Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-07-09
T h g u a ilv
Short Story
now / PIRATE WAS powyFD
BY Edward Stewart


sailed his ship. the Wasp. into
cove on the shores Of the island Of
Jamaica, cast anchor and sent boats
ashore with casks for water While
waiting their return two vessels APP
peared out or the sea. the one a
clumsy brigantine the other low
cut rakisq craft with enormous
sails Chandler brought his glass To
bear on the two ships and was not
long in determining that one was a
merchantmen, the other Spanish
picar0ou, and the picar0on was
chasing the merchantmen. The for
mer few no flag but the captain
knew only TOO well that she was
pirate sind If the wind held would
overtaka the merch8ntman
This was al a time when piracy had
been almost entirely swept from the
West Indies and few merchant ships
had means of opposing the villains
Chandler could see no evidence az
guns aboard the brigantine and ha
had but one little barker on his own
ship. He had no women aboard. but
judged from the size and build Of the
merchantmen that she might have
passengers.
The wind was now very light and
what there was was dying down The
sun was near the western horizon
and FL had no sooner set than the last
traces Of breeze went with 1t The
two vessels. now about three miles
apart. stood still, their sails tapping
as the swells rolled under them
Chandler began to take thought how
he might save both his own and the
other ship from the pirate He had
some small arms aboard, but no guns
except the one mentioned. while.
though the portfolios in the picaroon
were masked, he knew that she must
be well armed with cannon HIS
small arms would be Of no use against
her.
Chandler ran over in his mind what
he had aboard that he might use in
fight and renem bered that he wss
carrying among other things for
blasting purposes IN the Mexican
mines, "a Illuminating powder used in
those DAYS. But what use could 5a
made of this against the cannon balls
of the pirate2
Chandler was Yankee. and the
Yankees even at that remote period
were famed for their shrewduess and
inventive genius. He formed a plan
ing powder. Noting the positions OF
the ships with his compass, he waited
till midnight, then, putting q crew ln
each Of the two boats he weighed an
Choir and ordered them TO tow the
wasp ont TO sea. his object being tn
get between the two vessels Neither
snip displayed q light, but q faint
giimmer "a cabin lights was percep-
Eble on the pirate. Chandler stopped
when he thought he might be in the
proper position He did not cast an
ehor for the sound would betrav him.
When the first faint dawn came
Chandler saw that the Wasp. the p.-
rate and the merchantmen occupied
three corners Of q triangle. He was
pleased IN Sc that ne was nearer the
pirate than the merchantmen. for If
the former attacked the latter before
attacking the Wasp Chandler could AZ
ford no assistance His plan did not
admit Of this All three ships had their
sails hoisfed ready 70 take advantage
Of the slightest breeze. AS soon as
there was sufficient light the pirate
displayed the skull and crossbUnes
from her peak and sent q shot before
the bow OF the Wasp. Chandler un-
derstaudiug this as a demand for sur
render. returned from his popguu q
shot no bigger than boys rubber
as1I r1a I5a t1;g +Aaf +hs ,f~sfa
r,5s,E+ a-ts.i- hin, Mi, rfz stf1 IN
efead af eanGine baafs tn talze nossrz-
SON v-fsfoTrr a spl,t
wa the rfefrg of enc ann . -ir-fs
r-as eea-7 coming ri, +}7e a.7tez ar5 "a
T.reaza oar,s -s;5b # II - me
nfrar0ou FIRST and she annr1srbe5 the
WASH runnfrr mt har rur= az she
aid "a Inns raa-fno her 7re,- i was
Main rha+ fhsra vas ma arr-ar7art
aboard ana She ran fharn fn again.
The critical moment had come
g-5,-,-4f.r. $50 a., tE-e ,,,,g~ts-lfs-1.
a[egf+fr.e his, a7arg,- 5.rrazfrrs17r- cast
80 -. ~ v,a- r-s~ffsfre -4--
l-749z e5oss IT, rrs5 arE ~ -ra -s=
80, g---- H. -,s5---ss+ The r-ezzz
rad raaotad t1qa yJ-aan and allied her