MEN I HAVE KNOWN.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 6, Issue 47, 14 June 1895, Page 3

MEN I HAVE KNOWN.

Specially written for the Pelorus Guardian.)

[By Willy Waugh.]

ALBERT MUSGRAVE.

{Continued.)

Everyone on board the yacht were terribly excited by tbe scene, and a fierce longing for wind burnt in every heart. As if in sympathy with their wishes, a nice little breeze sprang up, which in a few minutes carried them up to the deserted barque. After the barque bad been rounded to, our hero, with a boat’s crew, boarded her. He received a terrible shock, for her deck presented a dreadful scene—dead men lay all round, exhibiting tbe most ghastly wounds; all had died fighting, their stern valour shown in the fixed resolute look on the dead faces.

“God help them 1” exclaimed Albert, “They have died as only Englishmen know how to die—displaying their invincible bull-dog spirit to the last.”

Near the main hatchway a cluster of bodies lay in a heap, and, as the sailors turned them over, Albert noticed one who showed soma little sign of life. Examining him carefully he saw the man had received a desperate blow on the head from a club or some other blunt instrument, but had no other wound. Telling two of the sailors to bathe hia head with cold water, and calling the rest to come with him, our hero then went into the cabin. Death had been busy there also; a few dead bodies lay on the floor, and the cabin had been thoroughly ransacked. Whilst gazing on the terrible scene Albert’s eye fell on a piece of paper covered with blood lying on the table. As something about it appeared peculiar, he picked it up, and then saw that someone had written on it with a blood-stained finger the following words:—“Captain and crew murdered; self and two daughters prisoners. Help I Rescue, for God’s sake. — Colonel Kingsley.” When he had read this sanguinary message ha he thrust it into his pocket, and made a step forward, when, to hia surprise and dismay, he found he was standing in water. In an instant the truth struck him; the barque was scuttled, and was rapidly going down. Calling his men, he rushed on deck, and, finding hia two sailors had succeeded in restoring the wounded man, ordered all into the boat, aud left the doomed vessel. Glancing upwards as he left, he saw her name was the Maid of Orleans, and made a note of ifc in his pocket-book. A few moments after they bad regained the yacht the Maid of Orleans went down, showing that had they been a few miles farther away her fate would never had been known until that day when the sea shall give up her dead.

After he had given orders to pursue the felucca, our hero produced the

bloody scroll he had found in the cabin of the ill-fated vessel, and read its contents aloud to his captain and crew. He then stated his intention of trying to rescue Colonel Kingsley and his daughter, offering to give every man on board £2O over and above his wages when that result was obtained. Hi* offer was received with cheers, every man on board vowing to do his best in such a good cause. In the meantime the felucca was nearly hull down, but the wind had set in steady and strong, and the yacht, with every sail set, was bowling along like a racehorse. Breakfast was served on deck, no one caring to go below, being too eager to watch the chase. In the course of a couple of hours it was very plain to all hands that the yacht had the heels of the felucca, and was coming up with her hand over hand. About noon they drew within range of the pirates, whom the sailor they had saved informed them were all Malays and had suffered a heavy loss before they finally took the Maid of Orleans. He was of the opinion that they would have no appetite for another fight if they could avoid it. In this surmise he was right, for, after a few shots at the felucca, they saw the pirates lower a small boat, place their prisoners in it and cast them adrift.

“ Shall we pick her up at once,” asked the captain, “ Certainly,” replied Albert, “ They may be badly wounded, and very likely are the people we want.” “No doubt about that,” cried the captain. “ The object of those rascals is to increase their distance ; but it can’t be helped. I must reduce the yacht’s canvas at once, or her own weigh will carry us a mile past the boat.”

This was done aud the yacht brought to as quickly as possible, but, as the captain said, the yacht’s weigh carried her past the boat, and it became necessary to lower one of their own boats to pick up tbe unfortunate people. This was done, and our hero had the satisfaction of finding that it was indeed Colonel Kingsley and his daughter whom they had rescued. The gallant old Colonel was desperately wounded, and it was very evident that his hours on this earth were numbered. However, they got him ou board without loss of time, and then, giving orders to continue the chase, Albert conducted the ladies into the cabin, where some sailors had already carried the Colonel. (To be Continued.