Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-01-21

in the hold and pouring it into tn,
small boats.
Thought" shouted the captain q
little later. Every man on deck"
The novelty Of the orders made the
men now obey with alacrity, and they
had partly forgotten their danger in
their exertions. But when they as.
sembled on deck again and saw the
pirate only short distance of their
faces paled once more.
But Captain Bald realized That the
moment for action had come, and he
gave his orders in quick, sharp COM
mands.
Lower the boats and tie them to-
gether with rope twenty feet long,
He fastened one of the lengths of
rope to the first boat himself, and
threw the other end to the first mate.
The pirates saw the launching of the
four whaleboats, and prepared to do
the same with their boats. But they
little realized that the brave seamen
were not making ready to escape to
the shore, but were planning for their
destruction.
II want four brave men who are
willing to risk their lives for the rest
Of u.s." Captain Bald said in his usual
abrupt way. will You please step
forward.
Instead of four men every one of
the crew stepped forward.
1HHhot'a annprh ma. lNr,,, ,,,o,,
the captain said, while his eyes grew
moist. "Ill select my men"
Then taking four of his most trust
worthy sailors he gave them brief di-
rections what to do. The sailors nod
ded their heads, and jumped into the
boats, each carrying a life.preserver
with him. The last words the captain
said to them were:
Remember the right bank Swim
toward it and I'll pick you up"
What could he mean? The sailors
on board the Carrie asked this, and
the pirates must have been curious
also to know. They stopped mo.
ment in their yelling and watched the
peculiar proceedings of the men in
the whnleboat.
The four boats shot ont from the
Carrie and were rowed directly to-
ward the pirate, the strong current Of
the river helping them in their speed.
The pirates did not notice at first that
each boat was fastened by strong ropes
to each others prows. They were
too intent in watching the strange
proceedings of this attack. 1t might
have dawned upon their obtuse minds
that part Of the crew of the Carrie
had deserted, or that they were COM
ing TO plead for mercy
But the four rowers were silent and
ictive. When they were within fifty
Yards of the pirate the men threw
away their oars simultaneously and
Dent over something in the middle Of
heir whaleboats. There was tiny
'park of light, flash and then sud
len upward blaze.
The four brave men slipped over
he side of their boats and disappeared,
nut the flames which they had started
burned furiouslv. The whale oil in
he bottom of the boats furnished fuel
hat made fire hard to extinguish.
The tide was carrying the boats rapidly |
Town the river toward the pirate. |
Then for the first time the pirates
loticed that the boats were tied
forming a wide line stretch
ng half across the river.
In
n board the pirate ship. In the con-
usion everybody forgot the prey they
ad so neatly hemmed in the river.
he guns were aimed at the approach
ng oil boats of fire, and one was actu-
lily blown to pieces, but the oil hoated
n the water and only spread the
ames.
In few minutes the fire boats
truck the pirate ship, and the ropes
Gliding them together drew the end
oats around toward the ship in such
way that flames were soon spreading
trough the rigging and hull. A few
rates climbed down and cut the
Dpes, but before they floated away the
hip was huge mass of flames and
noke.
Meantime Captain Bald had not
cen idle. just IA soon rs his men
ropped into the water from the fire.
oats he crowded on all sail, and,
elped by the tide, he went, bowling
own the river close up toward the
ght bank.
While the pirates were fighting the
re and trying to avert the doom Of
ieir ship, Captain Bald was leisurely
licking up his four brave sailors who
al caused the mischief.
"Now we'll stand ont TO sea-" he
lid, land let 'em chase us again"
But the last he saw of the PIRATES,
J his schooner rounded the point Of
nd at the mouth Of the river, was q I
leering sight. Most of them were a
,eking safety in the water. For
ore than two hours dense wreath