The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1911-11-15

possible. had aboard plenty or mus
kets. cutlasses and a few hand gre
nades ran below. gathered half
dozen muskets. two pistols. two cut
lasses and a stock Of hand grenades.
The muskets and pistols loaded. then
carried the outfit on deck. dcpositing
It amidships on the side the boat was
approaching. By the time was ready
for a fight the boat was within q ca
ble's length Of me.
"'Boat ahoyr I cried. Keep or!
'They stopped rowing. and . 10
gro's voice called out:
"Cap'n. can't 80 give % little
liquor? We hain't had nothin' to
drink TO q long SPELL
"'You keepofforl'll give youhot shot:
II heard q discussion In q low tone
In the boat. then every oar dipped 10
the water at once. and they made .
squirt straight for the ship. dropped
the man at the filler with a musket
ball and fred another shot among the
oarsmen. The loss Of their c0xswaiu
and the wounding Of two men at the
oars occasioned 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 nm enormous hook on the
end was evidently the leader Of the
party. and he made an efficient chief.
l 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 ore Of them and that It
might be possible for them to take
tho ship and sail away with her.
Then he ordered the places Of the dis.
abled men filled. 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 bis grappling hook. aimed
straight for bis head. but at the mo.
ment the boat lurched. and I missed
him. fired again and saw him stag.
ger. but could not have wounded him
severely. for he maintained bis post.
my stock Of loaded muskets was
now half exhausted. and l did not
from the 6rst calculate on reloading.
But | hadn't even time to use enc Of
those that were charged. for the boats
nose struck the ships side. and while
one Of the men below nsed 40 ordinary
boat hook the leader endeav0red TO
put his grappIer over the guuwaie. I
fought Il on with cutlass till several
Of the men In the boat jumped into the
water and swan for the anchor chain.
Here was Il division Of the attack.
Ing force which I had dreaded from
the iryt. did what ! sh0nld have
done as s,nn IA the boat struck the
ship Selling a hand grenade. ! threw
Il down On to the lwn,t. 1t struck the
water ana did not explode. The man
with tho long hook had by this time
got It fastened over the gunwnie and
was climbing M by the pole hand over
hand. carving on one arm the end ~
rope ladder. liz was an athletic ras.
cal and brave as he was strong The
distance he must climb WAS not over
half u dozen feet. I waited tn he had
come within II yard OF the g,lnwaic.
then reached over and Glove his skull
with Il cut!ass lie dropped back into
the boat IN which there were but three
others. aud I 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. I felt more hope than
ut any time since the attack. With.
out giving the men In the boat time to
recover | seized another hand grenade
and. pOising It with a deliberate aim.
hurled Il down on those below. II
struck the bottom of the boat. explOd.
ed and blew both boat and men IL
smithereens.
"What l have told you rs having o..
Cured after tue men started to swiu,
for the bow occupied only a portion
Of q minute. As soon AZ one party
was destroyed I turned my attention
to the other. Three men were swim
ming forward. and before | had time
to form a plan one Ut them had swung
himself M 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 to. Selling d
cutlass. | ran forward. Ii was not MY
only weapon. for | had two loaded
pistols In my belt. Running under the
gunwale on the deck that might no,
be seen. ! appeared on the bowspri,
Just as the foremost man was laying {
hand on 1t. With my cutlass dropped
him into the water.
Il now realized for the first time tina
I was in no further danger. Their,
| were fWp men against Mo hut tho,