The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1895-12-14
utes they looked Ikea. mass OF black
| fish StrugRling in a. net

utes they looked like u mass OF black,
fish struggling in a. net.
But hardest OF all was to get them
down to the brightly lighted tween
decks, as they had never before seen
artificial light and shrank and strug-'
gled back from it at the hatchWays as
from the glare of demons eyes. It
was only by sheer force that we ulti-
ma ely got them all down, the males
:'.~o the fore tween decks and the fe-
males into the after tween decks.
Anchor was then weighed and then
the captain and I sat down to smoke
a cigar By this time the slaves were
asleep and the captain said as he
puffed away at his cigar:
"We've had a busy day, Guliermo.
I suppose you thought it cruel work,
did you not? But just consider, GU
liermo we have brought more souls
into the folds of Christianity In this
one night than a whole mission would
in a year: and are they not splendid
lot OF men and women?
'"They are all pure Kabindas. If
these girls were white they would
sell at Constantinople for $4,000 each,
and even black as they are they would
bring $500 a head more than their
closely related race, the Habshees or
Abyssinians of the Red Sea coast that
compete with the Cirassians, at the
! markets Of the Golden Horn. A Cir
cassian can't hold a candle to a pure
Kabinda. Just wait until we get be-
yond the cruiser limits and get them
all washed and dressed up and merry
and dancing and you'll think them
all Adonises and Venuses fresh from
the easels of the great masters"
The next dawn the spare bower an
Choir was hung to the starbOard cat
head, a hundred fathoms of stream
chain shackled to it and lighted along
the deck and ankle cuffs fixed to it ut
about every three feet. But what is
this for?' I asked the captain as
looked along the four long bights Of
chain, bristling with slave irons.
"Oh, only to be ready in case of
need. self-preservation. you know, Is
the first law Of nature
Then did it dawn upon me that his
purpose was to drown the slaves if
necessary, rather than run the risk Of
having them found on board, and
sure enough it was only three days
before we had an English cruiser
cha sing us, and she seemed to be gain
ing on us. for we could see the can
non balls drop closer each time shot
was fired.
One after the other the new slaves
were passed up and shackled to the
grim-looking chain, and then the wom-
en- and children, also until all were
fastened for the fearful drop. Fortu-
nately, the poor creatures seemed to
have no idea of what it all meant and
stared vaguely on each other or on
the boa-like coil Of the chain or at the
guns and gunners, or in the direction
Of the cruiser.
Closer and closer came the cruiser,
her ensign flying Now puff after
puff Of blue smoke belched from her
bow as she gave the range Of her
bow chasers a trial. Finally a shot
struck us on the port quarter but fell
into the sea without doing any serious
damage. The captain came aft to me.
shook hands, and, with a smile half
sad, half heroic, said, "Adios." The
calling out to the carpenter to stand
by the anchor, and to the gunner to
stand by to fire, he sprang with
match in his hand and stood by the
fuse leading to the powder magazine.
CHANGING up to see that the ensign was
flying clear he cried out to the gunner:
Rafael, don't you think you could put
a shot through his fore mast head?
The handsomest slave in the ship is
yours if you do
Rafael, after taking steady aim. fir
ed our stern chaser charged with a
double charge that made the Iibertad
1remhle from keel to truck; and the
shot striking its mark great BRA
vo.' resounded all along our decks as
the cruisers foretop and top gallant
masts crashed down over her bows.
Another wild hurrah for Rafael rent
! the air as he gave the cruiser anOIner
raking shot and we tarLtingly signal
ed her goodbye and dropped her out
! of sight.
| A few days later when the cruiser
limits had been passed the grim chain
/ was again slowed away, the horrible
anchor was taken in. the slaves were
all freed from their shackels and bap-
tized. and each supplied with some
clothing and a comb and small mir
ror, and the slaves forgetful Of the
past and carried away by their lmpul-
sive love of pleasure and music, dane
; ed merrily. Sometimes instead Of the
instruments.
Finally. the thirtieth day, we ar
rived safe at Rio. where the slaves