The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-02-01

and they yelled ana Scredmeu NJ 10
like 80 many lunatics. Brief as was
the time. we all noticed one peculfari-
ty about them.
Beyond cursin9 the Spanish crew for
a gang Of idiots we had little to say.
The idea of fear Of the storm bad
made them take to drink. as Is often
the case. and they were going to Davy
Jones' with jag on. Six hours later
the storm broke. and we headed our
course. but within six hours We were
pitching about on the troubled sea
without way enough to ruffie feather.
l turned in at 8 O'Clock that night and
turned out again at midnight for the
morning watch. After midnight the
sea began to 60 down very fast. and at
2 o'clock there was only what You
might call a tumble on. II was then
that we family caught the sound Of
voices in whooping and singing to the
south Of us. 1t was thick night, and
nothing could be made out. but at 4
O'Clock we got Il light breeze and had
not been waited along knot when
we had the Spanish ship again under
our eyes. All her topmasts were gone
now. while a portion of her bulwarks
was smashed in. and she looked bad
wreck.
We headed for the wreck ut once, and
when we came within hailing distance
we asked II help was wanted The
reply was a chorus of shrieks and
screams, while many Of the men shook
their fists at Us in defiance It looked
like a.case Of mutiny, and our captain
was at & lQss 70 know what step to
take. Before Be could make up hts
mind the Spaniards had lowered 4 boat
and pulled for Us. Every one 81 the
crew piled into the boat, and we saw
them grab up Delaying pins capstan
bars and whatever else could be used
as weapons The boat came dashing
at Us with every man yelling and
whooping. and they tried boarding US
at once. We had no better weapons
With which to beat them %, and We
were three less in number, but when
we looked into their fierce eyes and
saw murder there we struck to kill.
They fought like tigers and seemed
insensibae to blows, but we beat them
off at hast.
Fonr Of their number went to the
bottom Of the sea with broken skulls.
and Of those pulled away all were
more or less hurt. We knew now that
they were lunatics instead Of drunken
men. and we stood by till noon in the
hope that they would calm down.
They appeared to after awhile, but
just as soon as we lowered boat they
woke M again and ragged like wild
beasts. We could understand nothing
Of their shouts except that they were
oaths. and In the face of their deter.
mined opposition we could not board
their craft. 1t was 2 O'Clock in the
afternoon before we squared away and
left them. and then a fierce fight was
going on. and at least one man had
been thrown overheard to drown.
You may well guess that we aboard
the Bristol were astonished and mysti.
fed by the singular incident. but the
explanation when 1t came was very
simple in sense. The Spanish ship
had Filipino for a cook. He had
trouble with both officers and men and
was determined to have revenge. Be
fore sailing from Luzon he had provid.
ed himself with a quantity Of seed
from the plant known az aripe. It Is
a wild kelp. and decoction makes
mailman Of the drinker. How he man.
eyed to serve It out to the whole crew
at once will never be known. but that
was what he did and perhaps drank a
share himself. The ship was manned
by a lunatfc crew when she drove
down on US before the gale, and they
were Mnatics when we left them fight.
Ing and drifting. Ten days later the
ship. which had become wreck below
and aloft. was picked up by a steamer
and lowed into port. Not a man Nv
ing or dead was found on board. They
had fought each other to the hast and
then the Sole survivor had sought
death beneath the waves. TIE cook
had psobebly mixed the poisonous de.
coctiou with their coffee or wine soon
after the storm had struck them
though not before she was IN share Il
ride n out. How long Il was after we
left them no one could say. but very
likely not more than a day OF 30 had
passed when the last Of the lunatic.
gave up bis life and the ship went
drifting and drifting with the sun dry
ing No the hundred baoodstains on bel
Uttered deck.