The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-01-03

OSA4
first venture in actual piracy, and he
foundit m%arvelously 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. Rayeneau,
for instance, was most scrupulously
polite to the captain and his associates.
Velsers was too stupid in his cups
and ne 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 CON-
mands, no duties other than those re-
CURED wers performed by the men,
During the day when not at work or
at drin 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
n too much leisure for play. During
the night they kept watch and watch,
OF course. Int In it all they took no
care OF the ship, and filth and dirt
aboundes. If they had anticipated a
lcne cruise things would necessarily
h&ve been 5iferent, but as they had
sae fae < the southwark 0 and
rght uake a iandfall at any moment
ta4re was 20 necessity for pothe-;ng
about mere cleanliness. Morgan had
not communicated his ultimate pur-
poses 10 MS men as yet, but as he was
The on:y navigator on the ship he was
persorce 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 unproyided 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 OF 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 aloft at daybreak had kept negh-
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 spritsal
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-
toi in hand, went forward to the fore
castle. kicking his way clear through
the sullen, black browed mass OF
sailors. He ran a short distance up the
weather fore shrouds and took a long
lock at the strangers. They all few
the yellow flag Of Spain. One was a
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
the ocean. Spain was at peace with
all the world at that time, and the Two
frigates would have been ample to
ward off the attack of any Of the small
piratical craft which had succeeded the
buccaneer ships Of the Caribbean. The
Spaniards had no idea that such a vul-
tuce as Morgan was afoat; therefore,
although they had sighted the Mary
Rose long before she had seen them, be-
cause they kept better watch, they
came on fearlessly and without hest
tation. 1t was evident to the expert
encsd officers among them that the YES
sci was an English frigate, ard as Eng
land was a country with which there
was profound peace at the time they
| apprehended nothing.
The position Of the approaching ships
with reference to n another was
somewhat peculiar. The first and
smaller frigate was perhaps half a nile
| ahead of her consorts, who were sail
ing side by side. a cables length apart.
Morgan at once determined to attack
them He know that he nQSSeSSed the