Daring Deeds of Famous Pirates: True stories of the stirring adventures, bravery and resource of pirates, filibusters & buccaneersChatterton, E. Keble (Edward Keble)
History
Daring Deeds of Famous Pirates: True stories of the stirring adventures, bravery and resource of pirates, filibusters & buccaneers
Chatterton, E. Keble (Edward Keble)
Pirates
The last day of the old year came round, and these eight men agreed to
meet in the prison and inform the rest of the prisoners of the plan.
On the 31st of December, then, this was done. It needed but little
persuasion to cause these two hundred odd to join in the scheme, and
Foxe having “delivered unto them a sort of files, which he had gathered
together for this purpose, by the meanes of Peter Unticaro,” admonished
them to be ready at eight o’clock the next night with their fetters filed
through. So on the next day Foxe, with his six companions, resorted to
the house of Peter Unticaro. In order to prevent any suspicions of a
dark deed, they spent the time in mirth till the night came on and the
hour of eight drew nigh. Foxe then sent Unticaro to the keeper of the
road, pretending that he had been sent by one of the Turkish officials,
ordering him to come at once. The keeper promptly came, and before doing
so, told the warders not to bar the gate as he should not be long away.
In the meantime the other seven prisoners had been able to arm themselves
with the best weapons they could find in the house of the Spaniard, and
John Foxe was able to lay his hands on a rusty old sword blade “without
either hilt or pomell,” but he managed to make it effective. By now the
keeper had arrived, but as soon as he came to the house and saw it silent
and in darkness he began to be suspicious. John Foxe was ready for him,
and before the keeper had retraced his steps more than a few yards, the
Englishman sprang out, and, calling him a villain and “a bloodsucker
of many a Christian’s blood, lift up his bright shining sword of tenne
yeeres rust” and killed him on the spot. They then marched quietly in
the direction of the warders of the road and quickly dispatched these
six officials. Foxe then barred the gate and put a cannon against it to
prevent pursuit. So far all had worked with remarkable smoothness. They
next proceeded to the gaoler’s lodge, where they found the keys of the
fortress and prison by his bedside. They also found some better weapons
than the arms they were using. But there was also a chest full of ducats.
To three of the party this wonderful sight proved irresistible. Foxe
would not have anything to do with the money for “that it was his and
their libertie which he sought for, to the honour of his God, and not to
make a marte of the wicked treasure of the Infidels.” But Unticaro and
two others helped themselves liberally, and concealed the money between
their skin and their shirt.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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