Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-11-01

I'm not running o moonlight excur-
sion with brass band on board.
Surrender, or I'll sink you"
you're too late. We've been
robbed already"
ooh, that's too thin. Every man
hold up his hands; we're going to lay
alongside 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 excursions, 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, L took no notice.
Thunderl 1 can overhaul her before
she reaches port. Any idea where she
was making for?"
''No, but as her master advised >e
not to drop into Victoria, suspese he
intends to run in there himself"
The pirate circled the Russian Bear,
and the captain thereof saw him exam
ining the hole made by the cannon
shot through his glass. Evidently
convinced, he rang full speed ahead,
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. She fancied they heard
cannon firing in the distance, but no
one was sure. Toward evening of the
next day the outlook aloft shouted that
there was something to the southwest
ward, 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 were
gone, and the yacht lay helpless, with
her PROV high and her stern omin-
ously low in the water Men were
pumping with feverish 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. L
am ready to make fair bargain with
you, captain, if you are"
"Well, you don't look in condition
to drive very hard one."
ooh, I'm in better shape than you
think. We're good for two or three
hours yet. You proposed to call this
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
answered when we go ashore. We're
miners from Klondike, we are."
'That's compour ding with piracy"
objected the captain.
"Oh, no, it isn't. You said your
self it was joke. Of course we were
merely going to port to wait till you
came. Anyhow, we're not going back
ehPtJ W Bel iHto pTlsOu, you can
make up your mind on that point. We
stop pumping 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. L 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
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