The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-05-11


the man ut the filler with musket
ball and fired another shot among the
oarsmen. The loss Of their coxswain
and the Wounding OF two men at the
oars occnsioned the check / hoped for
The two wounded men were both seat
ed on the port side Of the boat. and
when they were disabled the others
pulled the boat around TO the star
board exposing broadside.
"a man in the bow holding a long
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 man
aboard the ship, that there was
enough loot there TO buy the freedom
Of every one OF them and that It
might be possible for them to take
the ship and sail away with her.
Then be ordered the places Of the dis
abled men filed. equallzing the crew
on both sides. and under his direction
the boat was headed for the ship.
Il felt that my life depended on pick
Ing OF that man standing in the bow
with his graphing hook. aimed
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 did not
from the first calculate on reloadng
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 endeayored to
put his grappler over the gunwaIe. !
fought 1t off with a cutlass till several
of the men in the boat jumped into the
water and swan for the anchor chain
Here was a division OF the attack
ing force which | had dreaded from
the first. | did what | should have
done as soon as the boat struck the
ship Selling a hand grenade, threw
1t down on to the boat. 1t struck the
water and did not explode. The man
with the long hook had by this time
got 1t fastened over the gunwale and
was climbing up by the pole hand over
hand, carrying on one arm tho end Of
Il rope ladder. He was an athletic ras-
cal and brave as he was strong The
distance he must climb MIS- not over
half dozen feet waited till he had
come within yard Of the gunwale.
then reached over and Glove his skull
/ with "a l., 10 ;nt
the boat in which there were but three
others, and | saw that his loss caused
confusion and faint heartedness among
them.
II 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 time since the attack. With
out giving the men in the boat time to
recover | seized another hand grenade
and. posing it with deliberate aim,
hurled it down on those below. 1t
struck the bottom Of the boat. explod-
ed and blew both boat aud men to
smithereens.
"What | have told you as having oc-
cured after the men started to swim
for the bow occupied only portion
of minute. As soon as one party
was destroyed | turned my attention
to the other. Three men We're swim
ming forward. and before | had time
to form plan one Of them had swung
himself up on TO the chains under the
bowsprit, another was within 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 NV
only weapon, for | had two loaded
pistols In my belt Running under the
gunwale on the deck that | might not
be seen. | appeared on the bowsprit
Just as the foremost man was laying a
hand on it. With my cutlass dropped
him into the water
Il now realized for the first time that
| was in no further danger There
were two men against me. but they
had no other weapon than cold steel, |
while had the advantage of position !
and loaded pistol | had shed enough I.
blood, so l called to the man climbing /
the anchor chain to let 90 cor would .
SHout ulll. III uluIiI'ttl llIto luz NdlFI f
and struck out for the shore. followed
by the man who had Jagged behind
"rhey had scarcely swum out of sight .
when heard the sound Of oars. and F
turning. there but a few hundred yards .
away was the boat ! had sent on an
errand of mercy. When the crew came
aboard the fugitives had reached the
shore, My men had heard my first
shot and the planter took to a thicket
Fearing trouble. they returned but too
late to be OF service.
Il believe | would have concealed
the facts of the narrow escape had
had If | could have done so. But since
the boats crew had heard the reports
Of my firearms, and especially the deto
nation of the hand grenade | was
obliged 10 give them the story. There
were some doubters as to the number
Of men I had beaten off The tide had
carried away the leaders OF the ne
groes, but the morning brought some
of them back again to prove my state
ment. A party on shore got wind Of
the matter and came out to hear about