Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1901-04-05

Sorthless sailors and bad men. and
they worked the bark an evil turn.
One night as we lay becaimed, with the
captain and mate still suffering from
the poisonous bites. they overpowered
and bound the second mate. provision
ed and lowered boat and induced four
OF the original crew to embark with
them. We afterward came TO know
that they had been talking a great deal
about a treasure buried on the Dutch
Guiana coast. from which we were dis
tant about 20 miles. We were thus left
with only three able hands aboard, and
the captains wife had to take her
trick at the wheel while we headed for
Cayenne to get relief. We had crawled
along to within 80 miles or the French
penal port when the wind headed US.
and we could do no better than drift
on to the eastward and wait for a
change.
After about 80 hours of drifting the
wind changed In our favor. and ono
morning at sunrise we were making
shift to get on our course again when
we espied a raft with - men on Il
close at hand. With the naked eve one
could make out that they were clothed
IN convict garb. and OF course the de-
auction was that they had escaped
from the coast There were two rude
sails on the raft. and the clumsy struc-
tare had had a fair breeze behind her
for day and a half. AS the raft was
not easily managed. we could have
evaded 1t by putting up our helm. We
We're for doing this at once. oil but the
captains wife. She knew they were
convicts and desperate men and that
once aboard OF us we should be at
their mercy, but she nevertheless in
sisted that we should pick them I'D.
They were 90 miles off the coast, with
the signs of storm coming on, and she
declared that 1t would be a cruel act
to leave then 10 perish. was OF a
mind to lock her up In her stateroom
and dodge the raft. but the other two
men were against me, and ten minutes
later the float was alongside and the
convicts were climbing aboard. l ex-
pected nothing less than an immediate
attack from them, for - tougher look
Ing men never set eyes on; but. to my
surprise. they halted at the rail while
their leader advanced, doffed his cap.
with a scrape OF his foot, and in pas
saele English inquired for the captain.
He was told OF the captains illness
and Of our being short handed, and he
bowed and scraped again and said to
the woman:
Madam. have no fears. You prob
ably know that we are escaped con-
victs from Cayenne, but no man will
offer harm to any one aboard. We
may be robbers and murderers, but
we are also gentlemen In a way. There
is bad weather coming on. We have
arrived at an opportune moment.
Most Of us are sailors. and all OF us
are at your orders"
When I looked into their vicious
faces, could not help but suspect that
they had game TO play and were only
delaying 1t, but it was policy to take
them at their word. AS soon as the
captain and mate heard OF the arrival
of the gang they became almost panic
| stricken and advised this and that, and
the wife was the only one who had the
least confidence In the promises made.
1t was well that she had and that her
advice to trust them was followed by
all OF us. We could not have kept them
from coming aboard with our feeble
crew, and to have shown our distrust
afterward would have angered them.
They took hold with. us at once after
being given food. and before night we
had cause to rejoice that they were
with us. We got dirty weather, which
lasted three days, and but for their aid
the Nonesuch would have become a
helpless wreck or gone to the bottom.
We had to run off 20 the east during
this spell, and 1t was only when the
weather cleared that the leader OF the
cOnvicts had n conference with the cap
/ tain and his wife and asked that his
| gang be set ashore I'm Brazilian terrific
ry. This was promised him, and
must say that / never worked with q
more cheerful and willing crew aboard
of any craft. Seven Of the II had been
convicted Of murder, and all were des-
perate men, but they were as obedient
as children and as good natured as you
please. They were careful Of their Ian,
| guage, respectful I'm their demeanor
and not once did hear one OF them
grumble or complain. We ran into the
Amazon and up that river for 40 miles
to set them ashore. In his gratitude tC
them the captain gave them sailclotf
for two tents. musket, lot OF clothes
from the slop chest and all the provi
sions we could spare. With cooking
utensils, fishhooks and a few carpen
ters' tools they were fairly well rigge(
out for life on the banks OF the stream
for half year to come. and at parting
there were as much handshakings anC
as many farewells as IL band OF OLE
friends was breaking up Their escap'
from the colony was a desperate on,
and the authorities made an exhaustiv,
search; but, so far as | have been abb,
to learn, not one of the dozen has eve
been retaken.
Not Above His Business.
Young Brodhead, scion OF wealth,
family. cherished journalistic ambi