A Drop Of Blood

In 1775 tbc brigantina Qoverrior Clinton )pft Phiiadelphia loaded with flour for Spanish Towu, Jamaica. It was the 15th of December, and Captain Ira Drake, her conimander, expectecl to eat his New Year's diuner on the island. Everything was auspicious, and with a northwest wind he sailed down theriver. He remarked long after that he feit unsnally flnrried by his parting with Mrs. Brake and his daughter Emina, ou the wbarf, bot not being of an imaginativo turn of mind the impressions passed, and he saw the tall poplars and red roofed farmhonses in the Neck fade away under the winter sunset with professional indiiïerence. The Governor Clinton was only 480 tons, and she left port iu compauy with 26 others, foreign bound, most of them square rigged. At the present time there are only two ships owned in Philadelphia, and neither sails froin here. Mrs. Drake and Emma walked up Second street to their home, which was in the house then a two story, afterward the tea store of the late ecceutric John Lamond, who died a few months ago. To be a captain 's wifa in those days was to hold social position next below the magnates of Society Hill, and Captain Drake was reported a prosperous man. "Mother," said the daughter, "do yon foei any unusual anxiety in parting with father this voyage?" "No, my dear. Don 't let snch things get into yonr mind. " "Yes, but the Aggy Slade has been ont over 60 days, and she 's bound for Jamaica too. Poor Mrs. Folsom is jnst wild about her hnsband. Howl dowish father would give up the sea and stay ashorel" Shipmasters' wives had to have stout hearts iu those days; there were perils on the sea then that are unknown now. A West India voyage meant poor charts, dodgiug amoug the reefs and keys of the Bahama banks, northers, curricanes and more deadly assaults from the desperate ruffians that infested the coast of Cuba aad were secretly upheld by the Spanish authorities, who ebared their plunder, and at this time both Tardy and the La Fittes were known to be cruising in the gulf. Christmas passed, and as New Year's came on a feeling of uneasiness and dread entered iuto the Drake household. Emma had an additional source of anxiety. Sana Spain, although only 24, was firet officer of the Governor Clinton and a splendid specimen of the American sailor, and before this voyage he and Emma had exchanged vows. And so poor Emma fretted and made her mothGr anxious. New Year's day, 1796, was cold, blnsteriug and sleety, and after attendance at early mass at St. Joseph's both wornen sat down to breakfast. "For the Lord's sake, Emma, don't teil me anything about yonr dreams. You make me nervons. Your father and the brig are all right, and when the Quickstep comes in we '11 hear from Spanish Town. She sails from there today." "But, mother, there is sometbing in dreams, and I never had such dreadful ones before, and you know - good God, what is that?" And the girl's voice aróse to a scream. "Oh, mother! On yonr hand, on your hand I" The mother looked and grew pale as death. There on her plnmp, white hand ■was a drop of ruddy blood. She murnrored, "Maybe I pricked myself with the f ork. " And with a shudder she wiped away the dread token. But there was no wound, the skin being nnbroken. "There, there, it has come again. Oh, mother, lec'spray! My dear father and Saín are in peril. I know it. I f eel it. ' ' And they knelt and with heads bowed down prayed to hiru who rules the winds and tempests to spare their loved ones on the sea. The Governor Clinton was an old tub and did her best when she reeled off eight knots on a bowline, but this time, tmder a fair northeast wind, she was entting a feather throngh the waves of the Bahama banks on the 19th of De cember. Here her good luck ended. A norther set in, driving them 200 miles off their course, and then head winds blew for a week, so that it was the last day in the year before they oame in sight of the Cuban coast, and not over ten miles off Cape St. Antoine the wind failed, and there came one of those dead oalms peculiar to those latitudes. The sails hung without a shiver, and the pennant was as straight down as a yard cf pump water. But this was not the worst. Captain Drake knew that he was in tbe track of the piratea and was praotically helpless to keep away from them, and. at this moment he was doubtless signaled off shore to som e of their vessels. Everything depended on keeping a stout heart. His six 24 ponnd oarronades were loaded with grape and kentledge, the arm chest was opened, cutlasses and pistols were served to the crew, muskets were loaded, and the cook fllled his coppers with hot water ready to repel boarders. All hands kept watch that night, and in the morning Mate Spain went aloft with a glass. He at once hailed the deck. "There is a topsail sohooner King behind that point of land off the starboard qnarter. I can 't make ont any sail on her. " "Allright. Come down. We'll bave breakfast. There's tronble ahead. Bnt there are 23 of us, all goor! men, and we oughi, to uiake a tidy fight for oiir lives. ' ' A striot watch was kept at the mastbead, and at 10 o'elock a hail carne: "There's a boat fnll of men potting off shore. It is a yawl with a tug. She's coming fast ander sweeps. " The ensign was seized union down to attiact somo passing vessel, and all waited and watcbed. There were not less than 40 men in the yawl. When itwas within about 20 yards of the boat, the captain cried, "Firel" But as usual two of the carroñados misiiod j fire, the otber scattered ten feet wide of the boat, and nest it swept under the bow, the leader a white man, springiug into the 'chaina, followed by a gang of mulattoes, uegroes and Spaniards, all big men. Their captain 's head jnst came above the bow, when he was run thror.gh the neck by a pike and dropped overboard, but bis men mauaged to get on the bowsprit and come aboard. Two of the pirates mounted the channels and tumbled iuto the waist. The cook, a negro giant weighiug 300 pounds, rushed at them with a cutlass, beat down their guard and hewed tbem down. A third had grasped the swif ter to help him up, when hi,s arm was ent clean off at the shoukler by the negro. A splash in the water told the rest. In the bow the defenders had done good work, but Captain Drake was stretcbed on the bits covered with blood. The last pirate had run out on the jib boom and fired bis pistol just as a musket ball took bis Ufe, but he had done bis work, for poor Spain got his bullet in the head and never spoke after. They were beaten, and under a parting volley the ruffians sprang to their sweeps and with the loss of half their crew made for land. Suddenly the mainsail gave a flop. No orders were needed. The topsail halyards were rnanned. " Up with the flying jib, trim sheets, ronnd in starboard braces !" was the cry, and the little brig began to surge through the water. "See, seel The schooner's making sail. Up go her gaff and foresail. The fight's not over, men ! She'll cut tts to pieces with her long Torn !" Jnst then came the sound of a heavy gun, and so intent were the crew watching the pirate vessel that they had not seen, half a mile away, a British corvet piling on sail up to royáis. She was a flier, too, and inside of five minutes swept down on the brig, hailed and was told what had occurred. The pirate craft was intent only on saving her men in the yawl, but it was too late. The corvet ran her dowu and at 100 yards gave the maranders a shower of grape that tore the boat and crew into splinters. The schooner made off, followed by the man-o'-war, and both disappeared in the southern board. The second mate tookcommandof the brig. Her captain had a broken thigh and a shot through his body, while the mate and four of the crew lay dead. The breeze kept steady, and on the 4th of January they carne to anchor in Spanish Town harbor. Captain Drake lived to get well and quit the sea. But before the Christ Church chimes rang for another Christmas poor Emma Drake had followed her lover to a better land. -