Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-05-04


 s7 CHAPTER VI. ALTHOUGH they could not com prehend the reason for the vi- HI cious attack upon their consort e by a ship of a supposedly friendly power it was evident to the Spaniards fin the two remaining ships that the English frigate was approach ing them with the most sinister and malevolent purpose. Consequently the exultant men on the Mary Rose could hear the shrill notes of the. trumpeters on the two other ships calling their men to arms.
 With a confidence born of success, however, Morgan resolutely bore down upon the enemy. Even the dastards in his crew had been excited by the ease and success of the first treacher- ous blow and plucked up courage, be- lieving that their captains invincible skill, address and seamanship would carry them safely through the next encounter.
 The Spanish had little warning after all, for the breeze was rapidly fresh ening, and in what seemed an incredi- bly, short time the English frigate was close at hand. Though they worked with desperate energy. they had not entirely completed those preparations required by the shock of battle. As usual, Morgan was determined to lose no timc If he could have thrown his vessel upon them out of the fire and smoke of the first broadside he would have gained the victory with scarcely less difficulty than he had seized the first advantage, but that was not to be, and it was with considerable anxiety that he surveyed the crowded decks of the two remaining ships.
 He had no fear of the armament of either one, but if those Spanish sol diers ever got footing upon his own deck it was probable they could not be dislodged without a tremendous sac rifice of life, and as he gazed over his motley crew he even questioned their ability to contend successfully with such a mass of veterans. He had hoped that the remaining frigate would de tach herself from the galleon, in which event/the superior handiness and mo bility of his own ship, to say nothing of his probable advantage in the way fin which his batteries would be fought, 1. womb enable him to dispose of her without too much difficulty. Then he could with ease place the huge and unwieldly galleon at his mercy. But the two Spanish ships stuck close to- gether, too close indeed, Morgan thought, for their own safety. They were both on the wind, with their lar board tacks aboard, the frigate slight ly ahead and to windward of the gal leon-on the side, that is, whence the Mary Rose was approaching. So far ss he could divine it, the Spanish plan, if they had formulated any in their hurry, appeared to be for the frigate to engage the Mary Rose, and while she had the latter ship under her battery the galleon would tack across the Eng fish vessels bows or stern, as might be, rake her, get her between the two ships, run her aboard and thus effect her ruin. The plan was simple, prac- ticable and promised easy success, pro vided the Englishman did what was expected of him.
 Morgan was not to be caught nap ping that way. As he rushed down upon them there came into his head one of the most daring ideas th . have ever flashed across seaman's brain. Has tily summoning Braziliano, he bade him take a dozen of his men, descend to the after magazine, procure two or three barrels of powder from the gun ner and stow them in the cabin under the poop deck. He charged him to do 1t as quietly as possible and take only men for the purpose upon whom he could depend. While this was being aone young Teach was also summoned from the forecastle. his place being taken by old yelsers, whose division in the battery was placed under tho com mand of Rayeneau. There was a whis- pered colloquy between the chieftain and his young subordinate, after which the latter nodded his head. ran below and concealed himself in one of the staterooms under the quarter deck. In q little space the Portuguese reappear- ed with his men and announced that they had completed their task. where upon they were directed to return to their stations.
 Meanwhile the crew had been re charging the battery and reloading the small arms. Morgan addressed to them a few words of hearty approval of their previous actions and predicted an easy victory over the two ships The Spanish captain naturally suppos- ed-and indeed the courses upon which the three ships were sailing if persist ed in would have brought about the result-that the Mary Rose would pass along his larboard side and the two vessels would engage in the formal manner of the period. yardarm to yard arm until the galleon could get into action and So settle it in the purposed way. He intended. of course. If it could be brought about. to throw the masses of soldiers he was transporting home upon the English decks and car ry the frigate by boarding.
 Again Morgan put Hornigoh in charge of the msneuvering of the ship. and again that old worthy chose to handle the spokes himself. There was q hrief conversation between them. and