The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-01-10
had reserved one charged pistol by his
masters command for such al emer-

had reserved one charged pistol by his
masters command for such an emer-
gency, shot him dead.
Morgan struggled to his feet and
looked at the scene. Some Of his men
did not rise with the others, for they
had been killed by the falling splinfers
and bits Of iron. The whole stern Of
the Mary Rose was gone. There was
not a spaniard left before them. A
few figures shrieking vainly for help,
clutching at floating pieces Of timber,
might be seen struggling in the sea.
The Spanish frigate had a great hole
In the port side Of her afterworks. She
was on fire. The three ships were
rocking as if in a hurricane.
Panic filed the minds Of the greater
part Of the buccaneers at this ire
mendous catastrophe. Had Morgan to
save himself ruined his own ship?
They were appalled, by the terrific ex-
pedient of their captain. Wild cries
! and i-mprecations burst forth.
"The ship is sinking!D
eve are lost!w
eSilenceir' shouted Morgan again and
again. The ship is sinking, but our
ship is there. Let those who love Life
follow me-"
lie sprang at the burning rail Of the
Spanish frigate. Black Dog was at his
heels; Ben Hornigola followed hard
upon; Teach was on the other side.
From the waist Rayeneau and the Bra
lillian stroye to inspire the men. Old
velsers from the f~orecastle drove them
forward as quickly as he could. Pres
emily they recovered their courage in
some measure, for the fighting force
Of the enemy had disappeared. They
had lost a ship, but there were two
other ships before them. They swarm
ed over the rail with cheers and cries.
There was little or no resistance The
men of the frigate were stunned into
helplessnesss by the explosion, al
though the captain Of the galleon raj
lied a few men and fought until they
We're all cut down and the two ships
were taken by storm.
They had scarcely gained the deck
Of the galleon before the remains Of
the Mary Rose sank beneath the sea,
the wounded upon her decks vainly
crying for succor.
by this time the weather side of the
remaining Spanish ship was a a Of
fame, and there was imminent danger
that the fire would be communicated to
the galleon. Giving his men time for
nothing, Morgan set to work furiously
to extricate himself. Axes and hatch
cts were Piled and all the skill and sea-
manship of the conquerors brought into
play. Finally they succeeded in get
ting clear and working away from the
burning frigate. Morgan at once put
the galleon before the wind and when
he had drawn away a short distance
hove to the ship to take account Of the
damage before determining his future
course.
Far back on the ocean and low in the
water drifted the sinking remains of
the first Spanish frigate. Near athaEd
was the hulk of the second ship, now a
blazing furnace. The first was filed
with living men, many Of them desper-
ately wounded. No attention was paid
to them by the buccaneers. They cried
for mercy unheeded. Anyway, their
suspense would soon be over. Indeed,
the first ship sank and the second blew
up with a fearful explosion a short
time after they got away. A brief IN
spection showed that the galleon had
suffered little or no damage that could
not be repaired easily at sea. Taking
account Of his men, Morgan found that
about twenty We're missing. Taxing
no care for them nor for the two ships
he had fought so splendidly. pirate
though he was, he clapped sail on the
galleon and bore away to the south
ward.