The Corsair’s Prize.

Woodville Examiner, Volume XXII, Issue 3870, 7 May 1906, Page 4

The Corsair’s Prize.

(liY A DANKER).

In the earlier days of the last century a gallant bark, a vision of very beauty and harmonious grace, a veritable fairy of the sea, with all sail set from main-sky-sail to mizen top-gallant-atay-eail, is majestically and proudly coursing in mid-ocean before the breeze, her shapely bows ploughing the waves aud throwing up glittering showers of foam and spray, over which a dancing rainbow ever and anon plays, and leaving in her wake a broad river of frothy spume, over which a graceful frigate bird, with outspread motionless pinion, is solemnly sailing. The rythmical motion of the good ship, the warm, delicious and invigorating breeze, and the glorious sunshine irradiating her glistening white sails, all tend to exhilirate and to ttiioufr O t ■■t •' y 'lio.H A*o love (!.. I f (• ■(i v\ 1i,.,5.- Chief de,t r in room 'vei i; r heaving b i'orii, but also even foose in whom ‘ er fascinations awake no resposive chord.

But for some time the captain and hi-i nffictr have been watching with 81 inn apfirehen-ion the gradual app ii. h>f a art;i- schooner, winch. I. Hii,. an .1 g .Heir rapid pru-gi..-s, is siea ily gaini ig upon them. By the aid of gl as- s it can now be seen that she la appirently a passenger vessd, a number of ladies, para--8 1 m baud, |. Purely promenading up and down the deck But as the rover arrive- wituin hailing distance of ! he graceful ship sadch nly a gun i- firnl ov r her bows, anu in stentorian and authoritative tones she is Commanded to amp; the “ladies" throw off their shawls and disguises and prove to be hairy brigands armed to the teeth, and boatloads of swarthy pirates swift y row to the doomed ship, board her like cats, and, overawing the ternfPd passengers and htlpless crew, in a very sh rt i-p ce of time have despoiled her of her cargo of gold, precious stones, and other valuables from the indies, together with such other spoils as <he pirates care to seize. And then the buccaneers sail off to prey upon other unguarded vessels, until probably Captured by one of the war vessels ever on the look out for these rapacious robbers of the sea, when the ctiefs of the pirates would be summarily hanged at the yard arm, and the vessel taken as a prize. Happily piracy has long been stamped out, and no longer exists as a menace to seafarers. But in our own lives there are unseen foes ever on the watch to despoil us of our rectitude, to lead us astray, and to drag us down to evil doing. But He who suffered the penalty due to us for our misdoings is able and is willing to rescue all those who come to Him, from the power and the malice of those evil despoilers.