The herald., 1893-12-13

of vessels happened 70 be assem- bled in
the port, and the picture was one oi
beauty and color when, on the sinkins
Of the sun and TO the blast of heavy
piece Of ordnance, so1no score or two OF
radiant streaks of bunting descended
fiuttering to the deck from peak and
masthead.
At 8 o'clock Captain Rogers went
ashore to smoke a pipe in hotel that
was much freQuented in those days by
seafaring gentlemen. He entered hot,
long room in which already number
of captains, mates anu such folk were as
sembled. The atmosphere was thick
with tobacco smoke.
Much was made of Rogers as q man
newly arrived from England. One thing
leading to another, our captain presently
referred to the picaroon incident he had
witnessed outside the port.
THAT schooner was undoubtedly the
Santa Margarita,' exclaimed ship
master.
1.-THE cutter was from Kingston" said
another. "All the owner has in the wide
world was in her. He is a ruined man,
l fear" and he fetched the table a mighty
thwack with his great fist as he heaped
variety of sea blessings upon the pirate
/ schooner.
The impudence of that Santa Mar
! garita," exclaimed a mate, quiet, sober
faced man, "goes beyond all invention!
She walks off with the droghers as boy
with apples c.t of field, and stoops to
such filthy, mean work as plundering the
poor John Canoes"
! "She was playing just the same pranks
when / was last here" said Captain
Rogers. ''Has there been nothing with
q pennant at its masthead washing about
these waters of late? How is it that the
epaulets are allowing this little cruiser
to have it all her own way?"
THE Firehy was down here on a
cruise three or four weeks ago." said one
of the captains, land chased the Mar
garita for six hours. I'd have thought
she would have loitered till she'd snug
ged the gang Of cutthroats under her
own hatches."
''She was called away to carry dis
patches" said some one.
1.-The Fi1efy's not patch on the Mar.
garita in sailing" exclaimed a shipmas-
ter. I'm junked if hedidn't scandalize
her mainsail out of sheer bravado when
the Firefy was winlling at her with a
bow chaser couple of miles astern dead
in her wake!'
That's where it is' cried Captain
Rogers. 'If it was not for the CREASED
lightning of the beggar's keel, I'd offer
my ship to chase her with and take my
chance of a shindy at home for detention
if l was long in catching her. But bless
me, gentlemen! There's nothing is this
port there's nothing commanded by any
of you, that's going to look at her in o
breeze of wind. while in a dead calm
why, she came buzzing out this after
noon from round the corner like 10
cared galley to the thrust Of her long
sweeps!
"Yet we ought to nab her. friends, he
concluded, I'VE ought to nab her. Her
existence is standing degradation to
the red flag of our country. A thought
occurred to me this afternoon while 1
was watching her walking off with the
cutter. Are we all true men here?"
He rose as he spoke the words and
took critical survey of the peop.e round
about him. Indeed he had need to be
wary, for often it happened that the pic
aroons Of those days We're secretly
owned or employed by persons who were
esteemed of good standing and credit in
the West Indian colonies.
But all the people in the long room
this night were Englishmen and sailors.
Every 1san could have named the ship
he belonged to. Being satisfied on this
head, Captain Rogers communicated his
scheme.
1t was very warmly received. The Of
fers of assistance were far in excess of
the requirements Of the little conspiracy.
For an hour or so the matter was debat-
ed, and the company then dispersed,
with the understanding that all was to
be in readiness by sunset the next even
ing. -
At the hour when the sun sank the
next day large sloop, hosting her
mainsail and stay foresail, hoated quiet
ly out of the harbor through the narrow
passage before a weak offshore breeze.
The vessel was about five and twenty tons
burden, rugged with one mast and had
been lately employed in carrying sugar
along the coast. She was unarmed.
Her flush deck swept clear from the taft
rail to the "eyes."
The night that followed sundown was
one of rich tropic beauty. The moon
was at her full. Her wake flowed in a
river of greenish splendor across the
black surface of the water, but the night
beam was so clear and piercing that the
eye easily followed the hard, firm sweep
Of the line Of the horizon.
When the sloop had gained an offing
of about two miles, the weak breeze
scanted, then fell dead, and the hush of
the night, solemn with its beauty, came
down upon the sea.
The sloop let go her anchor, but kept
her sails hoisted, and the whiteness of
the cloths in the light Of the moon was
like beacon of white fire delicately
burning a long way off on the ocean. 1t
was remarkable that though about mid
night light breeze sprang up, the sloop
showed no disposition TO get her anchor
and make II second start for her destin-
alton, wherever that might be.
Her sails tre,nbled in the wind. They
were useless, yet she kept them aloft.
Seemingly her notion was to be under
command SO as to set away at any mo