The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 19, 1903, Page 7

nt by A. C. D. y . s | a A & . f we ever e uttermost s shls f 1l g b » e dawning . = as £ 8 west le save n emerald e nor'ard under er sr e ter- s stiff e faced man, e z is glass ried, with a voice kn kneed shambled ed the sealed orders, Mr. first lleutenant. gua the week before :ad been con- on reaching ying in st, longitude 6 »p the iron dis- k all that was subordinate. Ca K m his pocket a blue as he unfolded it es Leda and Dido and James the point at s read to the in the hope frigate La tly harassed ter. H £ ected to hunt down sometimes as a has plundered nflicting twinkled and smiled the main and said the cap- r hundred to our one. Captain de : man in the French boy, I'd give my y flag to rub my side up e er Iie turned on his heel, f his momentary lapse. “Mr. said he, Jooking back sternly ove er, “get those square sal ak and bear away & polnt more to the west.” = THE SUNDAY CALL. — oo N a\ SN TR SIS A R 0 NS T A brig on the port bow,” came a voice from the forecastle. A brig on the port bow,” sald the Meu- tenant. The captain spra upon the bulwarks and held on by the mizzen-shrouds, & strange littie figure with flying skirts and puckered eyes. The lean lleutenant craned his neck and whispered to Smeaton, the sccond, while officers and men came pop- PIng up from below and clustered along the weatlier rall, shading their eyes with thelr hands—for the tropical sun was al- ready clear of the palm trees. The strange WA A PURE PIECE- OF BRAVADO, FOR THE GUN COLLD SCARCE CHRRY SIBLF-SWAY. * ers and send the small-arm men to the forecastle.” A British crew went to Its quarters In those days with the quiet serenity of men on their daily routine. In a few minutes, without fuse or sound, the saflors were knotted round their guns, were drawn up and leaning on their mus- kets, and the frigate's bowsprit pointed straight for her litle victim, “Is it the Slapping Sal, sir?"* brig lay at anchor In the throat of a curv- ing estuary, and it was already obvious that she could not get out without pass- ing under the guns of the frigate. A long, rocky point to the north of her held her Keep her as she goes, Mr. Wharton,” said the.captain. “Hardly worth our while clearing for action, Mr. Smeaton, but the men can stand by the guns in case she Cast loose ihs bow-chas- the marines tries to pass us. “T have no doubt of it, Mr, Wharton.” “They don’t seem to like the look of us, #ir. They've cut their cable and are clap- ping on sail.™ It was eyident that the brig meant etruggling for her freedom. Onme little patch of canvas fluttered out above an- other, and her people could be seen work- ing like madmen in the rigging. She made no attempt to pass her antagonist, but Leaded up the estuary. The captaln rubbed his hands. “She’s making for shoal water, Mr. ‘Wharton, and we shall have to out her out, sir. She's a footy little brig, but I should have thought a fore and after would have been more handy.” “It was a mutiny, sir.” “Ah, indeed!" “Yes, sir, I heard of it at Manila; a bad business, sir. Captain and two mates murdered. This Hudson, or Halry Hud- s they call him, led the mutiny. , and a cruel villain son, He's as a Lor ver walked.” “His next walk will be to Execution Dock, Mr. Wharton. She seems heavily manned. I wish I could take twenty top- men out of her, but they would be enough to corrunt the crew of the ark, Mr. Wharton.” Both officers were looking through their glasses at the brig. Suddenly the leu- tenant showed his teeth In a grin, while the captain flushed a deeper red. “That's Hairy Hudson on the after-rail, sir.” ‘he low, impertinent blackguard. He'll play some other antics before we are done with h Could you reach him with the lohg eighteen, Mr. Smeaton?” “Anothex cable length will do it. sir.” The brig yawed as they spoke, and as she came around a spurt of smoke whiffed nér. out from her quartar. It was a pure plecs of bravado, for the gun could scarce carry half way. Then, with a jaunty swing, the little ship came into the wind again and shot around a fresh curve in the winding channel. “The water's shoaling rapidly, sir,” re- peated the second lleutenant. ‘“‘There’s six fathoms by the chart.” Four by the lead, sir.” “When we clear this point we shall ses how we lle. Ha! I thought as much Lay her to, Mr. Wharton. Now we have got her at our mercy.” The frigate was quite out of sight of the sea now at the head of this river- like estuary. As she came around the curve the two shores were seen to con- verge at a point about a mile distant. In the angle, as near the shore as she could get, the brig was lylng with her broadside toward her pursuer and a wisp of black cloth streaming from her mizzen. The lean lieutenant, who had reappeared upon deck, with a cutlass strapped to his side and two pistols rammed into his belt, peered curlously at the ensign. “ls it the Jolly Roger, sir?' he asked. But the captain was furious. ““He may hang where his breeches are hanging before 1 have done with him! sald he. “What boats will you want, Mr. Wharton?"