The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-11-17
The Shadow Filibuster
BY WALTER L. tiAwLsY.
hT HERE were nine of US. mean
nine white emen-Amerieans, the

captain and crew OF the ocean tug
Rover" said an old sailor, who was talk
ing of the Cuban war on the South
street pier. "0f course the hold was
full of dagoes-Cubans, mean-S0 of
them all told, and we were flibusters.
"It was the first year of the Cuban rev.
olutioA. The Rover had been running |
light for month, picking up tow here
and there, and failing to make expenses.
| She was a strong boat, and could do IL
knots an hour under pressure. Dan
Breen was captain, pilot and part
owner.
Zone day the captain received an offer
from the Cuban agents to take a cargo
of guns and ammunition to the insur-
gents. There was big money in it for
all hands provided we landed the stuff
and got away safe. The other owners
left the matter to Breen, and the cap
tain called the crew into the cabin and
asked them if they would go. There
was double pay and share of the prof
its for every man of us, and we all vol
unteered at once.
sNext day the Rover cleared for
southern port TO bring back tow, and
} we got out beyond Sandy Hook with
out being followed by revenue cutter.
When night came we stood in toward
the Long Island shore, and about mid
night ran alongside schooner an
chored off one of the coves down there.
"The stuff we were to carry was on
the schooner, and 1t took two hours, the
Cubans helping, TO get the cargo aboard
| fn6t ctpa m n o.
down the Jersey coast at ten knots an
hour. We had taken the 80 Cubans of
' the schooner and whenever there was
another vessel in sight we were careful
:, to keep them below deck, where they
!. chartered in Spanish all day and most
y of the night. The voyage down was
without incident, because we had good
= weather all the way.
q According to the plans of the Gu
J. hans who had hired the boat we were
q to land our cargo and passengers at the
}, head of little bay, near the extreme
end of the island, a few miles north OF
Cape Mais. A company of insurgents
was to be waiting for us, and assist II
the unloading. We went down through
10 the Bahama channel, keeping outside
4 the three-mile limit, until we were with
in 30 miles of our destination. Th
3 CAPTAIN had so timed the voyage tha
we were to make the last lap after dark
We had Cuban on board who kneN
every foot of the coast down there, an
was to act as pilot when we made tn
run for shore.
"The sun went down in a clear SIX,
with light breeze blowing from tn
!. southeast, Every man on board ha
supper between sundown and dark an
IL the captain warned them to eat plent
because there would be work to do b
fore morning.
GAS soon as it was dark the Cuba
pilot went up and took his positit
alongside Capt. Breen at the whe'
The engineer and fireman had their c
ders, which were TO get every bit
spsed possible. The Cubans came
and lay about the deck, talking in VIII
pers. The Rover was headed for t
OIL coast and went ahead at full speed. 7
full moon rose an hour after dal
- which was in our favor, because 1t
no' abled the pilot to make out certain la1
ary marks along the shore by which he b
lue to steer.
"The scene, as we raced down
];s- coast was a grand one. On our rlt
a. rose the dense Cuban forest, black
WY night, in the distance. To the lei
II smooth sea stretched away to the hi
zon, and under the clear moonlight
lect looked like a great lobe of solid sil'
- The Rover was throbbing like IN
of life, and we seemed to be fly
ney through the smooth water. Looko
set were stationed fore and aft to kee
dis watch for Spanish gunboats, altho'
the Cubans had assurances that
:, mart of the coast was not patroled,
cept at rare intervals.
9uo- ut was nearly ten o'clock when
J the entered a narrow channel between
re- mainland of Cuba and a low rec
key. For few miles the visioi
moonlit water was broken, and at u
'n"' we were blowing along in the
the shadow OF the trees on shore. Acc
hem ,ng to our charts and pilot we w
ence mass a narrow inlet at the end of
channel. and five miles beyond W
enter the bay where we were 10
'ahce the expedition. The Cubans assure
the that if we got out of the narrow
h to dangerous channel safely we "
r;ber have nothing more to fear.
,ross "We were an hour making thi
shore lack to avoid the greater dist
'n' W around the reef, and when we res
the open again the wind had fresf
such and there was long, rolling swell
,rrast ING in toward the shore. To the
. beyond the inlet we had to cross
P~r of low hills forming dark and
some background to the picture al
lllows us. A shadow from these hills sc
some to be reflected back across the
RS tn by the moonlight.
n and "When we were half way aero
inlet heard the Cuban pilot talk
ns 'no the captain in wildly excited mi
to ar Before could gather what it was
theft the captain called down to me fro
pilot house:
"Jack, see that all the lights a
out. and then come up hereF
cannot eve carried only one light on d
lsness, put that OUT ana ran up W ~
fever. house.
IT, ore "'What is itT asked.
uggish LOON = ote .hs sbaasS mart Of tn
tic the away ~ " - - rou maize ont anvthin
~ an1 the captain.
ugglsts ST looked in the direction ind
refund and saw what appeared to be a q
:. Try iect on the water fully q mile
and moving in our direction.
"sThere seems to be somethin