The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-11-27
THE
BUCCANEERS
By F. A. Mitchell

neers Of that day arose In this way:
The English and the Spaniards were
at war, and the English fitted out pri-
vateers to prey on the Spanish ships
bearing treasure from Spain's Mexico
possessions. When the war closed the
privateers continued their depredations
illegally under the flag Of the skull
and bones instead Of the cross Of St.
George. After awhile the attention Of
the British navy was directed to eradi-
eating them, but it proved slow proc
ess and had not been entirely achieved
at the beginning of the last century.
One afternoon the English merchant
ship Petrol, Captain Stoughton, sail
ing down the east coast of Mexico,
passed corvet also bearing the Brit
1sh flag and was asked If she had seen
anything Of low cut, rakish vessel.
Captain Stoughton replied that he had
not and passed on. An hour later,
coming to the mouth OF the Rio Grande
river and the waters not being as well
charted in those days as now, he con-
cluded to run In a short distance and
lay at anchor. till morning.
Now, when the Petrol entered the
river the low cut, rakish vessel men
toned was lying a trife farther up
stream. Captain Stoughton brought
his glass to bear on her and didn't like
her looks But it was nearly dark
when he discovered her, and he did
not dare attempt to regain the ocean
In the darkness.
! Nevertheless as soon as the anchor
had been dropped he called his first
officer into his cabin, told him that he
suspected the craft he had seen to be
a pirate and directed him to take a
boat and six men, 60 northward, find
the corvet and report the vessels pres.
ence in the mouth Of the river.
Meanwhile the captain of the pirate
lay low during the night, intending as
soon as daybreak to make prize of
the Petrol, put the crew and every one
else on board to the sword and loot
her. Captain Stoughton, knowing that
If the vessel near him was what he sus-
pected this would be the result, await
ed the dawn with great anxiety. hop
ing his messenger would bring the cor
vet
But when light came heavy fog
came with it. This brought disap-
pointment to the pirate captain, as we'll
as to Stoughton. though the latter was
not certain whether it would be dis
advantage or an advantage to him. It
certainly brought delay, and delay
meant suspense. Before break of day
he awoke all on board and, tell
ing them Of bis suspicious, directed
each and every one of them not to
make the slightest noise, even to speak
in whispers. There were women and
, children on board, and the dread was
so great that the order was obeyed
The children were shut in the cabins,
where they would not be heard.
Half an hour after daybreak the
sound Of oars was heard. They must
be either from the pirate or the boat
sent to the corvet That they were
from the pirate was soon evident from
a volley Of oaths spoken by the cap
tain who was in command of the boat
and in search Of the Petrol. The wo-
men all went to the cabins to make
sure that If a child made sound it
should be muffled, while the men stood
! in a group on deck armed with such
weapons as the ship afforded, that they
might sell their lives as dearly as pos
, sible.
| The pirate commander had noted the
direction Of the Petrol and steered by
compass. In his yawl were twenty
men armed to the teeth. They passed
the Petrol some 500 yards astern and,
reaching the shore, turned and this
time passed under her stern 100 feet
: away. Every man on The Petrers deck
stood mute, listening to the orders In
the boat, which they could hear as
plainly as If spoken on the Petrers
deck. Every man thanked heaven for
! the density of the fog and prayed that
! it might not tighten. The women In
the cabin heard almost as plainly as
the men, and every child too young to
understand the danger was covered
| with blankets.
The boat passed without detecting
the ship, and it was fortunate that 1t
missed by 20 narrow margin, for
when it turned again It went hun
dred yards too far ahove. Captain
Stoughton felt temporarily relieved,
= but every moment dreaded that the
fog would lift and the ships presence
be detected. But as the sounds from
the boat receded he felt that the evil
| was at least deferred. 80
When the fog passed it was blown
out to sea, first exposing the pirate
. boat, next the Petrol. When the boats
crew saw the ship they gave blood
curdling yell and pulled for her. But
suddenly they ceased rowing. AS the
fog passed out 1t revealed the corvet
nearer the Petrol than were the pi-
rates.
! That was the last Of the latter:
Being upstream, there was no escape
from the man-of-war. Panic stricken,
their captain was for time unable to
unite them in an effort to get away.
Some insisted on pulling in one direc-