Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1859-09-24
$500 PER ANNUM.

o was over, his excitement suddenly evaporated
and the poor little wretch dropped upon tn
= deck, mere lifeless rag soaked in spirits, an,
was carried off to his hammock.
These two great rivals met for the first tim
} of Cape la Hogue, and in circumstance o
some interest. The English privateer was il
: chase of French brig loaded to the gunwale
and stretching in desperation under a clout
qf canvass for Cherbourg. But the efforts o
the latter were vain; for it was Hunger tina
was after her, and the importunate Beggal
would not be denied. She was just about tt
surrender as the guns of her pursuer thun.
dercd quicker and quicker over the abyss,
when suddenly the desert circle of water,
which was their field of strife, opened at ano-
ther point of the horizon about three leagues
distant, and there entered upon the arena
two other vessels. One of these fed, and the
other pursued, and the sound of their distant
cannonade came sullen and subdued over the
deep. They were of course French and Eng.
lish; and Captain Beggar had here m oppor-
tunity of saving countryman and destroying
an enemy. But the privateers,. even in the
construction of the law, were aHoat on their
own account they were under no legal con-
straint toainterfere and even after the stran-
gers proved to be an English argosy in the
very clutches of the Grenouille, Captain Beg
gar looked with his hungry eyes at the heavy
French brig, teeming with spoil, and stood
| irresolute.
Desiring to learn the enemy's intention, he
at length put his ship about, and msde a
sweep round, as il with the view of exa;min-
ing the newcomers from a different guar ter.
This man@uvre was exactly initiated by Cap
tain Grenouille and by and by the two pri-
vateers were in a line in which, II far enough
| produced, they must have met. As they
came nearer and nearer, they both cleared for
| action but even when greatly within cannon
range, not gun spoke their counsel. When
at length they might have fought with pistols,
a small boat was seen putting of from the
Grenouille and Captain Beggar, leaping in
stantly into his yawl, went out to meet her,
as in politeness bound, half way. The two
captains saluted each other az their boats came
| alongside.
"What are we to be about :" said Captain
Grenouille.
"Don't KNOW" replied Captain Beggar.
"If l take you, what shall do with your
rascally crew, that are not worth fve-franc
piece %
Sand il l take you, what shall make of
yours for the whole boiling of whom would
not give herring i''
'.Then should lose yonder three masted-
prize"
"And yonder brig, with cargo that seems
bursting out OF her matches for very richness"
"suppose we each go about our own bust
ness 2"
"Done.'
"Done."
''shall we do little more, Captain Frog"
"Say away, Captain Beggar."
"Well, there are ten ships of ours which
will pay thousand pounds apiece, if bring
them safely through the channel. Will you
let them alonef One good turn, you know''-
"0f course. Here is list happen to have
in my pocket of ten customers of the same
sort. Give me yours. Is it agreedi"
"Agreed; and the two captains, first shak-
ing hands, and then pulling on hats, returned
to their own ships, and bore away for oppo-
| site points of the horizon.
The FACTION was honorably kept. Gold be-
came drug among the privateers, who could
hardly contrive ito spent it fast enough to
prevent its accumulation and Captain Gre
nouille, who still held to his crotchet of in
vestmcnt, was at length SO great landed pro-
prietor, that he had serious thoughts of giving
up the sea, except cruise against the English
now and then for amusement.
One day, when this idea was passing
through his mind, and with the greater force,
that he had been securing the channel for
week without falling in with anything worth
his attention, a promising object was seen on
the verge Of the leeward horison. 1t proved
to be large, dusky, awkward ship, which lay
upon the water like an island and the heart
of Captain Grenouille was glad within him,
as he noted her unwieidy bulk, her peaceful
build, and fat, bloated appearance. A thou
sand jibes passed from mouth to mouth OH
the privateer's deck, as they set their vessel,
with her gigantic sail, large before the wind,
and trunded down upon the stranger, rolling
from side to side, now over, and now under
the waves, like a..porpoise gamboling after
shoal Of herrings. They likened the huge
merchantmen to a sleeping whale, whose
blubber they would have under matches in no
time and then they described her as an
overgrown turtle, which they would out up
and devour for dinner. The object of their
jocularity, in the mean time, as if confiding in
her vastness, took no notice Of their approach
and Captain drenouille, as he neared her
threw his ship up in the wind, that he might
not damage his green and gold frog against
the senseless sides Of the leviathan.
81 see nothing on Deck" said Captain Gre
nouille, when they were within stone s-cast,
'but dog, and man in cotton nightcap.
Ahoyl'' beloved he through his speaking
trumpet (which of you two is the captain %
"Tis l." replied the man in the cotton
night-cap-" Captain Beggar l''-and at
the word, discharge of musketry swept the
decks OF the French piivateer as with besom.
Captain Grenouille, like most of his comrades,
was laid PROSTATE; and when he next opened
his eyes, he found himself in tho prison Of
Plymouth.
He was one Of the ten Frenchmen who ef-
r.. .Ac1 u.