The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-01-23
IN FREEDOMS CAUSE
BYF. H. cULLINGw0oD.

was bowling merrily across the Blight
Of Benin OF. the west coast Of Africa,
looking ont for any slayers that might
be plying their Infamous traffic IN
| those waters.
All the men We're on the qui viye to
catch a glimpse Of one of those villain
Gus strangers which could not fail to
to prove a valuable prize to any man
o war lucky enough to lay hold of her.
Suddenly was raised the inspiring cry,
"A sailr'
Where away 2" was the hail from
the deck.
! And the answer came that she was
on the weather bow, and standing
| directly across the course of the Pan
! taloOn. The next news was that she
was undoubtedly polacca rugged, ana
therefore in all probability not able to
see the man war yet. and If the lat
ter had only ordinary luck. or If the
| the slave captain was only as lazy as
was sometimes the case, our ship might
readily and hopelessly cut her off be
fore being discovered. Immediately
| Commander Wilson, who with all his
| officers on deck, gave orders to crack
/ on every stitch Of canvass hitherto I'm
set and the gallant Pantaloon rushed
| through the waters of the Blight atop
speed. for she was on her very best
sailing point However. luck on this
occasion was wanting, OF this partlc-
ular weasel was by no means Of the
! sleepy order, for scarcely had the Pan
taloOn begun properly to feel the eff
| fects Of the additional sail that had
| been set, when the pOlacca changed
| her course in accordance with that OF
her pursuer, and there could ~ long
er be any doubt that she had seen the
warship, and was showing as clean Il
pair Of heels as she possibly could.
The chase wore on during the day,
but with the evening came a more
steady and sustained blast, and by
nightfaIl Captain Wilson was able
to congratulate his officers that now
they were SO near the SLAYER that
there would be little chance Of her
giving them the slip during the dark
hours Of the night In effect it was
So, and the mornings light showed
them still holding the advantage, and
with every chance of either actually
coming up within range of the enemy
or else Of driving her ashore near La
Cos, toward which place they were
both rapidly making. Again there
were annoying and perpleXiug changes
of weather strong breeze, light breeze
calm; calm, light breeze, strong breeze
and the evening Of the second day
found them with much the same dis
tance between two vessels as had been
the case IN the very outset. Daring
the night. the wind increased to about
quarter of gale. the PantalOOn
seemed 10 Mss as she dashed through
the tumbling waters, and the daylight
found them, comparatively speaking
quite close to the chase All was now
intense excitement; guns were loaded
cutlasses taken down and sharpened
in the fo'k'tle muskets seen 10, pistols
served out. and every one on board,
from the captain to the powder monk
ey. was full Of light and eager for the
fray But alas. no sooner was all IN
readiness for attack than the wind
suddenly died away altogether, and
the pursuer lay rolling to and fro IN
the swell of dead calm,
"W hat distance. Mr.. Provost" In
quired Commander Wilson Of his first
lieutenant; what distance do you
make her out to be?"
About half an-hour's row, sir was
the prompt reply, and the lieutenant
wistfully across the eXpanse Of waters
lying between the two craft.
She looks a hard nut to crack"
said the captain, handing his glass to
the lieutenant, -four guns, as well as |
can make out, her deck swarming
with men, and boarding nets triced
up fore and aft all around.
"Oh. sir, there's little fight in these
fellows" was tue reply. and we could
readily master hel with a couple of
boats crews-I hope you intend to
let us try"
But it was not until after Il consid-
cradle amount of anxious considera
ton that the captain of the Pantaloon
could make up his mind to attack
| the pOlacca with his boats, for she was
far better manned than he was, and
well ne knew that these slavers pirates
would be the better term, for that they
were under the slave convention with
| the Brazilian government fought
! like furies When they fought at all,
| and he knew pretty we'll that such a
| fine specimen as this one was would
never have been entrusted to any but
a fighting skipper However it was at
last decided that a boat attack should
be made. and the following detail was
arranged: Lieutenant Provost was to
| command the whole expedition from
one of the whale boats. Mr.. Pasco, the
hoatswain, was TO support him in the
| other whaler: while Mr. Crout. the
master. was to take command OF the
cutter. and act as circumstances
/ should dictate
Bend to your oars, my lads" criel
Lieutenant Provost, as they pushed
off. with a WILL
The men answered with a cheer.
which was again and again re-echoed
by the Pantaloons left unwillin@ly on
board, and away went the little expe-
ditiou almost at racing speed. I'm
mediately two guns, that had been
trained aft. opened from the decks
of the enemy. and round shot, grape
and canister as the Pantaloons got
nearer and nearer dashed up the
waters all round them. For quite a
quarter of an hour this went on with
ont q single shot being fired in return
the expedition rode on through it all
as coolIy aud steadily as though they
We're cut for practice
As the Pantaloon's force came
closer and yet more close. all sorts OF
things We're rammed into the guns