The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-12-18

Of frenzy. The blacks, noticed, cast
very now and then n Quicl, look ut
Inc dog. and | observed that they kept
well clear of him. took all this in in
flash. as l also saw that nothing
;hort of some stampede would save the
brig and the lives of all her crew, and
that something had to be done quickly.
Just to show those on deck that
was not afrai;! backed the hcadyards,
tor had the brig under full control,
md told thcn AL that I merely wanted
10 keep the brig's head Off shore. Hav-
ing done this, ordered up some cases
of rum, and no sooner were the heads
knocked i'll than l saw that pande-
monium was about to reign supreme.
Immediately they went at the rum.
pouring it down their throats like
water, and, in one instance, one man
pouring the entire contents of Il dcmi-
john down the throat of one of his
fellows. Once they got hold OF rum
they refused to talk trade of any kind,
and their game became apparent, if it
had not been before.
AT this stage one of my crew came
aft with the word that the boats COM
ing up were loaded with spears, and
Siibc ~ iCOhCN IL Vic SDClES NCTc
about to be passed on board. Without
further ado, l myself took the wheel,
telling the steward, who was close by,
to stand by to relieve me, and gave the
word to my men to fill away the head
yards The crowd on deck was by this
time too much engrossed in getting
drunk to notice nv movement. In a
twinkle had the head sails drawing.
In another moment the brig was keel
ing over under her canvas to the tune
of an cight-knot breeze, and the boats
alongside were at the same time cut
adrift. let the brig go off some three,
or four points and ordered every man.
in the crew to be prepared to jump in
with his pistol and cutlass. For by this
time the yclls of the inmates of tho
canoes we were leaving behind had ut
tracted the attention of those on
deck, and the latter were just begin
ming to realize their situation.
II now turned the wheel over to the
steward in order to have my hands
free, for, as they felt and saw the brig
fairly Swimming over the water, fear
and anger were at once depicted on
their faces. Some drew knives, others
vaguely looked about for the arms they
expected, all of which latter had been
capsizcd by the brig rs she bore down
on the canoe containing them.
81 saw that the time to act had come,
and, giving the word one of the men
| forward turned loose the bulldog.
With one leap Bull seized the nearest
black, who, Us he felt the dogs teeth,
| gave one of the most unearthly pierre
| ing yclls ever heard. Go in, mcn!
| shouted to the crew, and my brave
| fellows, Il mere handful. flung them
selves. cutlnss and pistol in hand, into
the black mass. The yclls of the man
first seized by the dog started the en-
tire crowd, and, as black after black
went down before the cutlass strokes
of my men, the yclls, the slashing. tho
terrible blood curdling scene was some
thing horrible.
AT almost the first assault of the
crew the blacks made rush for re as
l stood aft. AS they came along fred
into the mass, and then cleared myself
for FREQ use of the blade. AS did so
the frenzy of the brutes seemed to
reach its height. for man after man of
them who was unhurt sprang upon the
rail and lcaped into the sea- In the
distance far behind could be seen the
outlines of the canoes still pulling
toward the brig, and toward these
canoes those who sprang overheard
kAM g.