The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1897-03-04
A PIRATE STORY.

u6r TO sail. 6uG now GndL DOtn Duucn ana
English cruisers were on the lookout for
him he thought it was about time he had a
smoke pot of his own. I needn't go over
the abbing of the Hija de Ia Mar She
was only co foot, Barrow built launch,
sent out for Pareras of Manila. ought to
know"
Eyes. You were her engineer, weren't
you?''
Engineer of a hooker like thatl Not
likely. But was going to Mindanao my
self, and Jose Perera asked me to run the
Hija down for him. And how Crocky
nailed us, and marooned 'em all but me-
of course you know
"Yesi But why did he except you?"
because there were fixtures about the
steam gear that puzzled him-newfangled
touches that made him think he'd got hold
of 90 knotter or therea bout. Sixteen
she was credited with on the measured
mile, but IA was all l could knock out of
her, with Crocky's pistol at my ear to help
me.'
"sAnd that's her top notch, is it?' says
he at last.
"'With better COAL told him, 'and
few notches more down by the stern, /
might squeeze another knot out of her
not more.
" Call it Is as a general thing, he says.
TOO much for the Dutchie or for any
thing the Britishers hev got in these hyar
waters.
Eyes But what about the Spaniards?'
/ says.
I" 'Shuck!' he says and walks away aft.
81 could see Dixon knew something of
the new Is knot cruiser that had arrived
at Manila the day we left it. She'd be
after us by that time, 1 expected. But, of
course, 1 said nothing to Crocky. Sixteen
of his men he had with him-the best, 1
~ io ioI, oy,%
pretty we'll the biggest scoundrels And
the nearest thing to white man among
'em was big cross eyed Portuguese with
a touch of the war brush.
s'We fell in with a little green painted
brig heading nor west-cocoanut oil, /
heard afterward, she had-from the islands,
for Canton, and Crocky runs alongside and
boards her with all his cutthroats but two
What happened in the briggs cabin don't
exactly know, but when we had cast off
and the brig had filled her main topsail
again the skipper runs to the taffrail and
shakes his fist at Crocky. You Kankee
robber,' he yells, you'll pay for this, as
sure's my name's'-What his name was l
didn't hear, for just then Crocky fired.
"The old chap stood for bit with his
fist stretched out, then down he went in
heap.
Presently he walks up to the chap at
the wheel-a half caste Dutchman by the
look of him and not we'll used, could see,
to have the spokes of steamer in his flip
pers. Dixon just looks at the compass
and without single word catches the man
a crasher on the head with his revolver
butt. Then he looks round, the smallest
man aboard, with pleasant little smile on
his smooth little face. Take the wheel,
Miguel, he says to the big Portuguese,
'and heave this thing over the side, a cou-
plo of you.
well, sir, there must be some such thing
as fate after all. / believe it was this mans
doom that drove him into sudden ferocity.
At all events it was the shooting of the red
faced skipper that brought the cruiser down
on US.
"The mate of the brig kept her away
from the Philippines to report the matter,
and what does he drop across six hours
later but the Spanish warship.
"Sure enough, next morning at sunrise
there was little inky smear going up out
of the blue behind us. Crooky hardly took
his eye off it for an hour, and when he
found it was rising and spreading he comes
to me and says, Drive herr Not word
more, but you bet did drive her for all
she was worth.
1.-THE strengthening for our smoke,
of course-hove herself up SO fast over the
horizon that knew she must be the new
cruiser, the Cid Campeador.
"The way the don overhauled US was a
caution, and as soon as she was near enough
| to show us the whiteness about her fore
| foot she let drive at US. Long way short,
my boyp 1 says to myself, but hadn t
| reckoned on the latest touch in guns
| the shot pitched a COOP half mile ahead
| of US!
Cup comes Crocky when he hears the
| boom, and down he smashes his glass on
deck when he makes out the strangers en-
| sign. Great Jeffersonp he says yellow
| bellies, after alll'
81 noticed that his pockets were bullying
with something that made him very heavy
| in the walk. Then comes another shot
| not ten feet from our smokestack-and at
| the screech of it Crocky seems to go clean
mad. He pulls revolver out of each
| breast pocket, fires at Miguel, and as the
| big Portuguese falls over the wheel whips
| round and pots five of his other men before
the rest could rush him.
"In the middle of the shooting had
| stopped the engines, and when / turned
| round there was niger with the blood
pouring from his smashed face just forcing
| Crocky over the rail. His pockets sunk
| him like Lead
"What was in them?''
Dollars I fancy he intended to sink
himself with them anyhow after he'd pol
| ished off his whole crew. But now there
was nine OF en- left, and when they missed
the throb of the screw they came for me
| like one man.
'But fought 'em with what no man
can face-steam-and scalded three of them
| SO badly that they jumped overheard and
| sank within 20 rods of the cruisers boat,
pulling up hard. Two of the others fired
| into her and killed a seaman at his oar
That's what made the garrote certainty
| for them in any case
-"Had Dliddling close shave of 1t your
| self by some accounts
| "Not quite SO bad as that. But you see
| I'd been seventy odd hours without sleeper
shave-thick with grease and coal dust be-
sides. No wonder the Spanish lieutenant
took me for what looked like. But when
| got aboard the Cid it was all right The
| captain spoke English, and as soon as ]
had got freshened up bit he sent me
| back with half dozen of the mariners to
| run the Hija into Manila.
''And after I'd given evidence against
the five remaining picaroons 1 asked for
| this'-he lugged out long colt navy
"as a little memento of the last of the
pirates. ''-Exchange.
Paliseys Tenacity.
Bernard Palisey, the discoverer of the