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

He put some questions 70 Captaln
Knowlton concerning his cargo. the
sailing Of other vessels from Boston.
and the measures that the British au-
thorities were taking against the West
Indian pirates.
Then he turned to his lieutenant:
Were wasting time" he said. Run
plank out at the lee gangway and
walk them overheard"
The pirates. with brutal jests and
laughter. began to tie the elbows of the
Dolphin's company behind their backs
and to tear up strips Of bunting with
which TO bandage their eyes. The gang
way was thrown open, and from It a
plank run out two-thirds of It's length,
its inner end secured to the deck by the
weight of a large SPAR The unhappy
merchant crew silently watched the
preparations for their cold blooded mur
der while there rose unbidden in their
minds last memories of home and
friends who could never know their
terrible fate.
The pirate captain, looking off i'm
patiently toward the brig, saw that
with the tail of the breeze putting her
upper sails she would pass them two
miles away. At the same time ripple
coming from the west promised wind
for his own vessel
"Avast therei" he shouted to his
men. Its no time TO drown prisoners
with that prize slipping past u.s. -Four
of you stay with the schooner and work
her down in our wake while we give
chase"
The pirates, except four men whom
he designated, hastily returned to their
own deck and, casting loose from the
Yankee schooner, the Piroqua spread
her wings to the rising breeze and swept
like a gull toward the brig. The Dol
phin's crew dejectedly watched the
pirate vessel swoop upon its prey,
which, seeming to realize the danger,
had turned its course so as to give the
schooner stern chase. At this move
the black flag came up to the Piroqnas
peak and in her true colors, she
crowded on sail in pursuit.
The pirates left in charge of the Dol
phin, In i'll temper at being left behind,
drove the officers and crew, nine in
number, into the forecastle and fastened
the door. They shaped the schooner's
course into the wake of the pirate craft
and then, while one of them handled
the Wheel the Others began search
for liquor. A bottle partly filled with
rum, found in the cooks locker, only
whetted their appetites. They cain'
to the forecastle and asked the prison
ers where the liquor--in those days {
regular part of vessels stores-wai
kept. The mate informed them through
the airport that there was cask o.
rum among the stores In the forehold
They opened the forecastle door.
"Come out of there, two of you,
they called; whereat Abel Forbes and
Jack Dutton, the ships boy, climbed
the ladder to the deck. The pirate
pointed to the fore hatchway.
'Get down there and break out tha
cask Of rum, and be quick about it,
they commanded.
Very unwillingly Abel and Jack wen
below and tried to pull aside the barrel
} of beef and pork slowed about the cask
The pirates rugged a fall, and by the
aid of this some barrels were hoisteC
out and others swung aside until thu
! head of the coveted cask was in sight.
But so much stuff still was wedges
about 1t that the thirsty rufflans be
came impatient. At their order Jacl
. Dutton brought an augur from the cal
. penters room. and seizing it oIe OF tn
s pirates jumped below. A hole wa
: quickly bored into the cask and wit
o long reed pipestem he was able b
o reach the liquor, which he sncked u
$ greedily until his eager companion
, clamored that he come on deck and a
r low them their turn.
Once started to drinking, the pirate
, continued 1t at a lively rate. The
a kept Abel and Jack on deck to hel
haul the ropes, but at first took th
a preeaution that two of their numbe
o should remain above while the othe
Q drank. But, unused as they were {
n responsibility or self control, as tn
v liquor shov1ad its effect, present.
two of them were at the cask q
}, the same time, and they refuse
to leave at the call of the third ON,
b who at last joined them, and SIM
o Ing, swearing, laughing the thre
caroused without caro- or precautioI
! The man at the wheel was SCARE
!. and swarthy ruffian, with gold rings !
IS his ears, red handkerchief knotte
n about his head and two large pisto
and a cutlass at his belt. Missing b
It comrades he grufIiy called Jack aft
d "What are my mates doing forward
r he inquired.
10 '"rhey've tapped the barrel of rum
10 the forehold." said Jack.
''That's pretty work for 'em to be a
t with the craft to sail and prisoners
d guard" growled the pirate with a
" oath. Here, you young hellhoun'
b catch hold OF the wheel and watch yoI
Ir steeringln
With cutlass In hand, he ran forwaI
d 10 tho hatchway and shouted 20 h
a comrades to come on deck, but, rec
l. lessly drunken, they replied only by 1
" vltlng him to Join their caroush or /
N TO place warmer than Havana.
While they exchanged threats an
a curses, Abel, standing by the foreshee
l. saw that the vessel, through lack