Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-11-22

AVE, and double shotted and the
lint stocks lighted and lying in the
tubs beside them"
"Then make straight for that big
chap on your larboard bow as IL you
meant to speak him. Fool him if you
can. Say I'm your prize. If he sus
poets you, give him 4 broadside for his
sharpness. Only keep the wind Of him
and you can do what you like. I'll sliI
across his bow and pepper that side
of him. And If that isn't enough dc
what your mother wit suggests, but
mind il must be quickly done what
ever it is or We'll have the other two
beating up to help him."
Now. had | acted on my opinion
Ihould have steered straight for the
in which case should inevitably have
aroused the suspicious of all three
ships and SO have allowed them to con
centrate on our course and cut us off
Alec's plan was obviously the best
for when they saw was swcring
plump for the southernmost one the
others held quietly to their places IN
the mouth OF the bay.
When | got within a cables length,
an officer lailed me. | waited as long
as | dared and then answered, but ap-
parently there was something wrong
with my Spanish. 70, ..e replied ang lily
that W. drunk and an insolent
scouiiGIel tor daII.:. - TO address him.
Al thu, juucturr L Il my men. a soft
hearted fellow. WHO knew enough of
the tongue TO make out that the don
was usiuG very free language to me. let
fly at I'm v III his guu and sent a
three ounce bail straight into his
breIsJpiate
That cAUctually put an end TO our di-
plomacy. SO | gave the order to fire as
each gan LO.c. Lad warned the gun
nerS to a,.n EIsh. ana at the third shot
the !p&n.ard's maIntopM;.st broke off
shCrI axe II carrot His mainyard. too.
came down by the run. bringing the
sail viii! il. but as he WAS still under
command | put up past him. reloading
the guns meanwhile and then hauling
my winG once more gave him II second
dose over either quarter.
Meanwhile Alec and his men had
been working like furies and tossing
their guns about like child's toys. rain
ing such n shower of broken shot into
his hull from their lesser elevation that
his lower deck must have been almost
untenabie
The Spaniard had been unprepared
for our attack and took some time to
beat ais men to quarters, but they
served their guns well and fast when
they did get to them. and the shot soon
came flying about our ears like hail
stones. His running rigging. however,
was pretty well cut TO pieces. and as
we had half dozen good bowmen sta
toned ready who sent a clothyard
shaft through the ribs of every man
who set n foot on his ratlines he lay
pretty helplessly head to wind, with his
remaining sails In the most thorough
confusion. Had we been able to play
the game out at long bowls we could
either have sunk him or reduced the
number of his crew sufficiently to al
low US to carry him by boarding, but
the other two Spanish ships were beat
ing up to us. and on her next tack the
nearest would be within gunshot.
Alec therefore gave the word to run
away west by south, before the wind,
through the southern entrance Of the
bay. The order did not come a minute
too soon, though the majority of us
were so worked up by the excitement
Of the fight that we would never have
noticed that it was high time for us to
quit.
We held on this course for about two
hours, and then. as the sky had fortu-
nately clouded over, we hauled our
wind and stood due south to give our
pursuers a chance of passing us In the
darkness. They would never expect us
to turn south, so when they missed us
at daylight they would naturally look
for us to the northward If they contin-
ued the chase. That was our theory.
What they actually did l cannot say,
for we never saw them again.
We held on this strategic course for
time. and on the second morning rose a
brig coming toward us, and as every
one at sea Is presumed a rogue until he
is proved an honest man we cleared the
decks for action and beat to quarters.
AS the stranger neared us one of Alec's
men recognized her as the brig Catch
all, belonging to Captain Fleming, the
well known freebooter. So as he was
not likely to let such a vessel as our
galleon pass without an overhaul we
quite expected another fight How
ever, he drew within long hail and,
bringing his ship to, signed that he
wished to speak us.
"What ships thatP
"The brig Severn of Bristol, Alex
ander Ireland. master. What ships
thatT"
BRIG Catchall, Captain Fleming.
What's the galleon"
''The Lope de Vega Of Vigo, a prize
to the Severn"
"How the thunder did you get hold
of hery'
Fought for her."
"Then is there war with SpainY
81 think So"
you think SOP" Then followed some
talk with his own people which we
could not hear. "Will you lie to and
let me bring my boat alongside? I'm
honest as the whole bench of bishops
today"
"Aye, aye"
Alec called on me to come on board
The Severn, and presently a weather
beaten, thickset man Of middle age
was rowed across to us. We went be-
low and pledged one another in n jack
of ale (as the Severn's hold was still
filled with wheat instead of the cargo
of Spanish wine we had expected to
bring back, and then Captain Fleming
was told of the seizure and fight in |
Vigo bay. He listened attentiyely,
his grizzled head at every SEN |
tence, but making no remark until he |
had heard the whole story.
"It was lucky, plucky escape, cap
tain" he said, looking approvingly at
Alec, "and one that does credit to the |
stuffing of your headpiece. But make !
no error about its being an affair OF !
individuals. 1t is the be- |
ginning of war | tell you, and a bloody |
war it will be. I've seen 1t coming for
shis year or more. Ships are being
gathered into all the ports, and great
mobiles are chartering vessels for other
purposes than honest trade or n little
free cruising. King Philip Of Spain
will make a big move before long
Mark my words, sir"
England viii be ready for him when
he does" replied Alec proudly.