The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-03-16

|
the work without the usual accompaniment OF
i noise.
| 81 put my helm hard starboard, and the
| brig came quickly to the wind and remained
stationary, with her maintapsail to the mast.
Then we were heading in the same direction as
| the schooner. but the latter did not seem to be
| in hurry to obey my orders and send boat
on board. / could hear some loud talking on
| the quarterback of the stranger, as though
the officers and crew were debating the FEAST
biity of attempting to escape or fight. l
! sincerely hoped that we should be spared the
latter alternative, for / knew that at the very
| first fire they would discover our imposition
| and rage for revenge
"In the meantime the schooner continued to
draw ahead slowly, as though to get beyond
| the reach of our guns; but l determined to
prevent that by bracing up and maintaining
my position. The instant however, that we
| had boarded the mantack and were making
some Roadway through the water again hailed
| the schooner.
." Hello!' was the gruff answer.
"'Do you intend to send a boat on board and
| give some account of yourself?' l demanded!
Gay, ay, sir; as soon as We can make her
tight
1.-The answer did not deem satisfactory. for
| it seemed to me as though the crew were at
tempting some dodge that was dangerous to our
welfare, and i determined to prevent it if
possible by taking them by surprise.
a. Mr. Cooper / said, bring one of the port
| guns to bear on the fellows bow. and see how
near you can come to him. Don't miss, if you
can help it,
We are all ready Mr.. Cooper said, blow
| ing josh stick with which we used to touch
off our guns.
a. looked toward the schooner and saw that
/ there was no movement for lowering boat,
and after listening quietly for moment, be-
caff fad hat dpcn nn1 Qa
raging on board, but what it was all about
could not guess
"a Give them the gun. Cooper said. / had
not much more than spoken when there was a
stunning report, and the brig shook from truck
to keelson.
" / heard crushing sound as the iron hail
struck the schooner, cutting the halyards OF
the jib and letting that sail down by the run,
and | could see numerous rents in the foresail,
through which the grapeshot had passed.
o. Get the other gun ready, Cooper / said.
You have done splendidly with the first one.
Keep the brig well to the wind, SO that the
stranger shan't get away from u.s. continued,
to the man at the wheel.
1.-The gun is all ready, sir my Mate re-
piled.
"'Well. don't fire until give the word. I
don't want to kill the poor chaps if can help
it. I'll try them with another hail, and see if
they have found their senses
"a Schooner ahoy,' ! shouted; do you i'm
tend to send your boat on board, or must sink
you with broadside?'
Again / could hear the angry discussion
going on, for We were just abeam of the
schooner and were holding own with her,
10 attempt having been made to hoist their
Jill Suddenly saw man spring upon their
bulwarks.
There is treachery and murder on board;
don't desert -
.ha b. hi~
head. aud with loud splash he fell into the
wster. But the poor fellow had strength to
swim, for i saw him strike out toward our
brig. although we were moving about three
knots an hour.
"'Clear away the boat, Mr.. Cooper, and pick
up that man. Mind and do it in shipshape
fashion. No con fusion or fear, for we should
have had gun from the schooner If she had
been armed
" II was only the work of few minutes to
clear away the starboard quarter boat and to
send four men in il for the swimmer. j could
see that the crew of the schooner was watching
the proceedings from their vessel. and / man.
aged to count IL men. which supposed was all
they could muster. The boat soon reached the
swimmer and took him on board, and then
turned to the brig. The stranger was helped
over the rail, for he was quite weak from the
effects of a cut upon his head, which bled pro-
fusely.
"'Sr,' he said, grasping my hand and speak.
ing with Spanish accent, you have saved my
life. and i owe you thousand thanks My
gratitude, however, shall be more substantial
than words. ] have a brother and sister on
board, prisoners and in the power of desper-
ate man. Save them and we are your debtors
for life
"'Tll do what I can for you,' replied, but
my force is small, as you can see.'
lis this not United States vessel?' he
cd lob in seh-
ment
ats United States vessel, but not naval
one answered.
az Then, for heavens sake. keep up the de-
ception, for the schooner 10 armed, and the
crew will fight desperately. They suppose
that you are a brig of war, and the reason why
] hailed was because half of the rufiians were
ad vsing surrender and the other half wanted
TO fight you at all hazards
Here was a pretty kettle of fish, and no
mistake. i had supposed all along that the
schooner was unarmed, and that few dis
charges from guns would be sufficient to
compel a surrender. II the scamps should dis
cover the deception that we had practiced be.
fore we secured them our lives and our prop
erty would pay for it. Impudence was the
only thing to carry US through, and ! deter
mined to exercise little of that which some
times answers as well as courage
"' Schooner, shoy = once more shouted, IF
you don't send q boat on board Will blow you
| out of the water. Pipe the men to the guns,
Dir. Cooper, and aim SO as TO sweep the vessels
| deck
1.-The latter part of my remark was intended
to be heard on board the schooner for / spoke
| loud enough.
Instantly the Mate commenced a series of
toots with his whistle that would have done
honor TO the oldest Boatswain in the Navy.
The effect was beyond my most sanguine ex-
pectstions, for heard the pirates clearing away
their boat in sullen silence.
"F For the love of Heaven, SIR my new pas
senger pleaded, order them TO bring my brother
aud sister, for / fear every minute that they
will be murdered by the desperate rufians.
They have already threatened to do 90 half
| dozen times
Il saw that the crew OF the schooner were
piling into the boat, SO just told them to bring
the woman and the man, and that if they were
| i'll treated would hang every one Of them at
the yardarm. 1t was lond talk, but you see
had GOT my hand In and 1t came natural to
speak big.
The fellows muttered something that !