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ie See
er THE LOG CABIN LIBRARY. 23:
“Oh, itis just lovely!’ cried Clewline. ‘‘We have full one
thousand Sous of Liberty on the banks of tlie river between here
and the month, in battery, orarmed with rifles and shot-guns,
» ready to pick the British off when they try to go back. Besides,
we have two fast-rowing barges below to pick up the stragglers
that escape destruction up here.”
“But the enemy. How strong is he, and how near?” cried Ned,
impatiently. / .
“About three hundred strong in twenty boats, large and small,
and when last signaled, about eight miles below.” .
“Then they will be here in an hour or two.”
*‘They’ll never get in here. There are two six-gun batteries
down on each side of the point that will cut them all to pieces
when they get in range. ‘Then, when they try to get away, out
we warp, and if we don’t finish them, cut me up for shark
bait.”
“What have you got forward there?” asked Ned, looking at
some dozen or more curious rafts of pine scantling, on each of
which a barrel was fixed with the upper end open, though it
seemed full of some material.
“Oh, it is some deviltry that Hopkins and Doctor Le Berte
have been at. When those rafts get among the blockading fleet
below, if you don’t see some tall scattering, I’m mistaken. But
come, cap, tosupper. I’m as hungry as a West India shark off
soundings.” ,
The officers and crew were just rising from supper, when a
single musket-shot far down the river gave signal that the enemy
was in sight.
In a short time a second, and then a third musket-shot told
the near approach of the enemy.
“They’re almost in range of the batteries, sir,” said Clewline
to Ned. ‘‘They’ll open on thom in less than five minutes, and
then we’ll see fun.” \
“Not much, without we are out there to join in it,” said
d
ed. :
“Oh, we can warp into gun-shot the minute the batteries
open, sir. In fact, we may be needed, for if they find they
can’t get out of range, they’ll make for the batteries and try to
. storm them.”
“Ah! there they open. Give way on the warp! Run her out!”
shouted Ned, as the deafening roar of twelve twenty-four pound
cannon from the batteries came like a burst of thunder on his
ears, :
In a second every muscle was on the strain, and the schooner
moved out from her shadowy shelter until she ‘‘opened” the
river right between the two points where the batteries were
blazing away.
As Clewline had predicted, the boats, after the first surprise
which had thrown them into confusion, had headed for the bat-
teries, and were now rowing right into the iron storm with
dauntless courage.
“Sheer broadside, too, so as to work the long gun easy, and
let them have it!” cried Ned.
In an instant the order was obeyed, and the boats, now only
seven in number, not disabled, were astounded at the thunder
of yet another gun, and the terrible shower of grape and canis-
ter it sent among them. Four more boats were disabled, their
oars cut away, and many of their crews were either killed or
wounded; but three yet dashed forward with a desperate bravery
worthy of a better cause.
‘Let them have the swivels and musket-balls!” cried Clewline;
but these were hardly needed, for the batteries were now using
grape, and almost within pistol-shot of shore the last boat
drifted helpless with the current. ~
The victory was complete, and the batile had not lasted fif-
teen minutes. Again not a single casuality occurred on the
schooner. ' ’
Ned instantly sent a special messenger to his father, to relieve
anxiety. .
Then, with all his boats, he went out to relieve the wounded,
pick up prisoners, and prevent a single man from escaping be-
low to inform the fleet what the result of the boat expedition
’ had been.
It took some time to pick up the shattered boats of the Brit-
ish, the most of which were fearfully cut up, and it was well,
but as there was a good starlight, it was all done in an hour or
so, «nd then Ned at once made sail down the river, leaving the
prisoners, well and wounded, with the Sons of Liberty. *
It wanted yet three hours to daylight when Ned saw the lights
of the British fleet ahead. They were anchored across the
. mouth of the river, head up stream, for the tide and wind both
tended down stream. \
Shortening sail, he hove-to under a bluff, confident he had not
’ yet been seen, and now Le Berte, Hopkins, and Clewline, with
three boats towed their fire-rafts into position and lighted the
fuses which would burn just long enough for the rafts to close
with the vessels before setting them all ablaze. Meantime, now ;
fast to the shore, Ned had everything ready for making sail the
moment there was an opening for him to make a dash.
