The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 185: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

SAILING. WITH MORGAN. clothes, and it was a choice assortment that we finally got from which to con- struct our effigies. We finally got them made, roughly, of course, as was only to be expected; but when I finally ran up the steps to the quarter-deck and scanned the ves- sel closely for anything that might be- tray our mission she looked to me like any other small vessel; decks crowded with red-shirted, black-hatted seamen, and showing the muzzles of four black carronades on a side, grinning out through her main deck-ports as well as her full complement of smaller pieces along the poop-rail and on the forecastle. There was no lack of volunteers. The very danger of the plan attracted them as well as the fact that they knew that an extra share of loot was to be given to the survivors if the plan was successful. I picked twelve men. More would only be in the way, while fewer would not give me enough to handle the vessel. All was ready at last, and I reported to Captain Morgan that I was ready to make sail. ‘What are your plans, Upholme? ” he asked. “T will run dewn to Maracaibo to- morrow, sir, and reach there after dark. Give me two hours’ lead of you, sir, and [ will go into the town and, see what information there is to be had of the Spaniards. If I discover anything I will send a man back in a canoé to tell you. Jf there is no news I will lay-to and wait for your arrival, and then pick out the biggest of the ships and grapple her and set the Os- prey on fire. Don’t fire into me if you can help it, sir, during the engagement, because I will not leave the ship till the flames have a good grip of her. Good- by, sitl~ “ Good-by, Upholme! Good luck, lad! If you succeed, our escape will be due to you, and I will see to it that it is not forgotten.”’ He shook hands with me pulled back to the Osprey. By dawn we got up anchor and and [ fe es Th Se 887 headed out into the open lake, followed by a storm of cheers from the other vessels of the fleet. The breeze was off the land and held fair behind us, and, taking the precaution of putting a leadsman in the forechains to give timely notice of shallow water, I let the men go to breakfast. It was a poor enough meal, for, of course, we could light no fires by which to cook. Indeed, the reason I had chosen to sail by day, instead of under the cover of night, was that I did not dare to light even a binnacle lamp, so fearful was I of an untimely fire which would ruin our plans. We made but slow progress, and -it was nearly dusk when we sighted the great headland south of the town of Maracaibo. During that last three hours it is no exaggeration to say that iny heart was in my mouth. If [I only had Oakes with me it would have meant much, but too much depended upon” him; and it was im- possible for him to come, though he had been one of the first to volunteer to accompany me. Very slowly, under our light canvas, we ran into the cove, the splash of our anchor scaring a thousand water-fowl from the lhghtly rippling water. We were three miles from Mara- caibo, and away off on the northern horizon I could see an occasional light, showing that the town was again occu- pied. I made up my mind that I would go over there and ask for Sefor Cabrera, and at least have word of Dolores, if I could not have speech with her, be- fore I left for good and all. [ am older now and more cold- blooded; and if the opportunity of- fered now in like case, I dare say I would balance against what good could come of it the safety of my crew and the performance of my mission. Then, however, it was different, and I went forward and asked for a man to accom- pany me. All of them stepped forward and I selected one, Alston, a little English- Gomichbooks eg Os kL a ae i ee el (C@