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TH E
OCEAV YVOLF.
13
wood aloft, as though a spar had been struck, but nothing heavy fell
to the deck.
Slowly the Firetiend was drifting broadsitle onto the iiidustrious
enemy.
" Have you her bearings, men?” Hilton finally called from his stand
by the binnacle.
“ A , av sir?"
" ‘ooill Wait for their next flash to point. Aim low. Now you
have her -lirel”
Well, if ever a vessel was raked, that sloop-of-war was. She was
within point-blank range of the carroiiades, and the aim of l.Ilt‘ gun-
ners was exact.
By this time she had caiitecl sufficiently to enable her to bring tier
broadside guns to bear, and the next instant she tliishcil into a whole
sheet of flame, and we could hear portions of the shower of iron hail
tearing up the sea fathonts away from us, though some of the shots
liiilled us, as any person could have told by the quivering of the
schooner.
The battle was now opened in its full fury, broads alter broadside
was exchanged, the enemy, as well as ourselves, trarersiiig the guns
from the empty to the loaded side, because of the total lack of wind to
operate the vessels.
We excliaiigetl six broadsides in this way, but our seventh was not
answered. The liglitniiig hail entirely lJ(‘illF,()tIt so that we coiilil not see
the sloop after she ceiisi-it IIl‘Illf.‘(, but the compass beciriiigs told us
that the Firetienil hail swung her how on to lllfl‘; ascertaining which, I
sprang into the waist and orilored the foreciistle gun to be double
shotted and tired.
But the Englishman made 11:) reply.
I inounteil tho biilwarks to see if I could make her out, and while
there I felt a ilraught of wind.
" A bree . e“’ I Cl'Ii’tI.
“Yes, coi ouiid her, and she'll get the first of it,” replied Iltlton,
who hail (IISL'(H'i2l'e(I it quite as soon as l illil.
"That is so." I replied, and then [joined Hilton and his ofllcor.< on
the iiiiarii-,r-deck.
“Alter Il(‘l‘, then, my heartios!
lails-Ativialyl" he called.
A iloxi-,n of the crow bouitileil over the main tliroat aiiil peak hal-
yarils, when, crack! the whole lot of thunt lay i-ipruwliiig on tl.iiir bacl
“llll Illt‘IlllI)'1l.I‘lIS1lII1tI)0llI.[ll(‘Ill.
This gent‘ hail been EUVt‘,l‘l3lI by Cll(‘(iI the eiioiiiy‘s sliots, and the
Il't)lll)lt’:lUlll0 llllSlllBSS of l‘t‘(3lll!L[ fri-sh lial ‘arils hail to ho pi-rforini-il.
All hands to lllilkt) sail! liiri-ly,
y
lint this was not the only wound our rt; riiig hail i'cci2ii'eil. 'l'no lib
halyarils hail been cut in IIIIIVUS; the gall" topsail shoot was on <l(’L'k.
and a couple of back-st.ays were trailing UYel'l)():ll'<I, and we knew not
what else hail Illl[)[)I‘llt‘tI to
lloiveriw, all KLWIIILIIIII‘ canvas was set, the llt‘llll ptit down, and un-
(I(‘l' the frizslieiiliig ln'ei>'.:e the l<‘ire1ii-iiil sturtoil along Ili1‘C0lll‘>'l‘Wlll(',ll
hi-r C(illlllllllltIt‘l' iloerntail tho sloop to he hcailin;:, if, IllllCt‘kl, shi- was
i-iiili>,:ivorlii:, to ;,(t'l, away from us.
'l'rillinv.: ri-pairs such as were absolutely needed were soon lIl:1<IO, and
in loss than Illl(‘t’ll ininiites we were under 9- press of sail, Ill'll4I(ftI
south, aiiil niaking good lei-way.
The winil by this limo hail lresliened into a strong lireozo, aiiil all
around thtisky hail ('lt’1Il'(‘,lI and Ill!‘ stars were pi-oping forth. The
sea ll(‘L(.'lll to bri-ak in:o spaces of foam, and the rouriiig lltblst‘ at our
bows. and the glieain of the belt of froth soiirryintg within roach of a
man's artii alotiL( the lee Bltll‘. and the hootiti-.: tip aloft. lllllllt’ by the
wind, aiiil the fierce patter ofthe spray upon the ‘loreciistlo inilictitcil
the speed of tho I-'ii'elionil.
hit as yet we had not obtained a glimpse of the eiiciiiy.
nervo . aiiil excitiid.
