The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-01-09

brig, the Riffans were almost upon us.
When the cutthroat Spaniards saw
this they gave shout of encourage
nent. One of them. more enthusiastic
than the rest. leaped upon the rail and
beckoned them on excitedly; where
upon Dalton, seizing the capstan bar,
gave the villain such clip that the
fellow let go and fell with SCI cam
into the raging 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 go. and
it was swirled away by the waves. The
other ceased rowing, but hold his grip,
while the unbalanced boat waved dam
gerously 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 pirates came speeding up to the
side of our ship.
Just then there came the sweetest
sound ever heard. Borne on the gale
came the BOOM of an approaching
vessel. Our volley had been seen and
answered.
Down, Jennie. Down beneath the
bulwarks.' 1t was getting rather hot
for the little woman and she quickly
did as she was bid. The captain and 1
stood up together to draw our assail-
ants fire. Bang! bang. bang. bang!
With no more damage. however. than
a hole through the shippers cap. 1t
was no place for long, clumsy firearms
Dalton and our old crew were now at
our side, each armed with a heavy cap
stan bar. The three scoundrelly Span
iards lurked near the forecastle. ex-
citedly awaiting the turn of events.
Boom. The sound was nearer now.
Would help be too late? The boat
grappled. There were fully dozen
of the savages, and their murderous
dirks cleaned in the Pickering moon
light most awfully. They. too, had
heard the approaching rescue and were
grown desperate.
Up the side they swarmed like wild
cats. A blow from Dalton gave a final
settler to one of them, while the rest of
us succeeded in beating them back into
their galley. The second attempt the
pirates were rather more successful.
Two of them leaped over the rail, and
before we knew it one of our sturdy
fellows lay prone upon the deck.
stabbed to the heart.
We could i'll spare him, particularly
as we now had to divide our attention.
had not expected. The sturdy-hearted
little woman, though covering be-
meath the rail, had not been idle all
this time, and the discharge from her
reloaded weapon was SO we'll directed
that there was no longer anything to
fear from the two who had got on
board.
And Dalton with his giant strength
seized the wounded Riffans one after
another and hurled them down upon
their climbing companions, dashing
all in confusion to the bottom of the
boat.
Boom, once more. and SO near this
time that it put fresh courage into us
and fresh desperation into our piratic
ASSISTANTS. To get on board and drop
our cable was now their thought. This
done, three minutes more would see US
smashed upon the rocks and theirs rs
much booty as they might save.
Up they swarm once more. nine
against five, using all the strategy
their experience had taught them.
Two of them cling low down to the
channel irons, while the rest draw
their boat further along the side to the
davits, by which they try to Chamber
up. In this way they divide our efforts
and stand better chance by reason Of
their numbers. There is long and
bitter struggle; Dalton's right arm is
pierced by dirk and rendered use
less; the captain and / are both
wounded severely in the hands
heaven help us! Suddenly there is q
rush OF unreeving tackle, followed by
crash: the stern of the long boat has
dropped from the davits plump into the
galley of our assailant, crushing one of
them into insensibility and so discon-
certing the others that they lose their
hold of the briggs side, and in half
minute are laundering far astern.
Jennie had played another trump card,
God bless her!
"Hurrah, lads" yelled the captain,
grabbing his brave little wife in his
arms and kissing her.
Three cheers for Admiral Jennie"
cried Dalton, though, poor devil, he
was pale as ghost from loss of blood.
Load, Tom-quick, now. We must
give these tends a parting shot and At
the same time let the approaching YES
sci know our whereabouts.
The words had scarcely passed his
lips when there was a sharp crack as OF
fifty rifles, a scream OF pain, and the
pirates galley drifted helplessly from
our sight into the darkness Our res
cue was nearer than we had supposed.
She proved TO be the Alert, British
cruiser of ten good guns and some half
q hundred sharpshooters.
That was the way in which ] passed |
the New Year Of 1864
Saved Her Life.
Miss Pastelle-It's too bad' ] love |
you. and I've promised TO marry you, |
and yet there isn't Bit Of romance |