Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-02-19
PORTUGUESE PIRATE
HOW eAarHoLGMY CAPTURED a
HUGE SPANISH MERCHANTMEN.

His First Attacls Tailcd-Tho Little Pirate
Then Lny Within Short Range. and with
| Rifles tho Spanish Forcc Was Reduced
and Finally Conquered.
A series of sketches by Frank R.
Stockton Oh 1.-The Buccaneers Of Our
Coast" is one of tho features of St
Nicholas. Mr.. Stockton tells of the adj
ventures of Barthole,ny Portuguez,
who, with small crew in a small YES
sci, captured huge Spanish merchant
man in the Caribbean sea. Mr.. Stockton
saws The little pirate sailed boldly to-
ward tho big Spaniard, and the latter
vessel, utterly astonished at the audac-
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 SEQ 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 YES
sells speed, but they kept straight on
their course, as if they were about to
| fall upon great, unwieldy merchant
man manned by common sailors.
Percciving tho 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 yes,
sells and little Ones so as soon rs the
pirates vessel Was near enough he or
dered broadside fired upon it. The
Spanish ship had q great many people
Oh board. 1t had a crew of 70 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 Gil deck to SEQ the
little pirate ship go down.
But the ten great cannon balls which
were shot out at Bartholemys little
craftal 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 be was aft
er was a hand to hand combat Oh the
deck of the Spanish ship.
Tho 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 PTS
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 rs many of them as there
were of tie pirates-and it was not
long before the latter found ont 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 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
if they took better aim with their can
non than they had done before
But to their ama2ement they soon
found that they could do nothing with
the guns, nor were they able to work
their ship so is to get it into position
for efrectual shots. Bartholeny and his
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
ish ship, and whenever 4 man could be
seen through the portfolios or showed
himself in the rigging or anywhere else
where it was necessary to go Ill order
to work the ship he made himself tar
get for the good aim Of the pirates. The
pirate vessel could move about rs ii
pleased, for it required but few men
to manage it, and so it Kept ont OF
the way Of the Spanish guns, and lis
best marksmen, crouching close 70 the
deck, fired and fired whenever Span
ish head was to be seen.
Fer five long hours this unequal con-
test was kept up. 1t might have re-
minded one of man wiiha slender rcd
and long, delicate line who had
booked big salmon. The man could
not pull III the salmon, but, Oh the other
hand, the salmon could not hurt the
man, and in the course Of time the big
fish would be tired cut and the man
would get out bis landing ret and scoop
him in
Now. Burtholcmy thought be could
SCOOP i'll the Spanish vessel 80 Eany
of her men had been shct that the two
crews would be more nearly equal. So
he boldly ran bis vessel alongside the
big ship and again boarded her TEcn
there was another great fight Oh the
decks The Spaniards had ceased to be
triumphant but they had become dcs-
perate. and in the furiers combat ten
Of the pirates were killed and fc1r
wounded But tie SpGniards Jared
worse tkan that. Mere than half of the
men who had rot been shot by tie pi-
rates went down tcfore their cutlasses
and pistols, and it was nnt long before
Bartholemy haG captured the great
Spanish ship.
1t was fcari,.l and costly victory
he had gained a great part Of his own
mel were lying dead OF helpless on The
deck, and OF the Spaniards only 40 were
left alive and these, it appears ilom
the accounts. niGst lave Eccn n;ariy all
wounded q! t:iaGblcd.
Doi.r Ley It.
Il ba2e 10 place to lay my lead. "
she sobbed
Her good fairy III once appeared.
"Bc careful, ;;ivii, urged lie latter,
waving Ter siul, THAT you don't lcse
it, ~
Gliding to the front Of tie stage, tie