The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-19
FIGHT WITH PIRATES.
SWARM OF MALAYS ATTACK A
MERCHA NTMAN.

=
i went Cruising for Prey-A Fleet of
p,ows Driven of.
From the Brooklyn Citizen.
MANY years ago on bright sunlit morn
the good ship Alice sailed from her
-"ornps at Boston, bound for long Yoy-
i - m China and return.
The Alice was large, noble, three-masted
-.orchantrnan, and was as good and sranch
hin as ever sailed the seas, we'll armed,
-rgine six guns, and manned with a full
crew.
Can't. Miller, dead these many years. was
.,r commander. He had followed the sea
.;nce a boy, and Drawer man and better
aants,u never walked ships deck.
7 was only lad of Is years, but had per-
,,sded the captain. almost against his will
- Iat NE ship with him as cabin boy, so the
.ortain drawled out, as he moved gener-
o's mid of tobacco from one side of his
Uu' to the other: "Well, my boy, since
r NV will go, and since you have begged SO
hard | suppose must take you. You will
he nv cabin boy. but mind, lad you keep a
sharn lookout and mind your orders Be on
Gack early, for we sail tomorrow morn
Ing"
M hounds. had. even at this age, had
many q dream of ocean life, and had longed
10 he on the rolling sea, and now my dreams
ware about to be realized. ran, almost
Jaw home, and, bursting into the house.
informed my astonished parents that | was
Going to sea on the morrow. My mother
eeriad while my father sternly reasoned
Nth me. but | was even at that age pos
IA -
will that knew no breaking. My parents,
therefore, thought it not best to USE
force to prevent my sailing, so
nv mother got together the few things
that had, packing them in a little red
trunk. while her tears trickled down, SAYS a
writer iu the Denver NeiUS. Just before
The little trunk was strapped down she
nlaced within it small Bible, on which /
afterward saw, in her own dear hand
writing, these words on the fly leaf, $40
nv dear and only boy, Charles, from his
loving mother" And then came the date,
while little space below she had written:
"Chares, read each morning and night one
verse from this little book, aud may God
ever bless and keep You."
That night l could not sleep. | fancied
that was on the ocean. and longed for the
morning to come and the ship to SAIL But
when it came for me to say good-by could
not keep back the tears as 1 felt my dear
. mothers arms around me and my head rest
. ing on her bosom. am sure we both cried,
. while father stern, good man that he was,
| turned his face away. Soon the last farewell
words we're spoken. How my heart ached.
| almost faltered as / looked into mothers
fearful eyes and fathers anxious gaze. How
| well to-day | remember their last words:
"You will be good boy, my son, and al
ways do your duty" said my father, while
] mothers voice was choked in sobs. She
kisses me over and over again, while mid
| her tears hear her say: "Good-by, Char
ley; you will come home soon, and then you
1 will never leave me again. Don't forget
your Bible, and read it often.n
And thus, with tears in my eyes, rushed
out of the house. Through all these many
years since have always heard her words,
"Good-by, Charley; you will come home
soon, and then you will never leave me
1 again." But alasi / never saw my mother
/ more. In few months after l sailed low
ing hands laid her gently away beneath the
4 peaceful sod in little country graveyard
4 There these many years the flowers have
doomed above her grave and birds have
sung sweetly among the branches.
am early on deck the morning the ship
Is to sail. All is life and hurry. The cap
tain is bidding good-by to some friends,
while the first and second mates are giving
orders TO the sailors. Soon the last box of
freight has been got on board, the last fare
well words spoken, the mighty anchors
have been lifted and we sail slowly out of
the harbor. Night comes on-my first
night at sea. Far away in the
distance, growing more dim, are the
lights or Boston Soon they fade from
view, for a heavy fog has set in. When the
morning dawns we are out of sight of land,
nor SvNAn %ko
deep. Nothing of unusual interest or mo-
meat occurs for many months. Each sue
ceedlng day sees only the same dull monot-
ony of ships life until we near the Indian
sea and the Malay straits, when an extra
watch is put on from the lookout far above,
while the captain and the officers and even
the sailors are awakened to sense of fear.
One day hear the captain say to the first
mate, Mr.. Gregary, as near as can make
out by the chart we shall be in the Malay
straits tomorrow, while the mate, with a
knowing look responds, faye, aye, count
sou to this the captain says: "Mr. Greg
ory, we are liable to have trouble to-mor-
Trow-a fight or two with the Malay pirates.
Is everything in order, guns prepared, am
munluon and arms ready, Ell, Mr.. Greg
ory| Aye, aye, captain, everything is in
order. have an extra supply of powder
and shot for each man; ali is WELL"
Mr.. Gregory" says the captain drawing
nearer, " have had more than one fight
with these pirates, aud we are in danger
until out of the straits"
THAT we are, captain" responds the first
mate. II know these pirates, too. In our
last trip, captain, you remember the slash
got, and here he points to an ugly scar on
ms cheek, the mark of pirates knife. And
mus they continue their talk even late into
the night, while |, almost trembling at the
rehearsal of the scene, stand near the cap
tam. Soon he turns to me and says: MY
Ia1, TO morrow you may see a sight that
VIII make your blood run cold, but you will
Dc brave and do your share" Without
smother word the captain turns and contin-
ues his conversation with the mate. while
looS out on the still bounding sea.
The air is hot, almost sitting. The little
greece which has tempered the heat is now
hushed. / look up into the distant heavens
ana see that only few stars are cut, while
!.qohg, threatening black clouds scud aero s
tne SKY The air grows more still, and the
snip hardly moves. The mate remarks:
Captain, don't like this sudden stiffness.
think it means a storm, and hard one.
!. \ gu see the long line Of clouds rising agin'
me SKYE They look ugly. captain, and
snlnk the storm will strike us SOON" Hardly
hao the mate spoken, when little puff Of
wind touches the listless sails. ~ think YOU
are right, Mr.. Gregory remarks the Gap
tam, and in second thunders the order:
All hands on deck Reef the topgallant,
1slacken sails. Have an eye about We, lads;
uvely there" faye, aye, captain" the
sailors respond, and soon the sails are slack
ened.