The Columbian fountain., 1846-04-07
II III E f II G A E'S TIE Nd e II .
BY PROF. J. H. rNGRAHAM.
IConcI,sdeI J

TIL E FRIG ATE'S TEND e II !.
BY PROF. J. H. rNGRAHAM.
CConcluded.
"Heart and hand, sir" responded Frank
Talbot, with enthusiasm. 9Will you allow
me to be the hand on deck to work the
sloop?n
eyes if you can talk real Weathersfeld
Yankee"
"Wall, rather guess | ken, tho ] amt
been to Connecticut among 'em since the
last grass ,?
This reply was pronounced in such an
inimitable Yankee dialect, that the lieute-
nant burst into a hearty laugh.
"You will do, Frank. Now we want to
go to the Anchor rendezvous in Pearl st.,
and drum up about five and thirty men.
Take only the daring and ready for any
thing. Let none Of them know your OBJ
ject, lest we should be betrayed by inform
alton being conveyed to the tender. You
will find men enoug h in these times that
will ask no questions. Meet me at twelve
O'Clock at the Exchange Reading Room and
report to me-"
The midshipman then took his leave and
hastened up to the Battery. The lieutenant
returned to the group, and taking aside the
masters mate, whom he knew, laid briefly
before him his project. The old tar enter
ed into it with all zeal. Together they went
to the docks, where, on account Of the
blockade, lay idle a large number ofvessels
of every description. They were not long
in discovering such a craft as suited them.
A Hudson sloop of seventy tons. She was
Immediately put in trim for sailing by the
masters mate, and three or four men whom
he employed, while the officer proceeded
to buy up and send on board his live stock
The morning following these events, the
tender of the British frigate was standing
off and on, under easy sail, and close in
with Sandy Hook. The wind was from the
southwest and blowing about five knot
breeze. The sky was without cloud, and
only gentle undulaton lifted the surface
Of the ocean. The tender was clipper
built vessel, very long and narrow in the
beam, and constructed wholly with an eye
to her fast sailing qualities and she gave
proof of them by overhauling every thing.
She carried amidships long thirty-two
FOUNDER. Her crew consisted of about for
ty men, in the uniform of the British Ma
Wy. They were now principally assembled
in the bows and on the windlass, talking or
watching the shore. Aft, the officer of the
deck, bluff, bull-faced young English
MILDLY, was lounging over the quarter rail-
ing, smoking cigar. The man at the helm
had sinecure for his post, for the vessel
skipped along so easily that she seemed al
most to steer herself.
"Sal ho % cried the lookout from the
heel Of the bowsprit.
"Where away'" quickly demanded the
officer.
"In shore, two points forward the BEAM"
"Aye, aye, / see !" answered the MILDLY,
leveling his glass at sloop just stealing
out of the harbor, closely hugging the
shore. s'It is another of the Yankee coast
ers. A sail in shore, Mr.. Stanley !" Said
he, speaking through the sky-Hght
The lieutenant, stout, fleshy, port-wne
visaged John Bull, came on deck and took
sight at the stranger, which was about a
league distant
"It is a lumber sloop; but we will
oTlnS HeT 10, IL Sne udreS to venture out
for we may get some fresh provisions and
vegetables from her, if nothing more"
"Shall put her on another tack, sir ?"
+ "Not yet. Keep on as we are, till the
sloop gets an offing. five run for her
now, she will take refuge in the harborp'
The soop stood out for half mile, and
then hauling her wind, beat down along the
land The tender delayed the chase until
she had got too far from the entrance of the
harbor to get back again, and then putting
about, run for her so as to cut her off, The
soop seemed to take alarm, and putting
about, began to make the best of her way
toward the harbor she had left. Confident
in the speed of his own vessel, the En-
glish Lieutenant felt satisfied that the chase
was already his, and laughed at the efforts
of the sloop to get away.
At length they came near enough to the
sloop to see that her decks were covered
with pigs and poultry.
ga rare haul we shall make this morn
ing," said the MILDLY. Enough chicken
pie for the whole of the frigate's crew, to
say nothing of turkes and roast pig for the
cabin"
"What a regular sab-sided Yankee
skipper she has at her helm Man and
boy, she has stout crew ~ said the lieu