Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-04-18
CHAPTER XIV.
THE ISLAND.

Ten days from the time that Black
Beard babe good-by to the Altemaha, the
Charleston News contained the follow
ing:
BLACK Beard Again.-The eighteen
negroes who have been missing since
the departure OF the piratical craft
Ranger are missing no longer. but the
good planters of the Altemaha river sec
ton. Georgia, are missing the sum of
fifteen thousand dollars, which sum
they paid for the aforesaid negroes, and
to the redoubtable Black Beard, for
there he conveyed them.
Holding them in terror of their lives
until he had received his gold, and the
last negro, as well as the planters, had
disembarked from the Ranger, whittier
the planters had been invited by sign
hung over the schooner's side, as she lay
anchored in the stream.
ut was this sign that informed them
that 10 negroes would be sold from
the decks of the schooner before 12
o'clock.
1.-THE schooner had changed her name
to William b. Niles. and her color was
now dirty red, and, though no man
with long black beard was seen on the
decks while the planters were aboard,
they had no sooner descended to their
boats. in which their purchasers were
already seated, than they heard tho
captains voice: 'Upanchor, and away
"As the anchors We're raised, the
vessel rounded to, its sails filled, and 1t
glided away. The negroes having their
terror removed told their tale, and the
bows OF the planters boats were turned
towards the schooner.
'"rhey called Justify. but she was fast
passing out the mouth of the river, and
man with Il long black beard was
standing at the vessels stern, waving
them good-by with his haiti was
doubtless Angus Bruce, alias William B.
Niles. alias Black Beard
''The negroes have all been returned
to their masters, and the governor Of
Georgia has joined with the governor of
South Carolina in Offering a reward for
the apprehension of this daring buc-
cancer, murderer and pillager; thus the
amount offered for Angus Bruce, dead
or alive, by these two states is S50,0O0."
On the morning when the Charleston
News contained this article there lay
anchored in u location from which she
was neither visible from sea nor main
land, a two-mast schooner; the location
was an estuary that entered the side Of
Smiths island, about midway of It's
length, and extended some three miles,
or half way through the island.
This island is located near the mouth
of the Cape Fear river, and about ten
miles from Smithville.
AT that date it was IS miles in length,
and from one to siM miles in breadth.
Its surface near the coast was low and
flat, with gradually elevating tend
ency, until near the head of the estuary,
where it terminated in rugged, broken
surface of rocky lodges, alternating
from so feet below to 300 feet above
the oceans level.
The seams that cut through this
rough formation to the depths below
were filled with brine, while the rugged
sides of the steep ascent were covered
with stunted cedars and pines, and num-
bers of goats, n pair of which were
placed on the island by Uncle Billie
Smith, for whom both Smithyille and
the island were named many years be-
fore.
In this estuary, and at its head, in
thirty feet of water lay the schooner;
half q dozen men were painting her
sides from suspended planks.
The name had already been painted
over.
The men were working and singing
as unconcernedly us though they did,
not know that reward of fifty thou
sand dollars had been offered for the
apprehension of their captain, and GER
tainly as if they did not know that their
own lives We're forfeit.
SAM" said one of the men, did you
hear the captain say where next
away?"
mo, Joe, I didn't hear him say, but
no matter what he says or where he
says it, it's for us to obey. We've made
some good hauls in the past month"
Great! man, great! But my notion
is they're getting after us mighty
thick; if I was the captain, I'm blowed
If don't believe I'd quit this here
coast"
"'Eh amt got ready yet, Sam. Eth
SEE tibet 'eh 'as an important job here,
before he quits this coast. But there's
the dinner horn. Come, lads!"
All dropped their brushes, but, in
stead of proceeding to the cooks gal
ley, they scrambled ashore aud fol-
lowed ledge of rock around to the
southwark some three hundred feet,
where they suddenly seemed to con-
front an impossible barrier, in the
shape of an almost perpendicular front
OF rocky surface before them. One Of
the men took u whistle from his pocket
and blew two blasts. In front of them
and outward swung slab of rock, some
six feet square, and they entered the ap-
| erture.
The slab closed, too, and left them
in darkness, but in front of them, and
but few feet away, CLEANED the light
of lantern. They followed it.. as 1t
receded some sixty feet, when Its
bearer sounded another blast on his
whistle.
Another door swung open. and they
assembled three steps and stood within
a cavern fully forty feet in depth and
ten to twenty feet In breadth. It was
literally lighted by oil lamps. and the
blaze Of light wood knots, while
through the seams on one side could
be discerned the light of day.
A long table was standing near the
center of the cavern, and on it smoked
q roast kid and otheredibles.