The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-01-18

| @@&Z|{ZEk
Them to the Bottom of the Boat.
tail and rowed hastily for the shore,
leaving one Of their companions still
struggling in the water.
| The cheer that followed the boats
retreat was suddenly cut short by
scream from Jennie. While all eyes
| were bent in the direction of the on
Corners, tile Portuguese had crept silent
ly up behind the captain and was about
to crush his skull with a Delaying pin.
The warming was just in time, and
the blow descended harmlessly on the
rail. The next minute, however, the
scoundrel lay stunned upon the deck
with blow from the butt Of my
musket. He was bound securely and
carried below to await further punish
ment. should we be fortunate enough
| to escape.
In the excitement of this incident
we had forgotten about the second
boat, and when a yell from Dalton
brought us to the other side Of the brig,
the Riffians were almost upon us. When
the cut-throat Spaniards saw this they
gave a shout Of encouragement. One
Of them, more enthusiastic than the
rest, leaped upon the rail and beck
oned them on excitedly, whereupon Dali
ton, Selling the capstan bar, gave the
villain such a chip that the fellow let
go and fell with scream into the rag
ing waters.
Meantime, we had loaded our mus
kets and blazed away. AS good luck
would have it, the two savages who
were rowing on one side were hit, one
so badly that he let his sweep 60, and
it was swirled away by the waves. The
other ceased rowing, but held his grip,
while the unbalanced boat waved dan
gerousiy into the trough Of the sea.
Before they had time to regain their
lost ground we had loaded again.
Bang! bang! bang!
All three went wide Of the mark,
and the pirades came speeding up to
the side Of our ship.
Just then there came the sweetest
!, sound I ever heard. Borne on the gale
came the ''boom!'' Of an approaching
vessel. Our voney had been seen and
, answered.
Down, Jennie! Down beneath the
bu1Warks!' 1t was getting rather hot
for the little woman. and she quickly
did. as she was bid. The captain and
" I stood up together to draw our assail
ants fire. Bang! bang! bang! bang!
With no more damage, however, than
hole through the shippers cap. II
was no place for long, clumsy firearms
Dalton and our old crew were now
at our side, each armed with a heavy
capstan bar. The three scounderly
Spaniards lurked near the forecastle
excitedly awaiting the turn Of events.
Boom! The sound was nearer now
Would help be too late? The boa
grappled There was fully a doze1
Of the savages. and their murderou>
dirks cleaned in the tlickering moon
light most awfully. They, too, hat
heard the approaching rescue, and were
growing desperate.
Up the side they swarmed like wild
cats A blow from Dalton gave ;
final settler to one Of them. while thu
=, rest of us succeeded in beating then
back into their galley. The second at
. tempt the pirates were rather NOR
i successful. Two Of them leaped owe
the rail, and before we knew it on
T. Of our sturdy fellows lay prone upo1
n the deck, stabbed to the heart.
J. We could i'll spare him, particular,
J. as we had to divide our attention. Blu
b. expected. The sturdy-hearted litu
ii woman, though covering beneath til
r. rail, had not been idle all this time
and the discharge from her reloade
D. weapon was so well directed that Their
wass-n longer anything to fear fror
is the two who had got on board.
IS. And Dalton with his giant strengt
I'd seized the wounded rrlffiians one afte
Il another and hurled them down upo
le their climbing companions, dashing a
I'd in confusion to the bottom of the boa
Boom! once more, and SO near th1
III time that It put fresh courage into U
III and fresh desperation into our pirat
w assailants. TO get on board and dro
to our cable was now their thought. Tn
IS done, three minutes more would hav
seen us smashed upon the rocks an
40 theirs as much booty as they migt
7n save.
10 Up they swarm once more, NH
IT, against flve using all the strategy the
IT, experience had taught them. Two <
them cling low down to the cham
re- irons, while the rest draw their boz
ey further along the side to the davit
At by which they try to Chamber up. ]
&c. this way they divide our efforts ar
I'll stand a better chance by reason Z
at their numbers. There Is a long and b1
ter struggle; Dalton's right arm is pier
'st ed by dirk and rendered useless, Il
q captain and are both wounded sever
%. ly in the hands-heayen help us! Su
IL denly there is rush of unreeving ia
kle, followed by crash; the stern
ea the long boat has dropped from Il
~ davits plump into the galley of our q
-, sailant, crushing one Of them into !
We sensibihty and so disconcerting the OF
'as ers that they lose their hold of t
10 TO briggs side and in half a minute a
,... hounderfng far astern. Jennie HI
'''r played another trump card, God BILE
- her! ..
~. '.Hurrah, ladsw yelled the capital
~ grabbing his brave little wife In /