The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-06-06
The Last Black
Flag
pv NJ QUAD
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1914, by Associated Lit
erary Press.

/ didn't get a medal for what hap.
| pened to me on the day / was fourteen
| years old, which Is more than sixty
years ago, but / had the fun of fight
Ing pirate ship and knowing that she
was the last one that has ever dared tq
fly the black flag. That's better thar
to have read a hundred pirate stories.
! was a cabin boy ON board an Aus.
tralian packet ship. and she was max
ing the voyage from London to Austria
liza. She was called the Ruby Castle,
and a fine craft she was. Things new
er went better with any Of the liners
until we were south of st. Helena, and
the beginning of our trouble was the
sighting of 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 strong crew aboard,
but pirates were men to take long
chances. When the four boats were
ready to leave the briggs side counted
fifty-two men in all. and it seemed as
IL many more We're 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
ly frightened. Among the emig ITS
were about fifty men and half grown
boys. To man of them they volun-
tered to help the crew. and muskets
and pistols were served out to some
and cutIasses and boarding pixies to
others. The boats divided as they
came on, and when half the distance
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 in 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 on. and no
gang of pirates ever got harder drub-
bling. Although we lost two killed and
several wounded, not a 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
believed that when the breeze came
the pirate would sail away. 1t was
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 began
working down toward us, and as soon
as within cannon shot she opened fire.
She had four guns in broadside. the
same as the Ruby Castle. and for an
hour we had 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 1t and finally drove her out of range.
That night all the dead aboard us
were buried and the ship put to rights
as far as could be, and only the wo-
men and children slept The wounded
,pars were replaced, shot holes plug
red up. and there was no reason why
We should not safely make the Cape.
When daylight came we congratulated
zach other over our victory, and the
,aptain had Just decided - make
ort of holiday in honor of the event
when a thunderstorm came racing up
behind us, and in the midst of the
lack cloud was the pirate brig. In
tead of sailing away in search of
laven or Of another prey, when she
lad repaired damages she had picked
lp our trail and was going to give US
mother brush When we had her Grip
lied the night before we could have
estroyed her. but Captain Wilson sim
ly sailed away. He now promised
he crew to sink her if he could, and
here was cheering as the men went to
he guns. Down came the black cloud,
nd with 1t down came the pirate.
nth his black flag flying, and as he
anged up on our port quarter at half
fle shot he opened fire. His first shot
truck a gun and killed three men, and
is second wounded five men. Then.
Rough the firing continued no great
lmage was done on either side. Day
ght was turned into evening by the
orm. So terrific and continuous was
lie roll of thunder that the reports OF
lie guns were unheard. You felt the
along the deck, but the re-
,rt was lost in the war Of the ele-
ents.
Loading and firing every gun which
ould bear as fast as possible, the
uby Castle rushed forward on her
urse, and hanging to her quarter
re bulldog to his prey, followed the
rate ship. OF sudden there was a
eat crash aloft. and down came the
re and main topmasts together. The
en- were called from the guns to-
,ar the wreckage, and the ship was
danger of broaching to and being
'ept when there came a fash OF
htning that seemed to burn the eye
lis. This was followed by a thunder
p which seemed to lift the ship out
the water. and then fifty pairs OF
rs saw a great spout of fame shoot
out Of the sea. In the midst of the