The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-12-15

deck; sometimes three or four. Time |
after time one or another of those fig |
ures would carefully sweep the sea line,
more particularly in the direction Of the
land, with binocular glass. But all !
remained silent and motionless out upon
the sea. Nothing stirred but a few shreds
of steam white vapor sailing athwart
the stars, and the water wrinkling I'M
der the delicate brushing of the breeze.
Thus passed the night. The dawn
broke in a violet CLEAN along the eastern
seaboard. Presently up rose the sun,
and the wide scene Of. ocean and distant
shadow of land was flashed ont blue and
brilliant into the tropic day.
1t was then that the stout, red faced
man, dressed in wide straw hat and an
old monkey jacket, ceased in his walkto
and fro on the sloop, and picking up a
telescope knelt down and pointed it.
cat lastr he exclaimed, addressing
another stout, red faced man alongside
of him, clothed in plain sleeved waist
coat and an old pair of Wellington boots.
There they are, Perren, and about time,
too! A pretty long job of waiting this
has been certainly!'
The other man took the glass, directed
it and stared long and keenly through
the lenses.
"Yes," said he. There they are, right
enough"
The object at which he pointed the
telescope was a mere black speck as yet
in the thin, blue haze upon the sea I'M
der the land. But she developed her
bulk apace as she came along, urged by
number of long oars, which rose and
fell at her sides like hairs of gold.
She was low, long, black hulled
schooner, unquestionably the identical
picaroon which had excited the wrath
of Captain Rogers. She showed no color,
and her sails were furled, for the weak
draft of wind that now blew was right
in her teeth as she came heading direct
for the sloop.
The two stout, red faced men walked
the deck together and seemed to give no
heed to the approaching craft. They
were the only persons visible and might
for the matter of that have formed the
entire crew Of the little vessel. The
schooner drew alongside, and when she
was within half dozen cables length
some 20 or 80 men came tumbling up out
of her main hatch, and in trice her
decks were full of people.
Beauties they werel Never had the eye
rested upon a choicer assemblage of
scoundrels. They were black, white and
! yellow; negroes, chocolate colored Span
iards, renegade Englishmen, tawny with
fierce usage of the sun, draped in as
many costumes as there were mor-in
red and blue and white shirts, in colored
breeches, in grass hats, with sashes round
their waists, deadly weapons strapped
to their hips and the butt end of pistols
cleaning on their breasts.
In perfect silence, without the prelim-
mary courtesy of so much as hail. the
schooner approached. The motions of
the rowers were directed by signs by
tall, scowling desperate who stood near
the main rigging. The long sweeps were
tossed inboards, the helm put down, and
the vessel in tragic stiffness ranged
alongside the sloop. Then the hush was
broken by the tall ruffian shouting Or
ders to lash the two vessels together.
At this instant the stout, red faced
man, who was indeed no less a person
age than our friend, Captain Rogers, put
whistle to his lips and blew shrilly.
Both men then whipped off their clothes
to their shirt sleeves and sprang for
couple of cutlasses concealed behind the
mast.
In breath, in response to the sum-
mons of the whistle, whole mass of
powerful men came pouring out of the
hatch of the sloop. They were armed
to the teeth, and as they rushed up they
delivered one of those vast, hurricane
"hurrahs" which, asdelivered by British
Threats, have been known again and
again to paralyze the enemy.
"Now, my friends" roared Captain
Rogers, ''now we have them Total
submission or no quarterT
The fine old fellow sprang for the rail
and was followed by the mass of men
all of them captains and mates of mer-
chantmen except some half dozen able
seamen.
Never was there deadlier, more he
roic boarding rush. 1t was an affair of
about five minutes only-howls and
yells, cuts and thrusts, the CLEAN of
brandished steel, the cracking of pistols,
followed by some dozen of the miscreants
jumping overheard, while the rest were
driven, bleeding and shrieking for mer-
cy, down the hatch.
There are aged men who still talk Of
this memorable capture. By o'clock
In the afternoon the little sloop and her
prize, the schooner, had foated safely
through the narrow passage and en-
tered the harbor of Savanna la Mar,
where, their arrival being confidently
expected and eagerly awaited, they were
received by thunderous salvos from the
guns of the numerous merchantmen.
Seven of the captured pirates, the most
desperate cutthroats of the gang, were
gibbeted along the coast and dangled n
chains for many long month after
ward. The rest were variously disposed
Of.-W. Clark Russell in Youths Com
panion.