The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-06-08
A PIRATES END.

oHe VI STOChy DlAUu lOU, ouf TUh
my soul, it's very kind of German to say
so, especially as the old villain himself 8
got lot more the cut of the buccaneer
than have"
looked up at the bridge and compared
the skipper-flery faced and shock bearded
with the man beside mclean, clean,
brown and civil.
appearances don't go for much"
said. "Crocky himself, understand
"Don't look the part, eh? Well, that's
SO. Ladies' hosiery or barber's clerk--that
was about his mark, by the outside Of
him."
"You did know him, them"
The lean man stretched himself out in
his deck chair. "Well, yes. In fact, I
was in a sense, as German says, one of
Crocky's lot Much against my will,
though. And was with him at the end"
"At the endl Why-but perhaps you re
KirbyS"
Mr., Adam Kirby, sir, at your service.
ooh, of course. But, you sec, you're
historical"
"Or you want to mako me SO. Isn't
that itf But you've heard the story be-
forep'
I'm half dozen versions. That's why
I'd be glad of first hand account"
Kirby looked at his watch. "Got to
muster my cooies on deck in half an hour.
just about time for the yarn.
You see, Crocky wanted to be up to
date. That old schooner of his was Won
der to sail. But now that both Dutch and
English cruisers were on the lookout for
him he thought it was time he had
smokepot of his own. needn't go over
the nabbing of Hija do la Mar. The straits
papers had that all right enough, except
that they said she was good lump of
steamer. She was only u so foot Barrow
built launch, sent out for Jarera of Ma
nilla. / ought to know"
Eyes. You were her engineer, weren't
you?"
Engineer of hooker like thatl Not
likely. But was going to Minlando my
self, and Jose Parera asked me to run the
Hija down for him. And how Crooky
nailed us and marooned 'em all but me,
of course you know
"Yes. But why did he except you9'
because there were fixtures about the
steam gear that puzzled him-newfangled
touches that made him think he'd got hold
of a go knotter or thereabouts. Sixteen she
was credited with on the measured mile.
Fourteen was all could knock out of her,
Crockys pistol at my car to help me. And
that S her top notch, is itP says he at last.
with better coal, told him, and few
inches more down by the stern might
squeeze another knot out of her, not
more Call it 10 as general thing, he
says, too much for the Dutohie or for
anything the Britishers hev got in these
hyar waters Yes, but what about the
Spaniardsr' l says. You've put your foot
in it properly now with them too.
'Shuck he says and walks away aft, full
Of notion that many Yankee and John
ny Bull has come to grief over before now.
Got the same idea yourself as like AS
notl''
"And that is?'
"That the Spaniards are Door, God for
snken creatures, not much account, afloat
or ashore Anyhow, could see Dixon
knew nothing Of the new Is knot cruiser
that had arrived at Manila tho day we left
it. She'd be after us by that time, ex-
pected, but of course said nothing to
Crocky. Sixteen of his men he had with
him, the best, l suppose, in his estima.
ton, which meant pretty we'll the biggest
scoundrels, and tho nearest thing to q
white man among 'em was big, cross eyed
Portuguese with IL touch of the tar brush.
"About ~ latitude we were in, and as
We headed away due east fanoied Dixon
was making for the Carolines. kept look
ing him over as he sat on the skyligbt
with yellow back novel and u bottle of
poor Parera's Mcdoc, and couldn't bring
myself to believe he was such o savage
devil as he WAS made out. But soon got
au eye opener.
1--WE fell in with little green painted
brig heading nor west cocounut oil. I
heard aftcrward, she had from the islands
for Canton-and Crocky run alongside and
boards her with oil his outthroats but two
What happened in the briggs cabin don't
exactly know or what Crocky took from
the tomato faced skipper, but when we
had cast off and the brig had filed her
main topsail again the skipper runs to the
taffrail and shakes his fist at Crocky You
Yankee robber,' he wells, you'll nav for
this as sure as my names -what his