning
from the pirate on the east to the west
ern water, smooth and CLASSY to the
horizon line.
At last d little catspaw from The
west ruffied the surface, and coming
after it, growing and deepening, darl
ripple showed that there was wind be
hind. The mainsail swelled out, anC
there came beneath the bows the CUR
gle of water cut by the Dolphin's prov
IAN hands on deck" cried Captain
Knowlton Haul aft the sheets. Head
her southwest by south, Abel"
The schooner rounded up into thu
breeze, and the becalmed pirates saw
} their prize drawing off with gathering
} headway. Would the Piroqua leav,
| her chase of the brig to pursue he
, when the wind came9 This was soor
} revealed With his spyglass Captain
, Knowlton could see commotion OF
her decks, and as the breeze reached
the pirate and gave her steeragewa,
} she headed closehauled toward the es
: Gaping schooner. But the Dolphin haC
, the first pull of the freshening wine
, and drew farther and farther ava,
? from her pursuer.
r The merchant schooner had gained
} fine start, but as the wind becam
3 steady the Piroqua, hanging on he
! quarter, held her own, and began Il
creep closer, and a change or falling o
the wind might again throw the Dol
phin into her cruel enemy's clutches.
AS the pirate, crawling up into til
3 wind, drew nearer and nearer, sal
for ahaad oraduaIlv liftino, into view re
1 vealed a great spread of canvas,
, union jack flying at the peak and tn
black and white portfolios of IA Britisl
5 man-of-war. The pirate quickly recog
5 nized the character of the coming yes
sci, and wanted no closer acquaintance
Tacking, she spread her sails free ant
went of like shot abeam of the wind
d and was soon hall down in the dis
tance.
, AT Captain Knowlton's signal of dis
0 tress there came off TO him from hi
a majesty's cruiser Terror boat manne
, by dozen blue Jackets In command c
r lieutenant The situation was quick
ly explained, the hatch thrown of, an
d the pirates, at the sight of the man-ol
$ wars men, surrendered without a strug
: gle. Justice in those days was swil
J. for freebooters Uf the sea, and befor
o the Dolphin left st, Thomas the fou
pirates lay under sentence in priso
. awaiting the day Of their execution.
True Flag.