“ l'iit your helin up!" he finally cried. " Ease away your sheets tori‘
and aft. Fore-topsail yaril, tliero!" he called to tho loohoiit.
" Ay, ay, i=irl”
“Look brightly about. you aiiil report the sloop the moment you
see hor.”
“ .- V, ay, sir!”
“ M . Winthrop, call the watch. A stern chase i.< 11 long; cli.-i’-'0."
35 ll“ Flltllie elf-'lll l><‘llS were struck, and I found 1 hail tho l)I4‘lt‘lll't‘
of iwiiaiiiiiig on ilecl; (llllllitf the next four lioiir.-, but as I hail had no
siiiipi-i‘, II'CIltl"Slt‘Il >‘hannoii to kei-p my loolmiii for (1 short ,<po‘;] niiil
wi-iii below to Cll(IllL’t‘ my clotliiii: and get sontetliiii-,: to eat, as lllil
t‘apt:iin llilton, uithoiigli llD1lll[lL':lI'CtI to be in no liuinor for coiii'i=i's.i-
Lion.
i)n rettirniiig to the deck, alinost. the first obji-ct that mi-t my
sU;][‘Ijhil]L( i,:n7,i- llll(’.'ltl was a sliailow of the sloop. a I:ll;;‘0 5tlll1Il'(’ blot.
“lll(‘ll tho tvle.<copi-, l'(‘50IY(!(I into a wholi-, cloud ot (‘:lllV‘ll.‘!. I put my
hoail into the skylight and tolil llilton of it, and lie at 0IlCi?jUlllC(I
Illi‘.
He took lllt!1,’l:IS51 and (“X.’lIllIllt‘tI hr-r carohilly,
“ I think your bow-gun can ri-ach her,” he iiiuseil. “ I'p with even’
cloth that will hold wtnill” '
'i'iiin moi) (low to obey this order, but in the midst of the work the
top-i,giill:iiit stviililiii;.:-sail boom Sll1l.[l]!l’lI sliort oil at the trim, and the
sail bli-w away like it pull" of siiiolto from a gun. In imiii, (tin wimi
“.la'I.’l.<l. Ilt lt‘lllllL,’ into a nioili-i'ate gale, and hail wt-, iii...“ ii.-;.m,g
wo could have done so with i'i:iIfoil Hiils. but this mishap soiisibly di-
,,,,,.p:i..-.i our lieailwiiy, lint tliiiriz was no help for it the”,
Just, then the enemy shifted hi-r helm and we shifted ours, but
searci-ly hail wi: got tlii-, wind abozini who-n crack! the trill-slioi-t part.
oil, and bi-tori: the down-liriul could he iiiaiined, the sail hail lloggctl
itself into rags.
Ililton was
I watched our spars anxiously, for it was still impossible to know ‘
how the Etiglislimatrs shot hail told. One crash of splintcring wood
aloft had been heard, and I waited to see which spar hail been wound-
ed by seeing it go overboard.
But nothing gave away, tliough our press of sail was enormous.
Indeed, Inever saw any vessel so driven as the Firetieiid now was,
the lee-rail of the high bulwiirks bi=in,<.: almost flush with the scetliing
foam, aiiil walking the decks almost an iinpossibillty, while the bal-
lowing and liooiiiiiig overlieail was alniost ileafeiting.
“Make ready the bow-giiii!” roared Ililtoii. “Let her go oll a.
point!” he added to the four men whom it I‘(‘Qllll'6(I to steer the
i-‘chooner.
It was no fool of ajob to bring her up, but as she finally did so he
shouted “ Fire!”
The flame tlashed over the nose of the schooner, and a smother of
Sllltihe was blown down upon the water ahi-ail of us. But what the
iitlect of the shot had been we could not tell. IIt)Wl’H‘l‘, llilton (ll‘tlI‘l‘.
ed lllt'llI to keep tiring as fast as they could load, and nothing pli-aseil
the guns crew better.
