The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1851-10-21

VIII sometimes drive Stranger from The dooI
with his internal clalter, aud a great show o
fight; and SO began peting away at the stran
ger with my little skies, before she had got,
within range OF a two aud forty paxian.
livery soon discovered, however, that my
enemy was customer who was MOTTO be
frightened off by my merely barking a, him;
for he came steadily on under all canvass, bear
Ing down upon us as il he intended TO run US,
aboard, and sweep our decks with the pike and
cuilass.
Then commenced our desperate defence ia
all It's fury. With The sullen energy Of des
pair, wepied Our busy guns, while the lille
craft teeled and staggered like drunken man,
under the quick, successive shock of our tiny
three gun battery.
The Mexican was still mile distant, and
our guns which would not carry more than
half that distance were doing terrible execu-
lion; r9cheuing and fneiug the salt spray 10
10 The air like shoal of crazy doIpbins.
was cheering on my brave fellows, and we
we're all going into il like horses, when all at
once in The midst Of the glorous din, the
matches were applied 10 all three OF our guns
al the same moment; apd-maledicton on the
nlan who east II! one OF the blasted tlle things
spht open like reed from end To end; aud an
other, ling under the effect OF an over
charge, broke atriit from its moorings, and run
Mug backwards, Il caosized over The combines
OF the main hatch, aud weit smash down into
me hold among the ballast.
Here was an unexpected catastrophe; and
for moment, we all stood and gazed upon
each other in silent horror; and then, as il by
mutual consent, we made a simultaneous rush
towards the remaining gun; the whole sixteen
Of US pling on 10 the lille piece determined TO
cling TO our last hope, and never surrender
while there was one in the locker.
But sixteen OF us were altogether too many
Tor the little gun aud for ourselves too; foi we
got aioul Of each other in all shape, One chap
flung ball ioto the empty gun, and two or
three more drove half dozen cartridges down
on top OF it, while aooiher was trying with all
his might, TO touch her off.
II was lucky mistake for the fellows around
the muzzle of the gun, that they got the ball
10 before the powder; otherwise the confounded
fool with the match would have blown them
further than we had pitched any of our shot
that day.
As # to render the confusion complete, one
of my crew, half crazy with excitement and
whiskey, seized match, and set fire to a pile
of cartridges which lay on deck. AS our good
fortune would have it, the cartridges were
pretty thoroughly wet, or there would in all
probability have been an inglorious end TO our
fighting days. As il was, the scene was GER
tanIy laughable. The wet cartridges fzzed
and sputIered, and darred about the boat like
Chinese chasers; and we, developed n clouds
Of ulphureous smoke, were dancing aGd yell
ling like mad men.
Ia the very midst ofour wild, crazy antics,
our dreaded enemy the Mexican, rasped along
side. aud through the dense folds Of smoke,
discovered our crew pouring 10 upon our decks.
and yelling like demons.
On the instant shouted:
"Bordets, repel boaiders fore and alt.' aud
spinging forward grappled a brawny Mexi-
can, and flung him headlong down the hatch
way ~ keep company with our capszed eau
non. Seizing the second one, was about TO
huIl him after his companion, when my arm
was grasped as il 10 an iron grip, and at the
same moment we'll known voice fell upon my
ear. | dropped my intended victim. aud turn
ing around | stood confronting my superior
officer, Captain James G. Parker, commander
Of the Formosa.
"Wha, the devil are you trying to do,
George!" said Parker. '.Do you want TO kill
yourself and evory body else, with your con-
founded nonsensel"
"No sir, don't. But where in the name of
ca,-harPens aud cross-troes did you come
front"
Come from! why from my own vessel
along side here"
"Along side herc!'' exclaimed, in aston
ishment. ''Why thought that was a Mexi-
can"
"a Mexican!" rejoincd Parker. "What in
thunder pnt that idea in your head!'
Don't know" / replied. Il saw you had a
topsI seat, and you loomed up SO big, coming
along down there in the fog, and IL
"Ha-ha -ha." roard Parker. .You internal
fool! you'd better go and charter Niagara Falls
for year, and put your head in soak. Last
night when the gale came op," continued Par
ker, by way of explanation, II hove too, head
to the eastward, and by the time that it was
over, had drifed pretty well down 10 leeward,
and as soon it got moderate enough, to-day,
| stood along back to look for you, aud find
ing that old flying topsail 10 the hold, turned
TO and set II, aud that and the fog together,
transformed me into Mexican man-of war"
Before we separated that afternoon, we ar
ranged code Of signals. so that in future
might recognize my flag captain, when met
him on the high seas.