As soon as all the rafts were placed and started, the boats were
rowed back alongside and hoisted up, then with the long gup
double-shotted, every swivel loaded to its muzzle, and the small
arms ready for instant nse, Ned waited results below,
He made a very short speech to’his crew. He told them he
meant to go to sea, or to sink in trying, and he knew they would
stand by him. He told them not to cheer, or make a bit of
noise, but the instant the British ship got under way, to crowd
on every stitch of sail—he meant to pass them before they knew
he was there.
He hal hardly fiuished before far down the river a blaze,
bright and vivid, burst up, theu another, then pop, bang, whiz,
went rockets, blue-lights, wud fiery sn¥kes, darting here and
there, and in a second, as the waters lighted up with. the blaze
of the fire-rafts, every thread of cordage, every rope of rigging,
could be seen in the British fleet.
Alarm-guns were fired, aud boats were seen dashing toward
the fire-rafts, but those serpents of fire, and strange bursts that
looked like bursts of liquid fire shooting. here and there, drove
them back, and ship after ship slipped her cable, and, with all
the sail she could get on in-a hurry, strove to get out of the
way.
One ship, already fired, seemed to bea sheet of flame in an
instant, adding new terrur to the scene, and soon the month of
the river was free.
‘Now is our time!” shouted Rattlesnake Ned. ‘Put on every
inch of canvas, and let her slide!”
In an instant the schooner was canvas from her truck down,
and as she shot out from the lee of the shore, and the strong
gale filled her canvas, her spars bent like hoop-poles, but they
stood, and away the schooner dashed to run the gantlet of a
whole fleet.
It looked like madness, but that fleet was now scattered, each
captain looking out for his own vessel only, and as it was yet
dark, there were many chances in our hero's favor.
The best of all was that Clewline knew every inch of water
between them and the ocean, and while soon they passed very
near three of the enemy’s ship’s hard aground, the schooner,
under his guidance, sped on in safety.
The enemy seemed to have been so paralyzed with fright at
the singular fire-rafts, that they thought only of escaping from
them, for in an hour’s run Ned ran past eleven ships, and was
within hail of three of them, and yet they paid no attention to
him, evidently seeming to think him one of the fleet.
And thus, when day dawned, the Rattlesnake clear of the
entire fleet, was far down the Chesapeake, with clear water
ahead, and the fleet too far astern to cause any annoyance.
“TI wonder what they'll think of this at home?” cried Ned, in
glee, as he paced the quarter-deck, while Clewline walked by
his side.
“They'll make you out greater than Nelson,” said Jack, laugh-
ing.
‘Bho? Why, I owe all this to you, Le Berte, and Hopkins.
But for those fire-rafts, we never could have got through such a
fleet. Every ship they had in these waters must have been
there!”
“Not quite!” cried Jack, as the man from aloft sung out:
“Two sails ahead, sir—one square-rigged, the other a fore-
and-after!” ’
“Two to one it is’ the Formey and her tender, just out from
Norfolk, coming up to join the fleet!” said Ned.
Heaven, the bay is wide here, and if we can’t fight, we can out-
maneuver them!”
“Tt is wide for her as well as for us,” said Jack. ‘There are
no shoals here to help us in dodging her. That is, if it is the
Formey!” .
“Then, by Jupiter, I’ll try a bold plan. Run up the English
flag over ours. We'll make the fellows believe we're captured—
run right alongside, give him a dose of round shot between wind
and water from the long gun, clear his decks with our swivels,
and go to sea while he is all in the doldrums!” :
“It is a bold risk, Ned, but, better than to risk trying to pass
his broadside! I'll heave the flag up as you desire in a minute,
and we'll play ‘captured’ a little while.”
. CHAPTER XXXII.
i; GIVING THE PARTICULARS.
While Jack Clewline got the English flag from the signal- :
locker and hoisted it over the Rattlesnake banner, Josi Hopkins
went aloft with the glass and carefully examined the two vessels
coming up the bay—close-hauled under reefs and scant sail, for
“Thank .”