The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-03-18

/ HIS Do"S, lHJuSu we may not escape
a shot if he's wicked enough to fire a
US"
won't do it," said Absalom, stub
bornly. III stay where l am anC
see it out. He's got guns enough tc
blow Us sky high, whether we stay
here or try to run away"
The Englishman tackled and came
along little 10 windward of us, the
captain standing on the rail as before
and at his side a man with musket
in his hand At wave of the cap
tain's trumpet the maintopsail was
thrown in aback, deadening ships
way
"Come alongside, or I'll fire al
your
Fire away, if you're mean enough !,
retorted Mr.. Hussey.
He had hardly spoken when the re
polt followed, and the mate, clapping
his hand upon his left arm, sang out
I'm Int! The sneaking cowardsr'
They're coming for usw SAID l ;fo1
two boats were in the act of being
lowered from the ship "Are you
much hurt?"
mo, he answered, sul,enly;''n
| serious Give me the boats spade,
and / will cut some Of. But no;
its ofno use fighting against such
Odds
With few strokes of the oars the
two English boats closed upon us land
seeing how hopeless it was to resist;
we submitted.
Our captors did not take the whale
In tow, but left him, .irst marking him
with one of their waits, that he might
be more easily found.
Absalom Hussey jumped in upon
The quarter deck of the Allahabad as
if he had been boarding officer, in
stead of a prisoner of war.
He hailed Captain Sinclair in a
voice of thunder.
what does all this mean? Would
you shoot a man in cold blood, and
then steal his whale?'
Captain Sinclair was short, stout
Engllshman, with a quick, business
like manner, and silky. persuasive
voice.
"All,s fair in love and war;" he an
swered, carelessly brace full at
once, Mr.. Derby, and board the main
tack! Suppose you have heard, Mr.
what may your name be?-that your
country and mine are in state of
war. am on whaling voyage my
self. but 1 carry letters of marque.
giving me full authority to capture
the enemy wherever may find him
on the high seas, and to burn, sink or
destroy, as l may see fit. l can't stop
to pick up your whale now, for want
your ship first. Pack all sail upon
her, Mr. Derby, and have the guns
loaded for service. You better go
to surgeon, MIR. American, and have
your wound atteuded to at once. I
hope it's not serious.'
No; it isn't serious" returned Alb
SALON.. But no thanks to you for
that You may call yourself letter
of marque, or privatee, or what not,
but l say you're no better than a pi-
rate and murderer"
Don't chafe. friend" said the Eng
lish captain. You'll not be i'll treat
ed, if you just keep your temper, and
submit to the fortunes of war. My
business now is to get possession of the
Belinda. She has hauled her other
whale alongside, and will put her helm
up directly to run down for you. Mr.
Dercy, set the Yankee flag at the
peak"
Our giant, though a man of won
derful powers of endurance, found the
flesh wound SO painful that he went
to the doctor and had the ball extract
ed. But as soon as the arm was
bound up he returned to the deck,
where, with all the rest of us, he
watched the proceedings with the
keenest interest.
Our little ship, the Belinda, was
coming down before TIE moderate
trade wind; but, having a whale tow
ing in the fiukerope alongside, her
rate of sailing was slow.
Meanwhile, the Allahabad, with
the stars and stripes flying as decoy,
and her guns shottea for action,
held her course sharp on wind, and
1t was evident that when she lacked
she would have the weather gauge.
The English mates and crew were al
ready rubbing their hands in eager
anticipation of prize. and laughing
at the idea of green Yankee running
down to put himself right into their
hands.
But it was evident that A bsalom
Hussey did not share in their opinion.
Let them laugh that win," said he.
"And it's my belief that these John
Bull pirates will soon laugh out of the
other side of their mouths. You may
depend on it that kiah Starbuck has
got his eye peeled; and, if l know him
he already smells a rat. He must
soon make out that this is an armed
ship, even though she does carry
whale boats on her cranes. And he
must know Absalom Hussey better
than to suppose he would neglect his
business, and leave a whale atloat on
the water, to go yamming on a mere
friendly visit to a strange ship. Then
again, the English second mate was
stupid enough to put his own waif-
black one-upon the whale, instead
of taking one of mine. kiah knows
we'll enough that l never had black
waif in my boat. The Blindy will
soon be near enough to make out all
this; and if she once let's 60 that whale
and makes sail on wind, she'll soon
show a clean pair of heels to this fell
low, who Is no sailor at all"
Absalom was right in his prediction
for the Belinda was still three miles
to the windward of US, when it became
evident that Captain Starbuck had
woke up, and was keenly alive to the
whole situation. The Belinda came
suddenly to the wind, on the opposite
tack from that of the Englishman,
and everything was trimmed for race
while the rate at which the little ship
forged ahead showed that she had
shaken off the burden by cutting the