Evening journal., 1901-06-29

short handed and hadn't enough men to-
man the yards.
80 we kept thrashin along all day be-
levin VIC could tire her out an you may
crack my bones II she didn't round about
and put into a little harbor that had
never been in before.
We'll we dropped anchor, too, and filed
q couple Of boats and went ashore. / was
a sittin in the bow of the Good Queen Bess
sippin pot OF Jamaica, wheni Tom Piper,
the bos'n comes rdnnin in sayin that
our men had lit out and had gone on
board the pirate.
II was some time gettin' it out of Tom,
but 1t seemed that them pirate cut
throats had got real chummy with our
men. and had got them full OF Ch nese
whiskey and offered them big wages to
jine the cutters crew.
Before we got back she had got up
sail and when we climbed over the Inde-
pendence she was out Of sight.
Maybe Captain Sam wasn't madl But
after awhile we got up sail and started
after her and before sundown we made
her out headin due West and shown us
clean pair OF heels.
"On towards eight bells we sighted an
old lugger clumsy and water logged and so
covered with barnacles that she was
maxim little head-way. We hailed her
but no one seemed to be in command, for
several shouted at once.
After awhile we got II out of her; she
was the sloop Borboun' bound forced
knows where, for we couldn't make II
out. But We learned that she had sighted
the pirate which had hove to, and three
OF the luggers men had slipped into a
yawl and deserted to her.
They must have been drunk for they
didn't know she was a pirate. although
she was nying pennant with a skull and
Icross-bones.
We'll, about day we come up with her
rim and It was nip and tuck till about
four bells, when we saw just ahead the
incest harbor you ever saw. The cuttsr
was maxim for II. and we knew that
ashore was q nest of pirates
''The channel leadin' In was narrow and
we could see the roll OF the surf on either
side; we was slightly in the lead. but she
was cuttin' across our bows. and we see
that there was goin' to be a collision.
so our captain hailed her to keep OF. but
she keep her helm hard down and come
on.
Then our old man sang out again,
who's soin' In that channel nrst?" and
then the reply came foatin' back: me, or
nobodyv
;. Captain Sam had an awful look and
he swore he would run her down. So We
luffed little ana 0he played Off, and
every time she caught the wind we
forged ahead. We could see the surf a
churnin In the rocks, and knew II she
didn't change her course she'd run on
them.
IAN Of a sudden she begun to wear
round, and when the wind caught her she
sprang ahead like a thing Of life. Then
Captain Sam climbed on the bridge and
shouted through the trumpet: Boys
that's the private ship Looter. bound for
Perditlon. Her captain is a Chinese
named Al Lee; she has stolen our men;
we must sink herl Port your helml Then
we struck her and she buried her nose in
the mud, and the sharks got a few Of en-
pirates I guess.
But we didn't wait to see the obse-
quies, but sailed back to port. 1 hear
Them pirates are tryin to raise her, bul
don't know. One thing is sure ther,
was never boat built that could equa
the gallant ship Independence; and ther,
was never braver commander than Cap
tain Sam Knox"
Here the visitor resumed his quid
hitched up his trousers and rolled out tn,
door. That he was a sailor is shown b,
his accurate use OF nautical terms.