THE DUTCH CAPTAINS DEVICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6362, 8 April 1882, Page 7

THE DUTCH CAPTAINS DEVICE.

"Sail on starboard bow!" "What is she ?" asked Captain Martin Pieterson, looking anxiously in that direction; for in (he Eastern seas, 200 years ago, every Hrange sail was a terror to the captain of a wellladen Dutch merchantman. "Can't quite make her out, yet," answers the look-out at the mast-head. "Looks like a brigantine— she lias a very rakish cut altogether." The captain's face darkened and his lips tightened. They tightened still more a lew Minutes later, \vhcn tliu look-out bailed again, " She's a brigantine, bearing right (iowii upon us." Every face in the crew seemed to harden suddeuly, but no one spoke. Indeed, what need was tliere of words? All on board understood in a moment what was before them —they were about to be attacked by pirates, and there was not a single cannon, no, not even an old musket aboard the vessel. Jt was a terrible moment for them all, more terrible still for the poor captain. For years be had been toiling and saving, bearing every kind of hardship and facing every kind of danger, until lie had made money enough to become part owner of the ship that he commanded. He had made three successful trips in her, and was now going home for good, to settle himself in a snug little house, on the great canal, at Amsterdam, with rosy-elrjeked liredel Voorfc, his old neighbour's only daughter, ior his wife. And uow, all at a. moment, he found himself face to face with a hideout peril, which threatened him the loss of all lie had in the world, and his life. The crew stood moodily looking at the approaching vessel, which came sweeping over the bright blue sea, with its huge sails -spread out like the wings of a swan, a perfect picture of beauty, though it brought death along with it. Some of the bolder spirits were beginning to mutter to eacli other that it would be better to set fire to their own ship, and die like men, than to lie flung into the sea like dogs, wheu the captain's gloomy face suddenly lighted up as nobedy had ever seen it light up yet, and he burst into such a loud, hearty "laugh that the doomed were struck with the greatest surprise. "Cheer up, lads," lie cried, still laughing. "All is not over with us yet. Come, now, knock the head out of that cask of butter, and thoroughly smear the deck with it. Be sharp!" The men only stared blankly at him, as they thought he had gone mad ; and even the stolid mate oper.ed his heavy mouth in amazement. "Do you hear?" shouted the captain. " Look sharp, will you ? there's no time to lose. Grease the whole deck, fore and aft, and the rigging, too, as high as you can reach. We'll give the rascals a slippery job ot it, anyhow." Then the sailors began to understand ; and the shout of laughter that burst forth would have astonished the pirates had they been within hearing. In a twinkling the deck was greased until it fairly shone, bulwarks and all. "Now, boys," cried the captain, "on with your sea-hoots, and put sand on the soles of them, to keep you from slipping, and then each one of you take a I hand-spike and be ready." The pirate was now so near that they could see plainly the rabble of sinewy Malays, woollyheaded negroes, and sallow, black-haired Portuguese" that crowded her decks. A few minutes more, and she ran alongside ; and, almost before the two vessels had touched, three wild figures leaped from the pirate's rigging upon the merchantman's deck. Kut it was an unlucky jump for all three. 'Die lirst man spun across the slippery deck as if it had been a skating rink, and went right out on the other side. The second tumbled head foremost down the hatchway into the cook's galley, where the black cook considerately piled a heap of his iron pans upon him in order to keep him quiet. "Aha, Massa Pirate," said he, grinning; "dis ship no de ' Flying Dutchman,' him de Slip'ry Dutchman !" The third pirate had leaped on board as fiercely as if he meant to kill the whole crew at one blow ; but the only man he hurt was himself, for he hit his head such a whack against the mast that he almost knocked his brains out, and fell down roaring with pain. All this so fri-ht-ened the other pirates that they thought the ship must be bewitched, and rushing back to their vessel with a howl of dismay, made oti' as fast as possible. For many years after, one of the familiar sights of Amsterdam was a portly old gentleman with a jolly red face, at the. sight of which the boys were used to singing, " f'.ipt.iin Murtin Ficter>zonn M.ulu his ship a buttered Imn." And his wife never tired of showing the huge silver butter-dish presented to him in honour of his repulse of the pirate with a cask of butter.—David Ker, in Harpers' Young People.