Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-07-24

sULU PIRATE.
 his eyes on the compass. There was a light, fair breeze, just enough to give the brig steerage-way.
 "As we were passing the island, so near that it's shadow seemed to reach halfway out to the brig, I was fooling with Chinese puzzle, and l happened to raise my eyes. A minute before the sea was as lonely as if no other boat than ours had ever stirred its waters. Now, five large proas had appeared from the shadow of the land, each with eight or ten oars on a side, and all driving toward the brig. Between the rowers men were standing, and saw the gleam of steel among them. There was not sound from the proas except the oar-splash, which made their ap. proach seem more deadly than if they had come with hurrah. jumped tc my feet and yelled:
 Sail, o. Five boats on the star board quarter!3
 '@The mate jumped to his feet, shout ing out orders to man the guns, and call the watch, and haul the braces, all at the same time. The 1ascars ran to the rail, jabbering, and then ran back about the deck, but nothing was done or could be done to save the ship. dived into my room for my revolver, and by the time I had got it and the cartridges and come on deck again the pirates were coming over the rail. They were yelling sayagely now, and with creeses, swords, spears and darts were stabbing and cutting to pieces everybody that came in their way There was no fight; it was slauglN ter. I found myself somehow at the main shrouds, and as choice from i jumping overheard ran up into the rigging.
 T stopped at the topgallant yard to look around, and there was Godfrey, the second mate, coming up behind me. He had nothing on but his shirt, just as he had leaped from his bunk, and a dart was sticking in his leg, but he was making good time up the ratlines. Two Sulus jumped into the rigging to follow him, but I ran out on the yard and popped twice at them with my 1 revolver, and they went back.
 From the topgallant yard Godfrey and I saw the rest of the tragedy I won't try to describe it. I couldn't. Every white man cn deck was killed. The lascars made no fight and about half of them were spared. The pirates made no attempt to disturb us aloft in their hurry to plunder the ship. They went through everything in the cabin, and then the lazarette. In the lazar- cite they found some chests of opium that the captain had stored there, in- tending to smuggle it in at Mindanao, and they were immensely pleased over the discovery. They also found some boxes of Yankee clocks consigned to a NIindanao frm-cheap round affairs of white metal - and every pirate there were 75 or so of them--took a clock, and sometimes two or three, with him to the proas.
 Ut took them about an hour from the time they boarded the brig to loot her from stem to stern. They made the lascar prisoners take off the l matches, but there was nothing that they saw in the hold to tempt them. Then they went aboard their proas, taking the lascars with them, hoisted their lateen sails and headed south for Galaminee island. They were seen hull down and we saw them no more. What they ever found to do with the clocks is more than I can guess. Probably they kept them to hang about their necks as ornaments on state occa- sions.
 q helped Godfrey down to the deck his wound was getting painful now that the excitement was overland we hoi.ted a signal of distress. 4 British tramp steamer came along in the mid dle of the forenoon and took the brig in tow. They sent men aboard to bury 1 the dead officers and men at sea-there was nothing else to be done-and they cleared the ship, and with their help we set sail and went in with the steamer to Mindanao. There was 3 dispute over salvage, but it was ad, justed, and as by that time Godfrey's wound was healed, he was put in com mand of the brig and sailed the voy. l age out with me as second 1nate.'