The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-06-11
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NO, SIT; [ am only filing my position,
as It were. under protest. and I'm snre
will never shed blood unless in an honest
cause"
He haG only his second mate and SIX
seamen upon whom he could place any
dependence % assist him in this strait.
And even some of these demonstrated
with him upon the folly Of a course which
could scarcely be successful, while It
would call vengeance upon us if it failed.
I'll fight 'em alone he roared, BESIDE
himself with fury. IF there's any man
who will sneak ont Of the fight. let him
go ashore nov, before the boats board us. :"
But he had mlscalculated the effect of
this taunt upon me ana others. | saw
10 harm nor disgrace In taking him at
his word, and at once called for vOlun-
teers to man the small boat which lay
alongside. One followed another, until
it was plain that the whole crew wonld,
If left to themselves, abandon the vessel;
but with four IN the boat, | pushed her
clear of the side. The man-orwar's boat
was drawing near.
Captain Calder" SAID |, "the wisest
thing yOu can do is to save yourself and
| Your crew. You can gain nothing by
| fighting against odds, and the vessel is
| lost if taken, as she must be with slaves
on board"
She never shall be taken, I'll blow
| her mp first" roared the infurated cap
| tain. save yourselves, all OF We, if you
want to. I'll be the last man ont of hern'
In moment all hands we're crOwding
into the large boat, which had been veer-
ed astern, anxious only to escape the ap-
preaching enemy. The captain stopped.
| sighted the brass swivel. which he had
previously loaded with zh;s own hands,
and fired. A good line shot. but not
sufficiently depressed IN range. 1t whist
| led, harmless. over the heads of the Eng
| llsh seamen, who, bursting into wild hur-
rahs, advanced steadily, now returning &
the fire from similar gun, mounted on
| their leading boat.
My attention was for a few seconds Oc-
cupied in observing this, and when
again looked for thp captain, he was not
in sight.
Pull aheadw | heard the second mate
exclaim in the other boat. Pull ahead
and get clear of the ship He's gone be-
| low to fire the powder and blow her up
| involuntarily repeated the order to
my own crew. shuddering at the thought
| if what | heard was really true. [ knew
| where the powder was stored, and that
| there was enough of 1t to destroy the yes
sci if ignited. fit was true be might lay a
| train, and have time to save himself by
| jumping overheard. But what was to
| become of the hundred and fifty blacks
in the hold? And the crews of the at
tacking boat if the explosion occurred
after they got on board?
I gave the word to pull, placing the
boats head directly towards the ap
preaching enemy. | made the most fran
tic signals to attract the attention Of the
British officer in command. | succeeded
in making him sensible OF the danger
and he ordered his mpn TO rest on their
| oars.
| had, of course, placed myself and
| boats crew in his power as prisoners
when ! might have had time to escape &c
the shore. But in Obaying the impulse
of humanity, had hardly thought Of this
As | was explaining the matter To tbs
officer, the crack of a rifle was heard, and
ball passed near my head breaking the
arm of one of the seamen IN the English
barge 1t had been fired from the stern
window Of the barque, and Was doubtless
intended for me. The barge again fired
her swivel in return, and the officer gave
the order to advance with Il rush, seem
| ing to care little about securing me or
| my men, If there was a chance Of saving
| the vessel.
The large boat of the barque, In charge
of the second mate, had meanwhile made
good her escape, and was nearly ashore
| But, trusting TO my own honest 1nten'
| tiOns, and those of the four men who were
with me. | preferred being a prisoner tC
taking our chances in the pestllentlaI
| iungles of the river bank, or placing our
selves in the power of the slave dealers
at the bHrracOoD. whose enmity we hao
incurred by thus warning the English
| officer. As a choice Of evils. we followed
the man-of wars men, WHO dashed with
ont further hesitation alongside the
BlOomer and swarmed upon her deck.
Come heren' SAID the English officer
backonlng to me. as | stood waiting HI:
orders. "Wasn't that timely shn'|
On the floor, at the foot of tue CABIN
stairs, lay the body of the captain, biz
skull crushed by the last shot fired from
the barge's swivel. which had entered a
the stern window. In his hand he still
grasped Il match which had been lighted
an / burned out. He must have rushed
to light the fuse connected with his trdil
as / suppose. at me- Had lie fallen for
ward upon his face instead of backward
the train would actually have been fire.
by The match in the hand of a dead man
1t was, indeed, timely shot which ha
arrested his desperate career; and TN
match was harmless IN his grasp, not
foot distant from the end Of the tram.
thought of the narrow escape of th
British party: of thepoOr blacks huddle
in the hold: aud looking at the dlstort
ed features of the corpse, | wOndere
could this be my old schoOlmate. Joe Ca
der?
was carried, with my shipmates,
: St Helena in the Bloomer, and after
short detention we were released, an
found Our way home to seek more homo
; able employment, The vessel was, {
course condemned. and the blacks libe
ated. And this. my first, was also m
= last voyage TO the African coast.