Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-09-01

~Hellol the ship!" called the man in the
stern sheets as he stood up.
"Helloi the boatp' replied Captain Hob
and hope you can spare us a few casks."
What's your cargof'
"Gold dust, palm oil, ivory and furs-
We have been up the Niger for several
months on a trading voyage. We are
bound for the United States"
The speaker was certainly an American,
but the three men with him were Span
iards, and as villainous a trio as you ever
set eyes on. They brought the odor with
them so strong that every nose could now
detect it. Captain Hobson was a blunt
spoken man. After a bit of thinking he
replied:
II am satisfied that your schooner is a
Cuban SLAYER and that she has a cargo
aboard Of her now. It's a vilIainous trade
you are engaged in, and I'd like to see ev-
cry mothers son of you swinging at the
yardarml However, out of pity for the
poor blacks I'll spare you three casks. /
can't do more Go back to your craft and
rll hoist them out and tow them half
way"
"And about the pay?"
"Your money is accursed and I won't
handle it!''
The man forced a laugh, waved his hat
as salute and his boat returned to the
schooner. We got over the casks, lowered
a boat and lowed them half a mile away,
and before noon they had been hoisted In
on the schooner's deck
1T isn't quart apiece for the thirsty
people aboard of her." heard the captain
say to Mayor Shaw, land If this calm holds
we are bound to have a row with that fell
low"
The fourth day of the calm passed quietly
away. When night came it was figured
that we had decreased our distance by a
quarter of a mile That night, to keep up
appearances Of a bold front, there was music
and dancing on the deck, but while some
danced others peered into the darkness and
guarded against a surprise.
The fifth morning dawned without a
cloud or n breath Of air. and we were now
within less than mile OF the schooner.
The current was setting us both to the
northeast, or upon the coast. AS said
before, being the larger body we were
drifting the fastest, and in a couple OF
days more must overtake the schooner.
On this day, just before noon, the SLAYER
began drawing water and sluicing down
his cargo, and we could plainly hear the
shouts and yells of the negroes. At
O'Clock in the afternoon he allowed them
to come on deck in gangs, and we knew
that we should shortly hear from him
again His situation had become SO desper
ate as to oblige him to throw OF all reserve
1t was about O'Clock in the afternoon
when the same boat and the same officer
approached us as before.
You see what our cargo is, captain"
said the man as he stood up and pointed
to his craft. 1.-The schooner is a black
bird and has 800 niggers aboard. Not
one has died yet, but there isn't drop of
water left for them. You must spare us
more water or not one OF them will ever
see Cuba"
Our captain was about to reply that not
another pint could be spared, but the pas
sengers appealed to his sympathies and
sort of public meeting was held. We had
wines, rum, brandy, beer, and could GER
tainly spare more water without stinting
ourselves. Sooner than see the blacks SAC
rificed every body was willing to go on half
allowance The result was that we made
up about $50 gallons Of mixture OF rum
and water, and the SLAYER lowed the casks
away. As soon as DIZZINESS came the deep
sea lead was cast ana bottom was found at
$50 feet. Hawsers were bent to a couple Of
small anchors, and we soon had the salts
faction of knowing that our drift was
checked.
The dawn Of the sixth day showed the
schooner not more than a mile away. The
fellows had got on to our trick and adopted
It very promptly. The day passed quietly
away, the SLAYER sluicing his betwee decks
and parading his gangs as before
At aybreak on the morning OF the 7th
the barometer indicated a change, but sky
and sea gave no evidence OF it. About sun
rise the blacks could be heard raising a
row, probably demanding water, and an
hour later the pivot gun, whose presence
we had suspected, was uncovered and
loaded and pointed at us. At the same
time three ports were opened and the muz-
zles of three smaller cannon run out and
trained on our ship. The slaver's crew
also increased from ten to twenty-five men,
and we realized that a climax was at hand.
They proposed to save their own cargo at
any risk. The officer who had visited US
twice before now appeared for the third
time, having the same three villains at the
oars He said they were again out of wa
ter and must have a supply. He did not
ask if any more could be spared, but COM
manded Captain Hobson to hoist out ten
casks on penalty of being fired into. To
the surprise of everybody, the captain hum
bly, agreed and called out to the fellow:
Send all the men you can spare and
make a shot job of it, but I want none of
you aboardp'
The boat returned to the schooner, and
half an hour later three boats, each con-
tanning five men, were lying off our quar-
ter. We had meanwhile been pretending
to be very busy. The pretense was main
tanned after their arrival. One cask was
hoisted out and drifted clear, and they
were looking for second when the sun
was suddenly blotted out OF sight Night
seemed to come again, and a white squall
broke with the scream of thousand loco
motives. It was the forerunner Of a hur-
ricane, which swept US up to Cape Vera
and 500 miles beyond. Not one of the boats
reached the schooner. The craft herself
flew away before US into the thickness, but
half an hour later. when the sky cleared
before the hurricane, not an eye could dis
cover her. She had gone down with all on
board.