The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-28

l ndHu ana luI06u dWdy.
 Lieutenant Ark lost no time in inform ing his captain of the daring imposture of which he had been a victim Honest old Bignall, touched by the pirates gem erosty. to his lieutenant whom he had brought up from childhood, sent mes sage offering terms to the rover, who had made no attempt to escape, but lay near by. The offer was rejected, and the British cruiser prepared for action.
 The rover was already sending down all his lower masts, but the cruiser kept all standing and bore down upon him. A long belt of painted canvas, that had artfully covered the rover's guns, was Hurled suddenly and disclosed broad, blood red strip that bristled with great guns. At the same moment a blood-red flag without device f1uttered darkly and l fercely to the end of the gaff. ' A broadsde famed from the red belt and crashed into the cruiser, scattering men, riven decks and splintered timbers. The English were staggered for only an l instant Then a fierce fire came from their side.
 The people in the batteries continued 1 their murderous work The eye could l lend the mariners no assistance in judg- ing of the squall Hulls, spars and sails were enveloped in the curling wreaths and even the men were to be seen only at instants laboring at their guns. Suddenly the rover's guns ceased firing. A dazzling flash shot downward through the smoke. A crash came from the sky.
 Lively, men" cried Bignall hoarsely, not waiting to transmit his orders. Roll up the cloth! In with it all. Cut with your knives if you mustF'
 Down for your lives! Down!" shouted ] Wilder in another moment. A score of forms descended swiftly through the dense gloom of the storm. The next mo- | ment the upper spars, wounded by gum fire, began to crash before the wind, and came down in ruin one by one, till noth- ing stood except the lower masts. l With all the frghtful evidences of a hard fight still ghastly before their eyes the men of the cruiser struggled valiantly through the blackness of the short but mighty storm. When the sky frightened again the first object that met their eyes
 
 graceful spars intact, spreading broad canvas and advancing again toward her crippled antagonist.
 The intrepid Bignall at once ordered renewal of the fight. His broadside was answered by gun after gun as the Red Rover swept across the warship's bow and fired full into that defenseless part of her foe.
 The next moment there was shock. Half hundred grim forms 1eaped on the ships deck Bignall met them at the head of his own men and was cut down. Ark forced his way to his dead com mander and stood over his dead body. Sailor after sailor fell around him, and he saw with despair that the fight had gone against the Kings men. He was hard beset himself, when a well-known voice said:
 "Stop, menl The work is done! Not l another blow!''
 It was the rover, with his sword drip ping red and one foot placed on the Eng fish flag which he had lowered with his own hand.
 Captain Heidegger," said Ark, "you have won. I ask mercy for the surviv- ors."
 "We claim the execution of our laws" cried the pirates, seizing the lieutenant and the two sailors who had accompa- nied him to the Red Rover on his errand.
 Solemnly and hesitatingiy the pirate i said:
 "I understand you. They are at your mercy
 "To the yardarm," cried the freeboot- CTS. ITO the yardarm!" Hurriedly some of them reeved cords from the rigging and passed nooses around the necks of the threee victims. At this moment Cap tain Heidegger's deep voice was heard: stand off and let the chaplain ap- proach."
 A venerable figure entered the circle. It was that of naval chaplain who had entered the ship after Ark's departure on his mission.
 What are you doing?' asked voice behind the rover. He trembled at the sound. The blood left his cheeks. He turned to face IS. Wyllys and said fal- teringly: Their doom is sealed
 Il OHer ransom, Sdiu Sne Wlluiy. General Graysom will gladly pay it for i the preserver of his daughter"
 The rover turned to his men and asked swiftly: twill ye take gold?'
 The sullen fierce looks of the men ans wered him. He turned away with forced composure, saying to the chaplain:
 Do your office. Time presses"
 1T thank you for the service you would have done me-" asked Ark If you would have me die in peace, promise me that these two ladies will be suffered to depart unharmed."
 q prophise," said Heidegger. i The chaplain approached the black sail or, who was resting on deck, wounded. ] claimed he pointing to dog collar with a brass band that encircled the mans arm.
 That" said the white sailor, Ifs a 1 collar that was around the neck of dog that we found on a sinking ship. That was the time that we found young MT. Ark here. She had been deserted or her people had been washed away, and she was all but under when we boarded her. And there we found little boy. We took him back to our ship and Captain Bignall took him in charge and brought him up. He tried to find out something about him, but we didn't know the name i of the vessel seeing it was under water when we examined her and there was nothing on deck to tell"
 "Avast with your talk!'' shouted the