* “We should. do It with the launch and the jolly-boat.” ““Take four and make a clean job of it. Pipe away the crews at once, and I'll work her in and help you with the long eighteens.” With a rattle of ropes and a creaking of blocks the four boats splashed Into the water ‘luelr crews clustered thickly Into them; barefooted sailors, stolid marines, laughing middi and in the sheets of cach senior officers with their stern schoolmaster faces. The captain, his el- bow on the binnacle, still watched the distant brig. Her crew were tricing up the boarding netting, dragging round the starboard guns, knocking new portholes for them, ‘and making every preparation for a desperate resistance. In the thick of it all @ huge man, bearded to the eyes, with a red nightcap upon his head, was straining and stooping and hauling. The captain watched him with a sour smile, and then, snapping up his glass, he turned upon his heel. kor un Instant he stood ring ‘Call back the boats!” he cried in his thin, creaking voice. “Clear away for uc- tion there! Cast loose those main-deck guns. bBrace back the yards, Mr. Smea- ton, and stand by to go about when she has way enough.” Round the curve of the estuary was coming a huge vessel. Her great yellow bewsprit and white-winged figurehead were jutting out from the cluster of palm trees, while high above them towered three immense masts, with the tricolor flag floating superbly from the mizzen Round she came, the deep blue water creaming under her forefoot, until her lcng, curving, black side, her line of copper beneath and of snow- hammocks above, and the thick ors of men who peered over her bul- rks, were all in full view. Her lower rds were slung, her ports triced up, nd her gyns run out all ready for action. Lying bel.wid one of the promontories of ¢ island, the lookout men of the Gloire 1 the shore had seen the cul-de-sac intc which the Bridsh i1 was headed, 80 that Captain de Milon had served the leda as Captain Johnson had the Slap- ping Sal But the splendid discipline of the British ervice was at its best in such a crisis. shining pego a he ts flew back, thelr crews clus tered aboard, they were swung up at the duvits and the fall ropes made fast. Ham- mocks were brought up and stowed, bulk- heads sent down, ports opened, the fires put #nd the drums beat to quarters. Swarms of men set the head salls and brought the frigate around, while the gun crews threw off their jackets and shirts, tight- eded their belts and ran out their eight- een:pounders, peering through the open portholes at the stately Frenchman. The wind was very light. Hardly a ripple rhowed Itself upon the clear, blue water, Lut the sails blew gently out as the breeze came over the wooded banks. The Frenchman had gone about also, and both ships were now heading slowly for the sea under fore-and-aft canvas, the Gloire a hundred yards in advance. She luffed up to cross the Leda’s bows, but the Brit- ish ship came aroun and the two rippled slowily on in such a silence that the ringing of the ramrods as the French marines -drove home their charges clanged quite loudly upon the ear. “Not much sea room, Mr. Wharton," remarked the captain. “I have fought actions in less, sir.” *“We must keep our distance and trust to our gunnery. She is very heavily manned and it she got alongside we might find ourselves in tr8uble.” “I see the shakoes of soldiers aboard of ber.” “Two companies of light infantty from Martinique. Now we have her Hard aport, and let her have It as we cross her atern!” The keen eyes of the little commander had seen the surface ripple. which told of a passing breeze. He had used it to dart across the big Frenchman and to rake her with every gun as he passed But, once past her, the Leda had to come back into the wind to keep out of shoal water. The maneuver brought her on the starboard side of the Frenchman and the trim little frigate seemeéd to heel right over under the crashing broadside which burst from the gaping ports. A moment later her topmen were swarming aloft to set her topsalls and royals and she strove to cross the Gloire's bows and rake her again. The French captain, however, brought his frigate’'s head round and the two rode side by side within easy pistol 7 shot, pouring broadsides into each ether in one of those murderous duels whish, could they all be recorded, would mottle our charts with blood. In that heavy tropical air, with so faint a breeze, the smoke formed a thick hase around the two vessels, from which the topmasts only protruded. Neither could see anything of its enemy save the throbs of fire in the darkness, and the guns were sponged and trained and fired into = dense wall of vapor. On the poop and the