Audubon Republican., 1897-10-07

in command. He wasted no time in
talk, but sent shot towards the Bear,
shot that skipped along the water and
sank without coming within dangerous
distance. Once more the Russian Bear
lowered her flag, slowed down and
stopped. The other came up with her.
"We want what gold you have on
board" roared the man with the whis-
kers.
I'VE haven't any," replied the cap
tain; ''we've been"
81 know better. You have S., ,O00, 900
worth of the stuff with you, and I'll have
it without any more nonsense. I'm not
running a moonlight excursion with a
brass band on board. Surrender, or
I'LL sink you."
You're too late. We've been robbed
already"
"Oh, that's too thin. Every man hold
up his hands; we're going to lay along
side and the man that moves gets shot,"
you're wasting valuable time," said
the captain; 'come round to the other
side and see the shot he put through
us, if you don't believe me. We don't
get such marks as this on moonlight ex-
cursions, either"
Here's the shot that came through
the side," corroborated the mate, hold
ing it up in his hands. All on board
cried aloud that this was true, and the
pirate made an emphatic remark re-
garding his future destination, which
was as likely as not prophetic.
Didn't you meet rakish-looking
black-hulled yacht about half the size
of your own?"
eyes; and it seemed to me at the time
she sheered off and showed that she
| didn't want to be hailed. But as we
didn't, either, 1 took no notice. Thun-
der! 1 can overhaul her before she
reaches port. Any idea where she was
making for?"
mo, but as her master advised me not
to drop into Victoria, suspect he in
tends to run in there himself"
The pirate circled the Russian Bear,
and the captain thereof saw him ex-
amining the hole made by the cannon
shot through his glass. Evidently con-
vinced, he rang full speed, shouting
back to the Bear: "If you've fooled me,
I'll settle with you later"
No one slept on the Russian Bear that
night. She veered toward the west and
keen lookout was kept till morning
broke. Some fancied they heard can
non firing in the distance, but no one
or.l nf ba
day the outlook aloft shouted that there
was something to the southwestward,
and the Bears course was laid in that
direction. They came upon the yacht
with one mast standing, on which flew
signal of distress. The smokestack
and the other mast was gone, and the
yacht lay helpless, with her prov high
and her stern ominously low in the
water. Men were pumping with fever
ish industry.
yacht ahoy!" cried the captain of
the Bear. "Where's the other fellow ?''
"You ask no questions and you won't
be disappointed with the answers. 1
am ready to make fair bargain with
you, captain, if you are"
swell, you don't look in condition to
drive very hard one."
"Oh, I'm in better shape than you
think. We're good for two or three
hours yet. You proposed to call this
a joke and I'm ready to do so now.
Well put the treasure back on your
old tub and you give us safe passage
to port and no questions asked or an
swered when we go ashore. We're
miners from Klondike, we are"
That's compounding with piracy"
objected the captain.
"Oh no, it isn't. You said yourself
it was joke. Of course we were mere
ly going to port to wait till you came.
Anyhow, we're not going back empty
to get into prison, you can make up
your mind on that point. We stop pump
ing and down she goes, gold and ALL"
The passengers implored the captain
to let bygones be bygones as long as
the gold was recovered. The safety of
the gold was his duty, they said.
"All right" cried the captain. "You
put the gold aboard just as you took
it off. Then each man must come on
deck separately and must submit to be
put in irons. 1 must insist on that for
the safety of the ship. I'll let you free
as soon as we are tied up at the wharf"
Each passenger swore he would not
inform on the pirates, and when all
the gold was once more on the ship,
together with the prisoners, the old
Bear moved slowly on while the Yacht
disappeared stern foremost. And be-
cause the passengers and crew all kept
their oaths, this marine incident never
got into the papers until now.-Detroit
Free Press.
Trapped.