Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1914-04-30
The Last Black
Flag
BY M. QUAD
BY M. QUAD
Copyright, 1914, by Associated Lit
erary Press.

ing pirate ship and knowing that she
was the last me that has ever dared to
fly the black flag. That's better than
to have read IL hundred pirate stories.
was cai,n hoy on board an Aus.
tralian pack t ship. and she was max
ing the voya e from London to Austria
liza. She was called the Ruby Castle.
and fine Craft she was. Things new
Ell Went better with any of the liners
until we We're south of ST Helena. and
the beginning of our trouble was the
sighting of Il brig which stood out to
| US from the African coast We soon
felt sure she was a pirate vessel and
was coming to attack the Ruby Castle.
They must have known that we were
armed and had a strong crew aboard,
but pirates We're men to take long
chances. When the. four boats We're
ready to leave the briggs side l counted
fifty'two men in all. and it seemed as
il many more were left behind
You will wonder how we took mat
tiers aboard the packet. OF the thirty
or more male cabin passengers, five or
six showed the white feather. and of
course most of the women were great
y frightened. Among the emigrants
were about fifty men and half grown
boys. To man Of them they volun-
tered to help the crew. and muskets
and pistols We're served out to some
and cutlasses and boarding pixies to
others. The boats divided as they
M nd hn1f Soto
had been passed their crews began
cheering. Our first shot from one Of
| the big guns could not have been bet
tered. The solid shot struck one of
the boats fair i'll the stem and split her
| open full length, and Of those not killed
outright only two or three were picked
up. The disaster only made the raScals
the more desperate. Raising cheer
the three boats dashed at us and were
soon so close that the big guns were of
no further use. We met them with
firearms. and we heaved cold shot into
the boats as they hooked OH. and no
gang Of pirates ever got harder drub-
bling. Although we lost two killed and
several wounded. not man of them
got aboard. and only two boats and
eighteen men returned to the pirate
| ship. We knew they would not make
another attack. and it was. generally
l believed that when the breeze came
the pirate. would sail away. 1t was 4
| o'clock in the afternoon before the
calm was broken. and to our surprise
| and anxiety the pirate did not show
| her heels. On the contrary. she hogan
working down toward us. and as soon
rs within cannon shot she opened fire.
She had four guns in broadside. the
same as the Ruby Castle and for an
honr we had a square fight of, it She
sailed much better than we did and
was more easily handled. but in spite
of all her tricks we gave her the worst
of it and finally drove her ont of range.
That night all the dead aboard us
We're buried and the ship put to rights
as far as could be- and only the wo-
men and children slept. The wounded
spars We're replaced. shot holes plug
ged up. and there was no reason why
we should not safely make the Cape.
When daylight came we congratulated
each other over our victory. and the
captain had Just decided to make a
sort of holiday in honor Of the event
when a thunderstorm came racing up
behind u.s. and in the midst of the
black cloud was the pirate brig. In
stead of sailing away In search of a
haven or of another prey, when she
had repaired damages she had picked
up our trail and was going to give Us
another brush. When we had her Grip
pied the night before we could have
destroyed her. but Captain Wilson sim
ply sailed away. He now promised
the crew to sink her if he could ant
there was cheering as the men went tt
the guns. Down came the black cloud
ard with it down came the pirate
with his black flag flying, and us hs
ranged up Oh our port quarter at hall
rife shot he opened fire. His first sho
struck gun and killed three men. ant
!, his second wounded five men. Then
though the firing continued. no grea
damage was done on either side. Day
light was turned into evening by tn,
storm SO terrific and continuous wa
the roll of thunder that the reports o
the guns were unheard. You felt tin
conclusion along the deck, but the re
; port was lost in the war of the ele
. ments.
Loading and firing every gun whicl
would bear as fast as possible. tn
Ruby Castle rushed forward on he
8 course. and hanging to her quartz
l. like bulldog to his prey, followed tn
= pirate ship. OF sudden there was
p great crash aloft. and down came tn
: fore and main topmasts together. Th
men were called from the guns t
:. clear the wreckage. and the ship wa
8 in danger of broaching to and bein
swept when there came flash q
/. lightning tina seemed to burn the eye
n balls. This W rs followed by thunder
e clap which amed to lift the ship on
e of the water and then fifty pairs {
r eyes saw eat spout of fame shoe
ND out Of the ;ea. In the midst Of tn
e flame were / ISIS. wards and sails an