The morning call., 1892-04-27
THE FRBEBOOTERS.

" On the morning of September 16 1873,
: with the sun half way TO the zenith, the
trim schooner Dolphin forged southwark. a
gentle southerlv breeze rippled the smooth
Caribbean waters. and St. Thomas, her
:. puff. lay only q hours sail away. Here
she.was TO discharge and load cargo, and
Go thence shape her bomeward course toward
Boston.
- Captain Archibald Knowlton walked his
. Quarterback briskly, for he was beginning
TO enjoy the relief from anxiety felt on near
ing the port safe from disaster by storm or
= pirate. Tornadoes aud hurricanes were less
to be- dreaded than the fierce outlaws that in
those days haunted the seas wherever mer-
{: chant vessels sailed. Dead men tell no
SALES" was their maxim with prisoners, and
: every merchant captain knew well that the
. capture OF his snip by pirates meant that
those OF his company taken alive would be
:: made TO walk the plank"
The 1ank' skipper whlstled cheerfully
as he looked 10 wlndward, where long,
shaTp-rigge schooner which the morning
bad brought into view was sailing in the
same direction as the Dolphin. From her
course and appearance be took her 10 be
trader from some American port The
stranger was larger and faster than his own
: craft and slowly crept up on her weather
quarter.
. Another more distant sail was in view,
brig of the portbow, coming on with a fair
breeze.
= Both sehooners were close hauled on the
starbnard tack and tie strange schooner was
niJw nearly abeam of the Dolphin. Five or
SIX sailors and an officer in plain clothes
were in view upon her decks.
''What DO you make her out TO be, Abel?"
said Captain kn0witon.
He spoke to bis first mate. with whom he
had sailed since they were boys.
= "a slayer making for the west coast,
moTe'n likely" answered Abel Forbes.
. She's a good one; pulls ahead of US on the
wind, and not many craft IN do that"
The breeze, which came and went fitfully,
was dying wholly away, and the stranger,
which had come very near, now fell off
little, keeping on the same tack, as if trying
10 make,the most Of what wind was left"
IF that fellow doesn't mind what he's
a-dOin' he'll run afoul.Of u.s." said Captain
knowtOn. Pm hail him" Lifting his
speaking trumpet, he shouted. "Schooner
ahoyi What's your name aud where are
you bound?"
1.-The Piroqua. of Havana" called back
the officer; then gave command in Spanish
to his helmsman. who suddenly threw up
the wheel; the stranger shot ahead and laid
her port bow on the starboard quarter Of
the Dolphin.
AS the vessels pitched and ground to-
gether the Piroqua's men, pretending to
help In clearing them, passed hawser
about the D0lphln's main shrouds, fastening
the schooners together. A gorgeously
dressed man appeared. sword In hand, on
the strangers quarterback, shouting CON-
mands. About her lee raj! rose crowd OF
desperate-ooklng fellows, who In moment
more, with flashing weapons and ferocious
yells, were swarmng upon the DOlphin's
decks. Before an attack so sudden the
merchantman's company were easily over
powered and made prisoners.
The pirates were OF many nations and
colors, In motley dress and armed to the
teeth. They ransacked the cabin aud fore
castle, knocking their captives about and
compelling them to assist 10 the
plunderlng; then gathered with their booty
and prisoners In the Dolphn's waist.
Upon the poop stood their captain, a tall.
black-beaTded man, with fierce eye and
resolute, cruel. thin lips. He wore cooked
hat, and oyer his shoulder was slung a wide
crimson sash. In which were stuck several
heavy pistols, and his hand rested on the
richly ornamented hit of the sword at his
side.
He put some questions to Captain Kuowl-
ton concerning his cargo, the sailing of
other vessels from Boston and the measures
that the British authorities were taking
against the West Indian pirates.
Then be turned to his lieutenant.
Were wasting time" he said run a
plank out al the lee gangway and walk them
overheard"
Tka pirates, with brutal 1es;s and laugh
. Ter. began to tie the elbows of the Dolphin's
company behind their backs and to tear no
strips Of bunting with which to bandage
their eyes. The gangway was thrown open,
and, from II plank run out two-thirds of
its length, its inner end secured to the deck
by the weight OF large spar. The unhappy
merchant crew silently watched the prepar-
atoms for their cOld-blooded murder, while
there rose unbdden in their minds last
memories of home and friends who could
never know their terrible fate
The pirate captain, looking off impatiently
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 promise
wind for his own vessel.
'Avast there! lie shouted to his men.
It's DO time to drown prisoners with that
prize slipping past US. -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
designed, hastily returned TO their own
DECK, anu, casting loose from the Yankee
schooner, the PirOqua spread her wings 10
the rising breeze and swept like q gull
toward the brig. The Dolphn's crew de-
1ectedly watched the pirate vessel swoop
upon It's prey. which. seeming to realize the
danger, had turned its course so as to give
the schooner stern chase at this move
the black tag came up to the Pirooua's
peak. and, In her true colors. she crowded
on sail In pursuit.
The pirates left in charge Of the Dolphin.
In ill-temper at being left behind. drove the
officers and crew: nine in number, INTO the
fOTecastle 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
a search for liquor A bottle partly filed
with rum. found in the cooks locker. onlv
wetted their appetites. They came to the
forecastle and asked the prisoners where
the liqnor-n those days regular part of a
vessels stores - was kept The mate in
formed them through the airport that there
was cask of 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
20 the deck. The pirates pointed to the fore
hatchway.
''Get down there and break out that cask
of rum. and be quick about it," they CON-
Manded.