MEN I HAVE KNOWN.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 6, Issue 46, 11 June 1895, Page 2

MEN I HAVE KNOWN.

(Specially written for the Pelorus Guardian.)

[By Willy Waugh.]

ALBERT MUSGRAYE,

( Continued .)

After Mr Musgrave had been laid in the grave and, his will proved, Mr Dale presented Albert a list of all his property and an account of his stewardship. He had managed for his uncle for thirty years, at a salary of * £SOO a year, and now wanted to know if Albert wished to retain his services.

Albert replied that he intended to travel shortly, and would be much obliged if he would continue to manage the estates as long as his health would let him. From the statement Mn Dale had shown, Albert found ha was the owner of an income of £12,000 a year, besides £200,000 in hard cash laying in the Bank of England, less the two legacies before-mentioned and Government duties.

There were some good horses in the Brooklanda stables, and in a very few days Albert had learned to ride well enough to accompany Miss Dale in her daily rides about the neighbour-, hood, and thus became acquainted with most of the gentry in the district. There is little doubt that ha would have fallen deeply in love with his companion had not her father told him that she was engaged and would shortly be married. After spending a few months at Brooklands, Albert began to grow restless and long for a change, and finally resolved to purchase a suitable yacht and go for a long cruise. Accordingly, he instructed his solicitors to buy him one fit to travel round the world. Obeying his instructions, his solicitors bought the yacht Firefly, barque rigged, 700 tons register. As soon as a captain and suitable crew were engaged, Albert, who had resolved to go to India in the first place, bade his friends farewell and made a start. Acting on the advice of his captain, with whom he had become very intimate, ho had purchased four light cannons and a sufficient quantity of mu diets and cutlasses, for at that time pirates were pretty thick in the Indian Ocean.

Oar hero was very sick for the first few days, but* after that he got his sea legs and enjoyed his voyage immensely. They had very pleasant weather until after they had rounded the Capa of Good Hope and were well up the Indian Ocean, when they were struck by a sudden squall, which carried away their .top-masts and very * nearly capsized them. The storm, however, went down as suddenly as it had risen, and the rest of the voyage was pleasant enough. • ; They arrived at Calcutta without further adventure) and Albert endeavoured to .find Captain Dale, but as that gentlemen was* away in’and h j was disappointed..

While waiting for the yacht’s masts to be repaired our hero the ac quaintance of a young English cap tain, who had just returned from s voyage to the Phillipine Islands China, and Borneo. He gave such ar interesting account of his trip thal Albert resolved to make the voyage and see for himself. He stated his intention to the young captain, whe advised him to keep a sharp look-oul for pirates in the Straits of Malaccs and also in the Gulf of Siam. As soon as the repairs to the yacht’* masts were completed Albert again put to sea. They had a fair wind, which carried them clear of the Baj of Bengal, through the Straits ol Malacca, and half-way across the GulJ of Siam, where they were becalmed foi three days, which our hero found intensely monotonous. The weather was scorching hot, and the firey sun poured down his rays as if resolved to burn them up. As the day dawned on the fourth morning a fair wind sprang up, which carried them in sight of Cape Cambodia and then died away, leaving the yacht again becalmed. A strict watch was now kept; muskets and cutlasses were served out to the crew and the cannons loaded, ready for anything that might turn up. When the sun went down that evening there was not a sail in sight, and as the night closed in they got a quarterly breeze off the land, which carried them about fifteen miles and then died away again. Our hero was in the captain’s watch, which was from two to four a.m., and, as they were pacing the deck more than half asleep, they were startled by the report of a cannon a mile or two from them. As may be imagined, this soon shook the sleep from the eyes of both of them, and they listened with bated breath. Again the deep boom of a cannon broke the stillness of the morning air—this time accompanied by the continued reports of small arms. All hands were piped to their quarters on board the yacht at once; but there was little else they could do, for a darkness (palpable as the Egyptian darkness of old) lay on the deep, and there was not a breath of wind. All hands listened in silence to the fight that was taking place only a short distance from them, but in less than an hour the firing ceased, and not a sound broke the stillness of the coming day. Presently, the sun arose in his might and glory, and when the golden light of that summer’s mom had fairly set in they saw a small barque about a mile from them, and a few miles further off a large felucca, making away as fast as she could be urged by her long sweeps, (To be Continued,