Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1861-06-01
"Sail bo To wiuawsrd r. shouted the Su.

4
The mystery was solved. About three
leagues TO windward, end coming on like a
| race. horse, was heavy frigate Of so guns,
| With The British ensig6 6yiogi eud Llpbi.
| gepie had not moment To lose If che was
ever to drop anchor in q Frerch port again
The frigate must have been 10 sight some
time before; but the sloop and corvette had
been too iptently observant oi each other to
notice her approach.
The arrival of the frigate upon the scene Of
action placed the mutineers in the deadlipst
peril. Fortunately for them their leader was
mau Of resources and unqualing resolution.
fi course was instantly taken.
The British ensign few uloft again the
sloop was got under commsnd, und then lay
to. -Four fellows, whom the gunner had
measured with his eye aud sert below. Quickly
re.sppenred in captsiu and leutenant's epau-
lettes, coats, cooked bats. g.. Then. opening
the srgna-book, with the myst .ies Of which
he was perfectly acquainted, KING prepared
TO reply, secund,m driem TO any qup,y ad.
dressed 10 him by the frgate winch replies
be hoped would induce her to continue 10
chase OF the corvette. If the irigate, bow.
ever, showed unmstakable symptoms of in.
sistiDg on q personal visit to ascertain the
meaning Of what had occurred there would
be nothing for il bnt to show u clean pair of
heels, and with such a craft under their feet,
the Saturns would still have fair chance Of
giving the rope necklace dangling before the
eyes of every mothers son OF them, the 10 by,
Tor that bout, at oil events.
The frigute continuing her pursuit of the
corvette would pass within about u league Of
the Saturn. AT that distance, if she did not
change her course, il would be plain she
intended sticking by the Frerchnnn, and
present peril to the Sgtnrns would have
passed away.
The frigate, clipper evidently was still
considerably more than league distant when
she began signalling.
what ship is that ?"
"His Britanuic Msjesty's sloop of war
Saturn. Captain the Honorable Charles
F." (prvale number sbown)
why Was your ensign luwered?"
"Halliards shot away"
The next query, almost impossible to be
plausibly answered King feared would be,
why didn't yon fire ?" Ii had only this
hope, that as the corvette had kept up u
rapid but lubberly aimed FIRE, the friga,e
would not, at the distance she was then of,
have imagined that oil the smoke aud noise
came from ths Frenchman's guns. Kings
hope was realized.
do you want any help7' was the next
signal query.
No; we shall have repaired damages 10
about an hour, and will follow 10 chase
Il need hardly say that two men, in epaulpt.
ted coats ano cooked hate, we're standing
with King by the signal book. There was
no lear that the frigates telescopes could
reveal features ut that distance
-, r 81 r.,
continued her chase after the corvette. which
may, inter aha remark, was unsuccessful.
The FrenchmaO, hS changing his course
during the night managed to battle The
pursuer.
The Saturns breatbed freely AGAIN, and
King, before assembling general council of
war, ordered tho main brace to be spliced.-
Whilst they are fulfilling that always agree.
able order, shall be able to state why il was
that the gunner felt for Captain the Honors.
BILE Charles F. so intense, so unmitigable
u hatred.
King was q native of Sidmouth, Devon,
where resided his wife with their son john,
au only child. This young man. u s,rapllng.
wildlh chap, had got, when about twenty
years OF age, into scrape with one Susan
Blake, also native OF Sldmnu;h, q scrspe
which, IN these days, if the offender is of an
humble class 10 life, is held to be- utone1 for
by the payment OF a half a crown per week.
Susan Blake was clever, ay, aud good
girl, spite Of the slip she had mnde and
John King, who Was much attached tn her,
would have repaired his fault by marriage,
though Uethrr be nor she had u shilling TO
begin housekeeping with. but the young man
was habitusliy guilty Of more heiuols Of
fence than the one mentioned, in the eyes of
the local msgnates. John KiEg was skill
ful, invet-rate pOacher, and as his legitimate
W cation was that Of a fisherman, the common
dodge was resortrd to Of getting rid Gf him
by mesus Of the press ga0g John, through
the warnings OF bis mates, damaged to evade
capture for two or three weeks but as he
was sure to he grabbed at last, he, his no.
ther, with poor Susan sadly concurring. dtci
ded that the wisest step be could take was 10
make the best Of his way to Portsmouth. and
enter himself on board the Saturn, of which
his father had received the appointment Of
master gunner.
Wnen John King arrived at Portsmouth,
and entered the Saturn, bis father had not
joined. The day after be did so, the sioop
sailed for the North American station.
Possibly, Wild young fellow, like John
King, may, by iDsoence or INSTRUMENTATION,
w oOiHc nave thIUeu, hCCOTulhS W tue
cruel naval code then prevailing. severe pun
ishment; hut not the terrible. almost cunin.
uous. torture indicted on him by Captain the
Honorable Charles F.. He was hogged
no less than six times during the short period
the Satura served on the American station !;
till at last. even the surgson-a tmid man,
and great respecter Of diguities-was com
PEELED TO remonstrate.
His father had once, and once only. endea
vored to beg his son off. Tbs pnsiton was
contemptuously spurnsd. After that, the
grim gunner persisted in witnessing the car.
rying- out Of the sciences passed upon his sou.
tie showed on such occasions none Of the
common signs Of emotion. lie neither spoke
nor writhed. aud his fierce eyes we're DRY as
red hot steel Captain Charles p was
as have said, more Shan usually brave
man; but the officers remarked. soto r0ce
amongst themselves, that he never, by any
chance, trusted himself sione upon the deck
of dark night with Robert King.
The main brace having been abundanrly
splced. d general council of the mulueers
was held on deck. II was brief and decisive
| u fact, the mater gunner was himself the
council.
Robert King, first ordering a grating to
he rugged, directed the officers to be brought
nnnn danl