Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-06-25
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BY G. q. LEWIS.
Copyright, 1901, by C. B. Lewis.

4VArAE we've due east of the island
INV of Luzon, one of the Philip
EESYss| pine group and heading down
sEasGsS the China sen with cargo
for London when we caught the tail
end Of typloon. We were lying
to and making fairly good weather of
1t when Spanish ship, also ~
ing to, hove into view. She was light
or and drove faster to leeward. She
was about mile to windward of us
when first sighted, and no great atten-
ton was given her until it was seen
that she was drifting squarely down
upon us. AS she came nearer we saw
that her crew were dancing about on
her decks like lot of half drunken
men and paying no attention whatever
to the storm. Her foretopmast was
overheard, and much of her canvas
had been blown away, and she was be-
ing held In the winds eye by tar
paulin set in the rigging. A sheer OF
the wheel would have sent the Span
ish ship clear of us by half n cables
length, but the fellows drifted down
without paying us the slightest atten-
ton, and she did not miss us by ten
feet. AS she rushed past we could look
right into the eyes of her crew. They
We're about twenty in number, and
they yelled and screamed at us like so
many Iunatics. Brief as was the time,
we all noticed one popularity about
them. Their faces were as yellow as
saffron, while their eyes appeared I'M
usually large and brilliant The ship
was the Isobel of Cadiz.
Beyond cursing the Spanish crew for
n gang of idiots we had little to say.
The idea was that fear of the storm
had mnde them take to drink, as is
often the case, and that they We're
going to Davy Jones' with jag on.
Six hours later the storm broke, and
we headed our course, but within six
hours we We're pitching about on the
troubled sea without wind enough to
ruflle feather. l turned in at s
o'clock that night and turned out again
at midnight for the morning watch.
After midnight the sea began to go
down very fast, and at 2 o'clock there
was only what you might call tumble
on. 1t was then that we family caught
the sound of voices singing and whoop-
ing to the south of us. 1t was n thick
night, and nothing could be made out,
but at o'clock we got light breeze
and had not been waited along above
knot when we had the Spanish ship
again under our eyes. All her topmasts
We're gone now, while n portion of her
bulwarks were smashed in and she
looked bad wreck. The storm sail
was still in the rigging, the wreckage
alongside, and the crew were dancing.
fighting and screaming.
We headed for the wreck at once,
and when we had come within hailing
distance we asked if help was wanted.
shrieks, while many Of the men shook
their fists ut us in defiance. 1t looked
like case Of mutiny followed by q
general carouse, and our captain was
at loss to know what steps to take.
Before he had made up his mind about
1t the Spaniards lowered a boat and
pulled for us. Every one of the crew
phSu ihto TIC JUL, anu ne saw lieiIi
grab up Delaying pins, capstan bars
and whatever else could be used as
weapons. The boat came dashing at
US with every man yelling and whoop-
ing, and they tried boarding at once.
We had no better weapons with which
to beat them off, and we were three
less in number, but when we looked
into their fierce eyes and saw murder
| there we struck to kill
They fought like tigers, and they
seemed insensible to blows, but we
beat them off at last. Four of their
number went to the bottom of the sea