The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-06-17
PORTUGUESE PIRATE
HOW BARTHOlEMv CAPTURED
HUGE SPANISH MeRCHANTMAN.
His First Attack Faiied-The Little Pirate
Then Lay within short Range. and with
Rifles the spanish Force Was Reduced
and FINALLY Conquered.

Rifles the spanish force W - REDUCED
and Finally Conquered.
A series Of sketches by Frank X.
Stockton on 1.-The Buccaneers Of Our
Coast" Is one of the features Of st.
Nicholas. MIR. Stockton tells Of the ad-
ventures Of Bartholemy Portuguez,
who, with small crew in small ves-
sci. captured huge Spanish merchant
man in the Caribbean sea. Mr.. Stockton
says: The little pirate sailed boldly to-
ward the big Spaniard, and the latter
vessel, utterly astonished at the audao-
ity Of this attack-for the pirates flag
was fying-lay to, head to the wind.
and waited. the gunners standing by
their cannon. When the pirates had
come near enough to see and understand
the size and power Of the vessel they
had thought of attacking, they did not,
as might have been expected, put about
and sail away at the best OF their ves-
sells speed. but they kept straight on
their course, as if they were about to
fall upon a great, unwieldy merchant
man manned by common sailors.
Perceiving the foolhardiness Of the
little vessel, the Spanish commander
determined to give it lesson which
would teach its captain to understand
better the relative power Of great ves-
sells and little ones, so as soon as the
pirates vessel was near enough he or
Spanish ship had great many people
ON board. 1t had crew Of 20 men, and
besides these there were some passen-
gers and regular marines. and. know
ing that the captain had determined to
fire upon the approaching vessel every
body had gathered on deck to see the
little pirate ship go down.
But the ten great cannon balls which
were shot out at Bartholemy's little
craft all missed their aim, and before the
guns could be reloaded or the great ship
be got around SO as to deliver her other
broadside the pirate vessel was along
side of her. Bartholemy had fired none
of his cannon. Such guns were useless
against SO huge foe. What he was aft
er was a hand to hand combat on the
deck of the Spanish ship.
The pirates were all ready for hot
work. They had thrown aside their
coats and shirts. as if each Of them were
going into prizefight, and with their
cutlasses in their hands and their pis-
tolls and knives in their belts they
scrambled like monkeys up the sides Of
the great ship. But Spaniards are brave
men and good fghters-there were more
than twice as many Of them as there
were of the pirates-and IL was not
long before the latter found out that
they could not capture that vessel by
boarding It. So over the side they tum-
bled as fast as they could go, leaving
some Of their number dead and wounded
behind them. They jumped into their
own vessel. and then they put of to a
short distance to take breath and get
ready for a different kind Of fight. The
triumphant Spaniards now prepared to
get rid of this boatload of half naked
wild beasts, which they could easily dc
If they took better aim with their can.
non than they had done before.
But to their amazement they soon
found that they could do nothing with
the guns, nor were they able to work
their ship 80 as to get it into position
for effectual shots Bartholemy and his
men laid aside their cutlasses and theil
pistols and took up muskets, with which
they were we'll provided. Their vessel
lay within very short range of the Span
ish ship. and whenever man could b.
seen through the portfolios or showed
himself in he rigging or anywhere elss
where it was necessary to go In order
to work the ship he made himself q tar
get for the good aim Of the pirates. Tht
pirate vessel could move about as Il
pleased. for ii required but a few mel
to manage 1t, and SO 1t kept out o.
the way Of the Spanish guns, and 1T
best marksmen. crouching close to thu
deck, fired and fred whenever Span
ish head WIS to be seen.
For FIVE long hours this unequal con
test was kept up. 1t might have re
minded one Of man with slender roo
and a long, delicate line who ha(
hooked big salmon. The man could
not pull in lie salmon, but, on the othel
hand, the salmon could not hurt tn,
man, ana IN the course Oh tlme the OH
fish would be tired out and the mar
would get out his landing net and SCOOP
him in.
Now. Bartholemy thought he coult
scoop in the Spanish vessel So man,
Of her men had been shot that the TIVE
crews would be more nearly equal. s.
he boldly ran his vessel alongside thu
big ship and again boarded her. Thel
there was another great fight on tn
decks The Spaniards had ceased to b.
triumphant. but they had become des
perate. and in the furious combat ter
of the pirates were killed and fou
wounded. But the Spaniards farce
worse than that More than half Of tn,
men who had not been shot by the pi
rates went down before their cutlasse
and pistols, and it was not long befor'
Bartholemy had captured the grea
Spanish ship.
II was a fearful and a costly victor,
he had gained. A great part Of his owl
men were lying dead OF helpless on thu
deck. and Of the Spaniards only 40 wer'
left alive. and these. IL appears from