The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-03-27
A PIRATE STORY.

him he thought 1t was about time he had a |
smoke pot of his own. l needn't go over |
the nabbing of the Hiia dc la Mar. She |
ras only co foot, Barrow built launch, |
sent out for Pareras Of Manila. ought to |
know"
YES You were her engineer, weren't |
your
Engineer of hooker like that Not |
likely. But was going to Mindanao my |
self, and jose Perera 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 you?"
because there were fixtures about the
steam gear that puzzled him-newfangled
touches that made him think he'd got hold
of a 90 knotter or thereabout. Sixteen
sbo was credited with on the measured
milo, but II was all could knock out of
her, with Crocky's pistol at my car to help
me-"
"'And that's her top notch, is it?' says
he at last
"'With better coal, told him, and
few notchcs more down by the stern,
might squeeze another knot out of her
not more
/" Call it 10 as general thing he says.
thing the Brtishers hev got in these hyar
waters.
eyes. But what about the Spaniards2
I says.
% 'Shuckp 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, expected. But, of
course, l said nothing to Crocky. Sixteen
of his men he had with him-the best, l
suppose, in his estimation, which meant
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.
eve fell in with little green painted
brig heading nor'west- cocoanut on, l
heard afterward, u 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 filed 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 a bit with his
fist stretched out, then down he went in a
heap
Presently he walks up to the chap at
the wheel-a half caste Dutchman by the
look of him and not well used, l could see,
to have the spokes of steamer in his flip
pers. Dixon just looks at the compass
and without a single word catches the man
a crasher on the head with his revolver
butt. Then he looks round, the smallest
man aboard, with a 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. l 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 tho 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 MS Crooky hardly took
his eye off it for an hour, and when he
found twas rising and spreading he comes
to me and says, Drive herr Not q word
more, but you bet did drive her for all
she was worth.
1.-THE stranger-steering for our smoke,
of course-hove herself up so fast over the
horizon that knew she must be the new
cruiser, the Cid Campeador.
1.-THE way the don overhauled us was a
caution, and as soon as she was near enough
to show US the wilderness about her fore
foot she let drive at us. Long way short,
my boyp I says to myself, but hadn t
reckoned on the latest touch in guns
| the shot pitched "a COOP half mile ahead
! of us
Sup 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 all
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-an 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.
I'm the middle of tho shooting had
stopped the engines, and when l 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 l fancy he intended to sink
himself with them anyhow after he'd pol
ished off his whole crew. But now there
was nine of 'em left, and when they missed
the throb Of the screw they came for me
like one man.
But fought EN- with what no man
can face team-and scalded three of them
SO badly that they jumped overheard and
sank within 20 rods of the c-disor's boat,
pulling up hard. Two of the Others fired
into her and killed seaman at his car.
That's what made the garrote "A certainty
for them in any case.
Had middling close shave of it your
self by some accounts?'
mot 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