forecastle the marines, in two little red lines, were pouring In their volleys, but neither they ner the seamen gunners could see what effect their fire was hav- ing. Nor, indeed, could they tell how far they were suffering themselves, for, standing at a gun. one could but hasily see that upon the right and the left. But above the roar of the cannon came th sharper sound of the piping shot, the crashing of riven planks and the oce sional heavy thud as spar or block came hurtling to the deck. The lieutenant paced up and down the line of guns, while Captain Johnson fanned the smoke away with his cocked hat and peered eagerly out “This is rare, E nt joined h straining himse Mr. Wharton? “Our maintopsail yard and our gaf, Where's the flag “Gone overboard, sir.” “They'll think we've struck. Lash s boat’s ensign on the starboard arm of the mizzen cross jackyard.” “Yes, oir.” A round shot dashed pleces between them. two marines into a b o 'or & moment smoke rose and English captain saw that his adver- heavier metal was producing & horrible effect. The Leda was a shattered wreck. Her deck was strewn with corpses. Beveral of her portholes were knocked into one, and omne of her sightesn-pounder guns had been thrown t back on te Her breech and pointed straight up to the sky. - The thin line of marines still loaded and fired, but half the guns were silen and their crews were piled thickly ar them. “Stand by to repel boarders’™ yelled the captain. “Cutlasses, lads, cutlasses Wharton. ““Holdq your volley till they touch!” cried the captain of marines. The huge loom of the Frenchman was 1 ough the smoke. Thick boarders hung upon her sides final broadside leaped ts and the mainmast of the & short off a few feet above palpitating roared and shrou from her Leda. snapp the deck. sp to the air and crashed down upon the port guns, killing ten men and putting the whole battery out of w on. An instant later the two ships scraped toge d the starboard bower anchor of the Gloire caught the missen chains of the Leda upon the port side. With a yell the black swarm of boarders steadled themselves for & spring. But thelr feet were never to reach fhat blood-stained deck. From, somewhere there came a well-aimed whiff of grape, and another and anotier. The English marines and seamen, walting with and musket behin the silent guns, saw with amazement the dark masses ning and shredding away. At the same time the port broadside of the Frenchmen burst into & roar. “Cle away e wreck!”™ roared the eaptain. “What devil are they fim ing at?” “Get the guns clear!” panted the Hew- tenant. “We'll do them yet, boy The wreckage was torn and hacked and splintered until first one gun and them another roared Into action again. The hor had been cut awey and the Led ked herself free »m that fata it now suddenly here was a s e shrouds of the Gloire, and a dre 1glishmen were shouting themseives hoarse: “They're Frenchman’'s a running! They're running! They're rume ning!" r\:d it was trus. The Frenchman had ceased to fire, and was intent only upon clapping on every sall that he could carry. But that shouting hundred could not claim it all as their own. As the smoke cleared it was not difficult to see the reason. The ships had gained the mouth of the estuary during the fight, and there, about four miles out to Jea, was the Leda's consort bearing down un- der full sall to the sound of the guns. Captain de Milon had done his part for one day, and presently the Gloire was drawing, off swiftly to the north, while the Dido was bowling along at her skirts, rattling away with her bow chasers, until B headland hid them both from view. But the Leda lay sorely stricken, with her malnmast gone, her bulwarks shat- tered, her mizzentopmast and gaff gone away, her sails like a beggar's rags and » hundred of her crew dead and wound- ed. Close beside her a mass of wreckuge flcated upon the waves. It was the stern- post of a mangled vessel, and across it, in white letters on a black ground, was printed, “The Slapping Sal.” By the Lord! It was the brig that saved us!" cried Mr. Wharton. “Hudson biought her into action with the French- man and was blown out of the water by a broadside! The little captain turned on his heel and paced up and down the deck. Already his crew were plugging the shot holes. knot- ting and splicing and mending. When b came back the lieutenant saw a softening of the stern lines about his eyes and mouth. “Are they all gone?” “Every man. They must have sunk with the wrec The two officers looked down at the sinister name and at the stump of wrec age which floated into the discolored wa- ter. Something black washed to and fro beside a splintered gaff and a tangle of halliards. It was the outrageous ensign and near it a scarlet cap was floating. “He was a villain, but he was a Bri- ton,” said the captain, at last. “He lived like a dog, but, by God, he died like & man!”