Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-10-16
A PRISONERS RUSE.
HOW ROC ESCAPED FROM THE SPAN
ISH PRISON BY A TRICK.


A Clever Pirate Who Won Freedom For
Himself and Ills Companions by Forging
letter and Playing on His Captor's
Fears.
Mr.. Frank r. Stockton, telling st.
Nicholas readers about THE buccaneers
Of Cur Coast" describes the clever es-
cape Of Roc, the Brazilian, famous
pirate, from captivity among the Span
ish az Campeachy. Mr.. Stockton says:
When ne was coming into the bay,
Roc had noticed large French vessel
that was lying at some distance from
the town, and ne wrote his letter as if
il had come from the captain Of this
ship. In the character of this French
captain lie addressed his letter to the
governor Of the town, and IL IL ne stated
that he haG understood that certain
COMPANIONS Of the coast. for whom he
had great sympathy-fur the French
and the buccaneers were always good
friends-had been captured by the gov
erIiur, who, he heard, had threatened to
execute them.
The French captain, by tho hand Of
Roc, went on to say that If harm should
come TO these brave men, vino had been
taken and imprisoned when they were
doing 40 harm to anybody, he would
swear, i'll his most solemn manner, that
never for the rest Of his life would he
give quarter to any Spaniard who might
fall into his hands, and he moreover
threatened that any kind Of vengeance
which should become possible for the
buccaneers and French united to inflict
upon the Spanish ships, or upon the
town Of CampeaChy, should be taken rs
soon as possible after he should hear of
any INJURY that might be inflicted upon
the unfortunate men who We're then
lying Imprisoned III the fortress.
When the slave came back to Roc,
the letter was given to him with very
particular directions Is to what he was
to do with it. Ho was To disguise him
self a. much rs possible, 50 that he
should not he recognized Icy the people
of the place, and then III the night he
was to mako his way out Of the town,
and early i'll thr morning was to return
as if ne had been walking along the
shore Of the harb0r, when he was to
state :hat he had been put on shore from
the French vessel III the oifing with
letter which he was ordered to present
to the goycGuor.
The slave performed his part Of tho
business very we'll The nest day, wet
and lcdraggled from making his way
through the weeds and mud of the
coast, ne presented himself at the for
tress with his letter, and when he was
allowed to take it 10 the governor no
one suspected that ms was "a person en-
ployed about the place. Having fulfilled
his mission, he departed, and when seen
again ne WAS the same servant whose
business it WAS to carry food to the pris
oncrs.
The governor read the letter with
disqu;ctcd mind. He knew that the
French ship which was lying outside
the hIrbur was a powerful vessel, and
ho did not like French ships anyway.
Tho town had once been taken and very
badly treated by little feet of French
and English buccaneers. and he was
very anxious that nothing of the kind
should happen again.
There was no effective Spanish force
III the harbur ut that time and he did
not know how many bucCauecrinE yes
sells might be able to gather together III
the bay If ii should become known tiiat
the great pirate Roc had been put to-
death in Camreachy.
1t was unusual for a prisoner TO have
powerful friends 80 near bN, ana the
governor took Roc's case into most ear
nest consideration. y few hours reflec-
tion was sufficient to convince him that
1t would be very unsafe To take risks
with such a dangerous prize as the pi- /
rate Roc, and he determined to get rid I
of him as soon as possible. He felt him /
self i'll the position of u man who has /
stolen baby bear and who hears .
through tho woods the roar of an APP
preaching parent. To throw away the !
cub and walk of As though he had no
idea there were any bears III that forest
would bc the inclination Of IL man So
situated. and to get rid of great pirate .
without provoking the vengeance of his /
friends was the natural inclination of
the governor.
Now, Roc and his men were treated J
well and, having been brought before .
the governor. were told that III COnse-
queuce of their having committed no
overt act of disorder they would be set
at libeTty and shipped 10 Spain upon