We held on FlP(1(IlI)', and in a short. time the (lawn began to show
in the east. The liglitslioweil that we hail begun to close the chase, and
also that our shots. which had been fired l‘C‘LIllltXl‘l)‘ (-‘V'(!l‘)' tire minutes
during the last hour, hail done mncli ilama,gi> to tho Sloop aloft. Iliit
she was iloiiig her best to escape. and every now and HIV“ sent
its a shot from Ill‘l‘ long oigliteeii, trained through ()Ill‘ of her after
ports, altlioiigli doing: us 11') hartn.
All of ii snililizn Ililton, who hail been all the whili- intently watcliing;
the llt&(‘Ill,',' enoniy with his ti-li-scope, iiiiiiiwd down Il'ilIll lhu C.’ll'l‘illl2lI.l0
on which he hail been standing and ll1la'l(‘lll‘Il to the cabin.
What it meantl could not toll, but after IJl‘lIlL[ ;:oiii- about tire
niiniites-: ho I'<5U.ll'lll‘41 and a;:iin took up hi< ii-losciipo.
" Yi , jiist as l suspectiiil," he tlnally Ftllil, and his iilIlt,‘4’l‘i ‘,fllllIl’l"l‘lI
o:ijgei']y ariiutiil ltlni. " Ile is liiuiitliig rl‘('lxIl‘$"I)' for the li: .' Siiiizils.
upon which Ill! must run or (-onii- up lll the wind so 2-‘harp that “N can
iztvt-, him a lwitiiiisiili-," and he IIl(lkt‘lI aloft a< though to inaltii :'lll‘l‘
that tho srliooiior had all tho I on it thi-i'i- was riioiii for.
1 S]ll'.’[lh;[ll]l(l the slii'oiiil.< with a 1; ‘ and front that t'lt’V iioii
cniilil plainly mal<i=. out the lll't‘llIt(’l'S tow 'il which the sh-op w.i< loud-
iiijg with all of her i-iiiIrtiioii< prixw of (‘ant ' so llllt‘lll upon wzitvlittig
her plliclty Illllt‘ tor, tviiluiitli, that Slit‘ (IIII not si (’ tho ‘ ,
Iiiiiwost and ainii-it Wt‘I'l"tIlIlll-I114‘. flllil I (‘t>llIil plain]; we by Hil-
toii‘.< looks tli.-it lii- toll ill. <ti-il with such <‘,oitariEly siiaiii: whip that
llllL(lll “l'4‘(‘Ix' 1lV.'llll1lllIi‘ pilxm WllI(‘ll ll!‘ [VII suro of ihiptiititig, pro.
VHIIHIII(“'IlII‘lI$:“L:I,g1N1d(‘Il:IIl(.l’IllIIl.
“’I'lio loi'l.<,I" lio ij:ii'iii:iti>il, “ Stop Ill'lllL'. anil lll'lllfl]l< the-y will
i'oi-iivoi‘ st-iisii 1'lliVll‘.[ll to loot: aliinid iiisti-ail of at its. Al1Ull.l‘I' lirii
ininuli-.'< and tho) will Ilt‘ :i;i'oiiiiil."
“ What a sliaiiio whi-ii ilii-y rlillltl siicli a good (‘ll1:llt‘<‘ of lt('lltL[
taltoti." sziiil Fliziiiiiiiti.
" lliil pi-rliaps they iit'i‘It‘t't‘iiil to riiti .'i<.'i'otiiiil so as to li:ti'i' a IWIIUI‘
exciiso for hi-iii: ttikiiii." >Il3L"I‘SlI'lI .'llr. lliill.
Ahl by .Ii)i'l‘, thi-ri- Hit" j;i>in<I" owliiiiiio-I Ililtoti, and, liiiiltiiig,
we ;<:iw that she had (‘(7lilI' to a FlltltIt'Il stiiiiil-still, and that her spars
li;iil allgoiii-, by the board as tliiiiigli Ill(‘)' hail Il('(’l‘. so iniiny pipe-
sti-iiis.
