Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1905-12-02
first venture in actual piracy, and he


found it marvelously pleasant
The officers, too, were all suspicious
of one another. AS each one nursed his
own private designs he suspected the
others of doing likewise, and with rea-
son. But there was as yet little out
ward friction among them. Raveneau,
for instance, was most scrupulously
polite to the captain and his associates.
Velsers was too stupid in his cups
and he was generally in them-to do
more than growl and the Brazilian
had all the capacities Of his race for
subtle concealment.
Although the necessary orders for
working the ship were obeyed and
Morgan personally imposed implicit
obedience and respect for his COM
mands, no duties other than those re-
CURED were performed by the men.
During the day when not at work or
at drill they drank, smoked, gambled
and fought at pleasure, although, as
the captain mercilessly exercised them
during long hours at the great guns
and with small arms, they did not have
any too much leisure for play. During
the night they kept watch and watch,
Of course, but in it all they took no
care Of the ship, and filth and dirt
abounded. If they had anticipated a
long cruise things would necessarily
have been different, but as they had
gone far to the southwark now and
might make q landfall at any moment
there was no necessity for bothering
about mere cleanliness. Morgan had
not communicated his ultimate pur-
poses to his men as yet, but as he was
the only navigator on the ship he was
perforce allowed to have his own way.
Breakfast had been served "a
meager breakfast it was, too, for all
hands were on short allowance Of
everything but spirits, on account Of
the unprovided state Of the ship. For
tunately for their contentment there
was plenty Of rum on board. The men
were congregated forward on the fore
castle or in the waist, wrangling and
arguing as usual. The officers gath
cred on the quarter deck, and Nor
gan paced the high raised poop alone,
overlooking them, when the lookout
suddenly reported three sail in sight.
The half drunken sailor who had been
sent a1oft at daybreak had kept negli-
gent watch, for almost as soon as he
had made his report the ships were
observed from the deck Of the frigate.
The Mary Rose had the wind on her
quarter, her best point of sailing, and
she was covered with canvas from her
trucks to her decks, from her spritsail
yard to her huge mizzen crossjack, a
lateen sail. The wind was light, but
she was making rapid progress toward
the approaching strangers, who, with
their larboard tacks aboard, were beat
ing up toward the English
Attended by the maroon, Morgan, pis-
tol in hand, went forward to the fore
castle, kicking his way clear through
the sullen, black browed mass Of
sailors. He ran short distance up the
weather fore shrouds and took a long
look at the strangers. They all flew
the yellow flag Of Spain. One was
huge galleon, the other two smaller
ships, though larger in each instance
than the Mary Rose, and all heavily
armed.
One of the plate ships from Porto
Bello was due in this latitude about
this time, and Morgan instantly sur
missed that the galleon was she and
that the two others were Spanish frig
ates to give her safe CONVOY across