The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-03-09
PORTUGUESE PIRATE
HOW eARTHOLEMv CAPTURED A
HUGE SPANISH MERcHANTMAN.
His First Attack Failed The Little Pirate
Then Lay within Short Range. and with
Rifles the Spanish Force Was reduced
and Finally Conquered.

Rifles the Spanish Force Was Reduced
and Finally Conquered.
4 series Of sketches by Frank r.
Stockton ON "The Buccaneers of Our
Coast" is one of the features of st
Nicholas Mr. 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 audac.
ity of this attack-for the pirates flag
was fiying-lay to, head to the wind,
and waited. the gunners standing by
their cannon. When the pirates had
cme near enough to see and understand
the size and power Of the vessel they
bad thought of attacking, they did not.
as might have been expected, put about
and sail away at the best of their yes.
sells iced, but they kept straight on
.heir course, as If they were about to
fall upon great, unwieldy merchant.
nan manned by common sailors.
Perceiving the foolhardiness of the
little vessel, the Spanish commander
determined to give il q lesson which
would teach its captain to understand
better the relative power Of great YES.
sells and little ones, 80 as soon as the
pirates vessel was near enough he or.
1ered broadside fired upon it. The
Spanish ship had great many people
on board. IL had crew of 20 men, and
besides these there were some passen.
gers aud regular marines. and. know
ing that the captain had determined to
fire upon the approaching vessel every.
body had gathered OH deck to sec the
little pirate ship go down.
but the ton great cannon balls which
were sho; out at Bartholemy's little
craft all missed their ai,u, 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 80 huge foe. What he was aft.
er was q hand to hand combat OH the
deck of the Spanish ship.
The pirates were all ready for hot
work They had thrown aside their
coats and shirts. ms IL euch 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 fighters there were more
than twice as many of them as there
were Of the pirates-and it 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 90, leaving
some Of their number dead and wounded
behind them. They jumped into their
own vessel, aud then they put off to q
short distance to take breath and get
ready for different kind of fight. The
triumphant Spaniards now prepared to
get rid OF this boatload of half naked
wild beasts, which they could easily do
IT 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 10 us to get it into position
for efiectuai shots. Bartholemy and bis
men laid aside their cutlasses and their
pistols and took up muskets, with which
they were well provided. Their vessel
lay within very short range of the Span
isi ship, and whenever man could be
seen through the p)rtholes or showed
hin self In the rigging or anywhere else
where it was necessary to 90 in order
to work the ship he made himself o tar.
get for the good aim of the pirates. Tho
pirate vessel could move about as it
pleased, for it required but a few men
to manage it, and 80 it kept out Of
The way of the Spanish guns, and its
best marksmen, crouching close to the
deck. fired and fred whenever Span.
sh head was to be seen.
For five long hours this unequal con-
Test was kept up It might have re-
minded one of man with slender rod
md long. delicate line who had
hooked big salmon. The man could
not pull In the salmon, but, Oh the other
,and. the salmon could not hurt the
man. and In the course of time the big
ish would be tired out and the man
would get out his landing net and SCOOP
linn in
Now, Bnrtholemy Thought he could
coop in the Spanish vessel So many
II her men had been shot that the two
'rews would be more nearly equal. So
,e boldly ran his vessel alongside the
big ship and again boarded her. Then
here was another great fight ON the
locks. The Spaniards had ceased to be
but they bad become des-
'erate and in the furious combat ten
u the pirates were killed and four
wounded. But the Spaniards Jared
worse than that More than half of the
mem who had not been shot by the pi-
ntes went down before their cutlasses
md pistols, and it was not long before
had captured the great
lpanish ship. r. 1
.lt was fearful and costly victory
y had gained. A great part of his own
mem were lying dead or helpless ON the
|eck. and Of the 6paniards only 40 were