The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-09-22

shelving beach neare5 than a mile or
more, and at that distance the mouth
of the canal could not be discovered.
Boats from pursuing ships could, in
deed. be landed on the beach, but with
the earthwork lined with musket men
few of any boats crew ever lived to
land or having landed lived to get
away.
LathrObe Makes Prisoners of the
Spanish Governors Children.
From this secure retreat, which he
called Elnido. Latrobe's light, swift
luggers sailed out in pairs and
triplets to prey on every flag.
Between his black fiag and
every flag that fioated there
was war-savage and relentless and
when plumber on the sea was scarce
he harried coast settlements far and
near.
In the meantime a great fort had
been built at St. Augustine, and the
governor, Don San Jose DeLucca, de-
termined to crush the growing and
rival power of the pirates, kept every
ship at his command cruising in an
effort to capture their ships and dis
cover their retreat. There were many a
bloody fight, and now and then pi-
rate craft went down-they never sur
rendered. But the secrets of Elnido
were well preserved.
1T happened one day, after years of
this desultory warfare, that Latrobe.
with a companion vessel, succeeded in
capturing a large galleon, few days
out from st. Augustine, and having on
board the governors children, Dona
Ynez, a beautiful girl of II, and Pedro,
boy of u or Is. The galleon was a
1ia y 2
the capture of the children, whom he
at once determined to use in an effort
to take St. Augustine, and revenge
himself on Governor DeLucca for the
many injuries received under his au-
thority and direction.
Before feeding the galleon's crew to
the sharks, in his usual matter OF
course way, Latrobe learned that there
were no other warships in the harbol
at st. Augustine, having been sent
with the greater part of the garrison
from the fort, on some expedition from
which they were not expected back for
several weeks.
Latrobe Plans to Capture st. Au.
gustine.
Everything seemed propitious for
the plan he had in view, and, having
disposed of his prisoners, transferred
the booty and scuttled the galleon, he
took Dona Ynez and Pedro on his own
vessel and ordered the other to proceed
with all haste to Elnido and call out
every ship and man that could be
spared TO join him at Boca Sega,
where he would wait.
THE winds proved fair, and in a few
days he was joined by small fleet Of
luggers, each manned by fifty or more
hardy cut-throats, with which force he
reached st. Augustine at might, and
landing at a point out of reach Of the
guns Of the fort waited for morning
when daylight came the Spaniards
looking out from the fort, saw a small
army drawn up in plain view, but al
such a distance they could not tell
whether friends or foes They were
not left long in doubt. Governor De
Lucca had with him less than one
hundred fighting men-enough to de-
fend the massive fort, with its deep
moat barbicans and flanl1ing towers
but too few to sally out and repel the
invaders, or to protect the settlers in
the scattered dwellings. These, there
fore, were hastily gathered into the
fort, where the men Joined the garr;-
son in preparation to repulse an at
tack if one should be made.
Eat sunrise Latrobe sent herald
under a flag of truce, with a letter to
the governor, in which he advised him
OF the capture Of the galleon, his pos
session of Ynez and Pedro, and his
knowledge of the weakness of the gar
rison; and demanding a surrender. In
case of surrender he offered one OF
his vessels and free passage to the
governor, with his children and ser
wants. In case of refusal he declared
he would storm and take the fort. fol-
which he had men enough, and put al
within to the sword; but that before
the assault he would bring young Pc
dro in full view and crush his head
with a bow string; Ynez, meantime
remaining a hostage with his men.
A Father Chooses Duty in Prefer.
ence to His Children.
st was terrible decision for ole
| Don DeLucca-between his children
and duty-but he did not hesitate. He
could not ransom them with dishonor
or betray a sacred trust-the lives ant
| property entrusted to his keeping. This
word he sent to Latrobe and asked
him to demand something else-hi:
children's weight in gold and l1imsel
with Don Alverado. his second in com
mand and the affianced husband OF
! Dona Ynez-and the exchange would
be freely made; but betray his kins
and the people in his charge, he could
not.
'Latrobe replied that he would moi
albate one jot Of his demand; that he
1 offered the children, not through any
love for them or Don DeLucca, but tt
save his men who might fall in max
/ ing an assault; and that if DeLuccs
| forced him to sacrifice his men, h
would surely first sacrifice young Pc
| dro, as he had said, while Ynez would
! be reserved for fate still more cruel
and, moreover, DeLucca's decision
must be made within an hour
'sDeLucca replied that the terms
were impossible; that it was equally
impossible for him to take the fort
| and that if the children were harmed {