Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-09-10

TO It
mi. Ruggles," he said to the first
officer, we're going to have trouble
with that craft out there. Put on full
sail. We may leave her behind"
AYE. aye, SIR" said the mate and
gave the order as directed.
The Mary Robinson was a poor sail
er, and there was a better breeze where
the dhow was than with the other.
The moment the ship hoisted all her
canvas the dhow did the same and
pointed to head of the Mary Robinson.
It soon appeared that in this she would
be successful
The ships crew 500 saw what the
upshot of the matter was and from the
captain down were much frightened.
They had no means of defense worthy
Of the name, a couple of six pound
carronades and small arms. However,
Captain Wainwright ordered the car
ronades loaded and provided with am
munition. of which there was a-plenty,
and the muskets and cutlasses brought
on deck. 1t was not probable that the
pirates had any extensive armament,
but there were SO many of them that
the danger was they would overpower
their opponents by force Of numbers.
The pirate drew nearer, and In time
the men on her decks could be seen
brandishing their weapons and by their
looks indicated that they were antici-
pating an easy prey. The crew of the
ship showed NJ signs of what they felt
within, which was that In case they
were captured every nan Of them
would either be cut down In cold blood
or forced to walk the plank. Naturally
every man felt that it was incumbent
upon him to fight to the death. Every
available weapon was brought into
requisition, even to caldrons of boiling
water. There were but twenty-six men
In all for defense, including the officers.
The ship and the dhow were converg-
ing to a meeting. AS soon as the latter
got within range she opened a port,
there came a puff of smoke, and a
round shot went tearing through the
bowsprit chains. Captain Wainwright
had ordered his carronades to be placed
on that side of the ship and replied,
sending a shot into a crowd of copper
colored villains standing against the
gunwale. This opened the fight, the
pirate craft edging constantly nearer,
and men could be seen from the Mary
Robinson getting graphing irons ready
to use for boarding purposes.
This the white men dreaded on ac-
count of the superiority in numbers of
the pirates. They might kill as many
Cinnamon as themselves and double
the number would remain. Captain
Wainwright would have sheered off If
possible, but his ship was as close haul
ed to the wind as she could get without
going about. However, when the pi-
rate came within a cables length the
tiller was put hard down, and the Mary
Robinson swung round and stood of at
a right angle with the pirates course.
The dhow followed this maneuver,
though not at once. For awhile she
kept on her course and since she was
a faster sailer than the other gained
leeway. 1t was evident that she would
grapple the Mary Robinson on the
next tack. Having made what gain
6uc TC4uICOp ohC b"uh6 AOuhO IL
sailed on a course to head of her en-
envy. Captain Wainwright, seeing that
when the two met his ship would be
boarded, called the crew aft and said
to them:
"Men, If those cutthroats board us
we are all doomed See to 1t that the
first man doesn't get aboard alive"
When the two vessels met their
prows formed a right angle. Every
man on the Mary Robinson was on the
~forecastle armed either with a cutlass
or a loaded musket Qf 1t were within
reach) except Jim Butterworth, who
preferred an ak. He took position as
first man and waited with his weapon
high In the air to cut off the hand or
cleave the skull of the first would be
boarder. A powerful Malay stood at
the head of the pirates ready to jump
the moment the ships touched.
Suddenly the advanced pirate was
seen to shrink away as though he had
seen something to take the stifening
out of him. Jim saw at once that 1t
was his glass eye. Lifting a hand he
removed 1t and made a motion to
throw it at the Chinaman, who shrank
back. pushing his followers to the rear.
Jim returned the eye to the socket.
Others among the Cinnamon by this
time had become impressed with what
they considered the evil eye and those
in front crowded to the rear.
"Give EN- a volleyr reared Jim.
Every white man dropped his cutlass
and Selling a musket poured a couple
Of dozen bullets into the throng of
pirates crowded on the forecastle OF
the dhow, dropping a goodly number
Of them. A cry was raised by the
pirates which was not understood by
the white men, but IN English it meant:
.'The evil eyer
1Ho- that