Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-12-06

80 = 49, = = - "@tE = p" <+@'~+A"@ -
h1rbor. and sssryshssx wss nsds spug
for ths night. A ccnsiderxble rurlfer
Of vessels hsppenel u b. as s.ntlad IN
tks pert. AID tie picture ~4s sos u
beauty sad color wien. on fhs shukinx
ct he san aud 20 tbs blast q heavy
piscs q ofdnance. some score % s~o q
rsilaaf sfre4ks 81 bzasing dasnsaded
fafferhg % Tie deck from peak and
masthead
A. . O'Clock Csptxin Rogers went
asaors ca smoke = pspe In . h0,el a 90
xsis much frsQnenscd in these days on
sa.lfaring genflemeR- tie sntsred bon.
long room in which already nurnber
Of captaans. mates and such folh were A.
ssmbled. The atmosphsrs was thick
with tobacco smoke.
Much was made Of Rogers As man
rewl, arrived from England. One thing
lsadirx 10 another. our captain presaDtly
referred % the picsroon incident he bad
witnessed oatsids the port.
THAT schooner was undouotedly the
Santa MargarifA." exclaimed . ship
master.
The cutter was from Kingston. s@id
another. "All the owner has in the wide
world was in her. He Is ruined man,
! fear. = and be fetched the table mighty
thwaek with bis great fist IA be heaped
variety 81 sea blessings upon the pirate
schooner.
The impotence Of that Santa Mar
gariia." exclaimed mate. a quiet. sober
faced man. goes beyond all inventionl
She walks OF with the droghers As boy
with apples out Of n field. and stoops 70
such filthy, mean work "a plundering the
poor John Canoes"
'.sshe was playing just the same pranks
when ! was last here" said Captain
Rogers. HAS there been nothing with
a p<mnant at tie masthead washing about
these waters Of latey How il it that the
epaulets are allowing this little cruiser
to have it all her own Way
Tho FREELY was down here on n
cruise three or four weeks ago." said one
of tho captains. land chased the Mar
garita for Sir hours. I'd have thought
she would have loitered tall she'd snug
ged the gang Of cuttnroats under her
own hatches"
She was called away TO carry dis
patches. said some one.
The Fiiefly's not patch on the Mar
garifa in sailing" exclaimed shipmas-
ter. I'm junked If shedidn't scsndalize
her mainsail out of sheer brayado when
the Firefy was winking at her with a
bow chaser a coupled miles astern dead
In her wakev"
"That's where it fsr' cried Captain
Rogers. IF 1t was not for the CREASED
lightning Of the beggar's keel. I'd offer
my ship TO chase her with and takot my
chance Of shindy at home for detention
II was long in catching her. Bot bless
me, gentlemen! There's nothing is this
port. there's nothing commanded by any
of you. that's going 10 look ut her in a
breeze Of wind. while in a dead calm
why, she came burning cut this after
noon from round the corner like 10
cared galley To tho thrust OF her long
sweepsi
"Yet we ought TO nab her. friends, he
concluded. 1--WE ought to nab her. Her
existence Is q standing degradation to
the red flag Of our country. A thought
occurred TO me this afternoon while
was watching her walking of with the
cutter. Are We all true men heres"
He rose ~ he spoke the words and
took critical survey Of the people round
about him. Indeed he had need to be
wary. for often 1t happened that the pic
aroons Of those days were secretly
owned OF employed by persons who vert
esteemed of good standing and credit in
the West Indian colonies.
But all the people in tho long room
this night were Englishmen and sailors
Every man could have named the ship
be belonged to. Being satisfied on this
head. Captain Rogers communicated his
scheme.
Ii 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 a large sloop. hosting her
mainsail and stay foresail. hoated quiet
ly out of the harbor through the narrow
passage before q weak offsbore breeze.
The vessel was about Eve and twenty tons
burden, rigged with one mast and had
been 'ately employed in carrying sugar
along the coast. She was unarned
Her flush deck swept clear from the taft
rail TO the "eyes.'
The night that followed SHUTDOWN was
one OF rich tropic beauty. The moon
was at her fun. Her wake flowed in a
river Of greenish splendor across the
black surface Of the water. but the night
beam was 50 clear and piercing that the
eve easily followed the hard. firm sweep
Of the line 81 the horizon.
When the sloop had gained an citing
Of about two miles. the weak breeze
scanted. then fell dead. and tho hush Of
the night. solemn with its beauty, came
down upon the sea-
The sloop let 80 her anchor, but kept
her sails hoisted. ana the whiteness Of
the cloths in the light 81 the moon was
like n beacon OF white ERE dslicately
burning long way of on the ocean. II
was remarkable that though abont mid.
night light hreeze sprang up. the sloop
showed no disposition 10 get Der anchor
and make a second start for her destin-
alton. wherever that might be.
Her sails trsmble'i ia the wind. They
were useless. Jet she kept them aioft
Seemingly her notion was 10 be under