Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-03-13
"Something in the water right

clay aloft, Mr.. Knight" said the
captain to the boatswain, "and see il
you can make out what it is"
The boatswain took his spy-glass
into the cross-trees, and soon returned
to the deck, saying:
"It's q man floating on something
"a man? ?"
GAY, ay, sir"
The captain looked through his glass
as the ship gradually neared the object
floating between the Peacock and the
brigantine. Then turning to the first
officer, said:
"Mr. Freeman, get a boat ready to
lower. The rascals have thrown over
man to delay US. We must pick
him up, however,"
SAY, ay, SIR"
Soon after the fore-topsails of the
Peacock were hove aback, quarter,
boat was lowered, aud naked black
man was picked up, floating upon some
corks tied to his body. The delay was
brief, but before the ship was again
under way the SLAYER had made some
gain in distancing the cruiser.
This was tried a second and third
time, the captain of the Peacock in
each instance backing his topsails and
picking up the poor forlorn object
floating upon the sea. He could not
find it in his heart to leave them to
drown or to be eaten by the sharks.
"This will never do, Mr.. Freeman" J"
he said at last; "the fellow will make
his escape, and, in saving one or two
lives, we shall permit a hundred or
two to 60 into slavery"
"True, sir" replied the officer. "1f
we could only have little wind just
now, we could overhaul the brigan-
| tine hand over hand"
Again the lookout hailed the deck.
"Another man overheard, SIR"
"Never mind, Mr.. Freeman" said
the captain; "We must keep on our
course"
every well, SIR"
But as the Peacock neared the OBJ
ject reported by the lookout, it was
discovered to be woman with an in
FAINT in her arms. This was reported
to the captain.
"Pick them up" was the reply. He
could not leave woman and child
under such circumstances.
The headway of the Peacock was
stopped again, the quarter-boat man
ned, and the Negress and her babe
taken on board. Not word could be
exchanged with the three men nor
the woman, but they understood in
stinctively that they were there among
friends, and they eagerly partook OF a
glass of spirits and ships biscuits. =
Just then the breeze came creeping
over the water and filed the sails Of
cruiser so that she visibly increased
her speed. She felt the wind some
time before the brigantine, and began
to close upon her. As the SLAYER got
fairly within range, bow chaser was
fred at her now and then, but only
once was the shot seen to take effect.
The order to fire high, and not at the
hull, was given, as the captain of the
Peacock knew that below decks she
must be slowed full of human beings.
The SLAYER, seeing that she was likely to
be overhauled, set another Negro adrift,
but the captain of the Peacock could
not heave to now-as long as he did
80, they would continue to play the
same game. Besides, he was now
coming up with the brigantine.
The chased, finding that the man.of-
war no longer needed the. slaves set
adrift, saw it was no use to follow that
trick, and as the wind still freshened,
and one or two shots from the Peacock
had already cut the running rigging of
the brigantine, the captain of the
SLAYER began to realize that the game
was up. All he could now hope for
was to effect an escape for himself
and his crew. The brigantine was
doomed and her cargo also. Thus in
fluenced, the SLAYER was tackled so as
to bring the wind abeam, close hauled,
and headed for the coast.
She sailed better on this tack than
when running free as she had hereto
fore been doing, and it was all the
Peacock could do TO hold her own in
the pursuit. As the wind hauled con-
siderably off shore, the two vessels
were soon sailing almost directly back
again toward the mouth of the Bonny
river.
It was late in the afternoon of that
long summer day when the mainland
at the mouth of the river became dis
tinctly visible. The brigantine had
hugged the coast much nearer than the
cruiser dared to 60, and presently her
sails were seen to cease to draw, as
she forged up in the wind, and cou-
pie of her boats were seen to leave
her side filled with her crew, which
made for the land in all haste.
The boats of the Peacock were hasti-
ly lowered, the pinnace, and first and
second cutter, all well manned, and
pulled toward the brigantine, which
they boarded just as her captain and
crew reached the shore, followed by
several 32.pound shot from the ship,
one of which dealt death to two or
three of the fugitives, and caused the
,,,t % Aaa f,>r tba;r l;yao inland