Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-06-20
tlon was no better.

tam. II she isn't n pirate, ! miss my
guess. How can we make her show
her colors?"
III we turn out TO sea and give her
race until we get plenty Of sea room,
she win make us lcsc The race with the
Flyer" said the first i,lccr, in reply.
"And II we run straight into her,
she will not only make US lose the race,
but our lives as we'll"
The vessels were drawing closer now,
and the captain could inspect the decks
Of the strange craft. Surely, the
black objects lodging down behind the
bulwarks were men trying to conceal
themselves from view.
That settles it." shouted the cap
tain.
He gave the necessary orders, and in
a minute the Alice had changed her
course, and was now running parallel
with the strange vessel toward the open
sea directly out Of her proper course.
"We1l soon know the worst"
II did not take long to find this out.
As the Alice slowly crept ahead Of the
other vessel, a puff Of smoke came
from the latters side and cannon
ball whizzed across the clippers prov.
"Ahal Now we know YOU" grimly
exclaimed the captain. 1.-THE game is
up"
The pirate no longer tried to conceal
anything. The black flag was run up,
and lively race began. The pirate
sent many balls chasing after the clip
per, but the distance was too far to do
! much damage. The pirate was no
mean antagonist, and she chung closely
to the heels Of the flying Alice.
Night came on and the chase was
still desperate. 1t was cloudy night
and intense gloom settled over the
water
III risk everything now to win the
race" the captain said. II shall cut
across the pirates bow, or die In the
attempt. We've lost a whole day"
The wind was brisk, and when the
Alice lay over on her new course, she
seemed TO strain every nerve to make
up for lost time. The captain ordered
the sailors to bring several chests OF
tea on deck, and then all the gunpow-
der that could be found This amounted
only to several kegs
"We'll be prepared for an emer-
gercy," he muttered, as he gave orders.
A hole was bored through the top Of
each chest, and part Of the tea taken
out. Then the hole was filled with
powder, and closed up again. A light
fuse Of newspaper was attached. Each
chest, when finished, was placed along
the sides Of the vessel, ready for instant
use.
Now we'll fight dying" muttered
the captain.
No one knew his plan, although not
sailor doubted but 1t was desperate
one.
All that night they sailed rapidly
along, but aid not encounter the pirate.
Toward morning, before light broke In
the east, they were well buck into their
old course.
We've passed them in the darkness,
the captain was saying, with a grim
smile.
But just as he spoke, the lookout re-
ported a sail standing out Of the dark.
ness almost upon them. The lights
were shining very dimly from the mast
head. The vessel was running parallel
with them.
'It's the pirate, strand she's after
u.s." shouted the lookout.
"Stand ready, then, to light those
chests Of tea and drop them into the
sea. What a fool to show her lightsp
In an instant every sailor compre-
hended the captains plan, and jumped
forward with alacrity to perform their
part In It, BY throwing the light tea.
chests overheard with the fuses on
FIRE, they would soon have a series Of
explosions around the pirate ship that
mus eventually set her on fire. II was
the captains idea to let her get close
to them before acting.
mot so fastr' he ordered the sailing.
master. Let her get closer. She can
overhaul us with her guns and we may
as well let her catch up"
The Alice moved slower, while the
pirate vessel stole down upon her rap
Idly. When within two cables length
the order was given sharp and clear;
Light the fuses and drop the chests
overheard carefullyp
A sailor flourished an oil torch over
his head and applied 1t to the first fuse,
The chest was dropped into the sea and
Aoated slowly behind with It's banner
Of blazing light The second and third
ones were touched and were carried 10
the sides Of the vessel.
Great heavens, captain, stop!" the
first officer suddenly shouted, detain.
ing the man. ''It's not the pirate, sir
It's the Flyer!'
Every man stood still with consterna
ton. The lights were extinguished
but the first chest exploded SO close tt
the side Of the Flyer that the fire near
ly scorched the sails,
"Well, ourplan wouldn't have worked
badly il 1t had been the pirate philo
sophically remarked the captain.
Then giving orders to crowd on all
sail, the old chase was renewed at close
quarters.
1t was a long hard chase after thai
to New York. The two vessels KEEP
close together, but the Alice won b,
nearly four hours. The closcness o.
the race was commented upon at the
time, but II was not until the Alice hat
beaten the Flyer the second time that
Capt. Singleton told how near he came
to blowing up his rival near Cape Horn
The captain Of the Flyer had won
dered what the mysterious explosiof
meant but concluded that 1t was some
sort Of Il joke or a new way Of salutini
a rival vessel N. Y. Ledger.
YOUR GOOD HEALTH
- 7ifyou'rSs .s suffering Ts, We