The higli I'1Il(‘ of .<ll(“l‘(I ‘.l'lll(‘Il she was tinder when she striii-l.’ hail
rtin bin‘ high upon tlw alioxil, and we (’tlllItl .='i'i- at least iviio-half of hitr
('illIl‘l'L(li'llllllll;.flll IIlt‘lIl1>I'lllll.Q suit as slio lay ('lllllr’tI towat‘il< ll, and
>Ill‘ w s iiidi-i-il sad pl<‘tiii'i‘ of “'I‘l’(‘ .i-A sliii lay llivro with hp: S:lll>‘
and i'ig;[iiig to <llltt[ in tho W.’lIt‘I'1llillhL’NltIl‘ liken lllIl>‘S of tangled si-a-
W(’(‘ll and tho i 't‘.‘1I)I'(?1lkI[lQ ovvr in stiioke.
"'l'h:it Fl‘IlIt’> Joliiiiiy. Ilnt we must riu<i'iio lhiim, not only for the
ropiitatloii of our (‘ountr btit ll(’L‘Illl.'<(‘ of III!‘ booty whirl: Wt’ may got.
out of hot‘, “V011 if she is :1 wrt-cli. Wintliriip, l soli-rt you for tho
' ll('1Hllll'(l.
llu’ out to tho iioaiswiilii to pipe the crew of the llt‘.<l Cllllt‘l‘
aw ‘i’, ii l:ii';:i>, powerfiil boat. prilloil by twolro oars, and all was in
ri-iiiliiii-.<< to launch the tnotiiotit we got Ill‘:lI‘ oiioiigli to Cillllt‘ up into
the wind.
it.
(‘llAl"I‘l-Ill Xlll.
A 4‘IIl'I‘I: txi.ii.i:ut.V1‘.
IN lire m'itiiiti‘s lIl0l'l' Illl‘ >'t‘llUtlll(‘l' (‘riinn tip into llll‘ wind and lost
AXI) A SH Nil’
llt‘l‘Itt':1lllVll)', Ii‘:tYIll‘,[llFIl(‘1lllYllIllI :i mile front the i=liii.it.< wliero the
ljiigl“ .=loop.ol-w:ii lay a total wri-('lt. and limit: tiirrtbly flogged iiy
tlii- i .lVi‘> which britltii 0V(‘2' the beautiful but lll'I]‘lt'.-4.4 hull.
Tlioy hail in:iti:i-gi-it ll soiiio way to set a .‘4lL[llltl of il.sti'ix=.< on ajiiry
iiiast at tho >'ll‘l'll. whii-. was not only a tolmn of siirreniler, but an ap-
peal to our lllt‘l'l‘)' as well.
I .‘ItIll4I in tho Slt‘l'li >ll'(‘IS3 of tho cutter as it was slioroil from the
.<i-liooner, and twelve lusty oars !Il]i]‘t‘iI iiiiicltly into llll‘ H'(‘Illlll;;
Wllfi‘I'.
’l'hi- wiivris were Illll(‘ll liwliei' than I hail 9llll[1(lHl‘(I them to lie, or
tho)‘ >'l‘,(‘lll1‘tl to lie, (lWIllf,( to our liiivtng just loll. III!‘ ili-(‘ks (lI1i$[:ni(‘]i
5(‘IltlOlli‘l' and taltinj; our pla<'e.< in Illl‘ ClIIll‘I'.
At (ill(‘ inonii-nt the I out would be thrown up to llll‘ siiiiiiim of 3
roaring S011, wliosii foiiniy crest liolliiil aiiil siii';.:eilal)ort- the ,':llllW1lll‘S
1iiitl(:iH'l‘Tt'tI us wftli liisslng: spunio, and from tliore wii Sl‘l"lll<‘ll to latit-
tlnivii as from a hilltop tipiin tho siirroiiiiiliiig plain of ‘V'l)[t‘l'.<, whiirn
in one ]II1l(‘t‘ lay tho llthlllllllll Ii'lroliniiil. IWWIIILI to tho Wuvoa iii“. A
lltll)lt‘,.‘1lt‘(‘tl, and in IllltlUl(‘l' place, for which we were steeriiii; ii“. mu,
tionliiss i.loop-of-war, (H’l‘l‘ which the sea was tossiiig; a h: .3‘ spi-iii;
hi:-r hinder part black with liuman beings watclnng us, and then In