The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1911-09-13

kets. cutlnsses and a few hand gre
nades. I ran below. gathered half
dozen muskets. two pistols. two cut
lasses and stock Of hand grenades.
The muskets and pistols ! loaded then
carried the outfit on deck. depositing
II amidships on the side the boat was
approaching. BY the time I was ready
for n fight the boat was within a ca
ble's length of me.
"'Boat ahoyr cried. Keep on"
''They stopped rowing. and a ne
gro's voice called out:
"Capn, can't yo' give US a little
liquor? We hain't had nothin' tt
drink TO long SPELL
"'You keep offorTll give you hot shot!
81 heard discussion in low ton,
in the boat. then every oar dipped II
the water at once. and they made {
squirt straight for the ship. | dropped
the man at the filler with muske
ball and fired another shot among the
oarsmen. The loss of their coxswaiI
and the wounding Of two men at the
oars occasioned the check ] hoped for
The two wounded men were both seat
Cu ou 'ht Ioli Niut VI lbt DOuts unt
when they were disabled the other
pulled the boat around to the star
board. exposing a broadside.
"a man In the bow holding a lone
pole with an enormous hook on the
end was evidently the leader OF the
party. and he made an efficient chief
/ heard him tell his men In negro
dialect that there was only one mar
aboard the ship. that there was
enough loot there to buy the freedom
Of every one Of them and that II
might be possible for them to take
the ship and sail away with her
abled men filed. equalizing the crew
on both sides. and under his direction
the boat was headed for the ship.
II felt that my life depended on pick
ing OF that man standing In the bow
with his graphing hook aimee
straight for his head. but at the mo
ment the boat lurched. and | missed
him. ! fired again and saw him stag
ger. but | could not have wounded him
severely. for he maintained his post.
MY stock of loaded muskets was
now half exhausted. and l did no,
from the first calculate on reioading
But ] hadn't even time to use one OF
those that were charged. for the boats
nose STRUCK the ships side. and while
one of the men below used an ordinary
boat hook the leader endea vored 10
put his grappler over the gunwale I
fought II on with a cutlass till several
nf tho In. nj la.
water and swan for the anchor chain
Here was a division OF the attack
Ing force which I had dreaded from
the first. did what Should have
done as soon ms the boat struck the
ship. Selling hand grenade. 1 threw
IL down ON To the boat II struck the
water and did not explode The mar
with the long hook had by this time
got II fastened over the gunwaie and
was climbing up by the pole hand over
hand, carrying ON one arm the end of
n rope ladder. lie was an athletic ras
cal and brrve as he YVES strong The
distance b. must climb was not over
half dozen feet. waited TIL he had
come within yard Of the gunwsIe.
then reach' 4 over and Glove his skull
with a cut 81 He dropped back into
the boat In which there were but three
Others. and saw that his loss caused
confusion and faint heartedness among
them
Il now had two sets of men to deal
with: but. their leader having been put
out OF the fight. | felt more hope than
at any tim" since the attack with
out giving the men In the boat time to
recover | seized another hand grenade
and. posing II with a deliberate aim.
hurled II down on those below II
struck the bottom OF the boat. expIod
ed and blew both boat aud men To
smithereens
what ! have told you as having &C.
CURED aftr' The men started to swim
for the bow occupied ouly n portion
of a minute As soon ~ one party
was destroyed | turned my attention
to the oth' Three men were swim
ming forward and before I had time
to form plan one of them had swung
himself up on to the chains under the
bowsprit. another was within a few
yards OF the anchor chain. while the
third was still some distance away
from anything To cling 10 Selling
cutlass. ran forward 1t was not my