Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1864-08-02

against the bars OF their cage, gnasbing
their teeth, and httering savage growis,
which min gled strangely with the bowling
of the gale and the airing of the ocean
As night set in they grew much worse,
until tho noise became demonical. By
this time the gale had somewhat abated,
but the clouds had turned to pitchy
blsckness, and heavy thunder storm was
now raging around as The night, save
when relieved by flashes of lightning, was
one of intense, gloom. and what with the
creaking of the ships timbers, the loud,
sharp crashes of thunder, the roaring Of
the still turbulent sea, the dying shrieks of
the gale, and the bowling of theswild anil
mails, we might have INDUCED IN the fancy
tt at we were in the internal reaiRps rather
than on board the shin 'MaxE
Bill Sings said the csetain, sthe
rain began to descend in torrents, get
thesbacke:s and haIig them up to catch
water
With his usual alacrity the back woods.
man was Obeying the command, when an
unexpected loll Of the vessel caused the
captain TO lose his balance and slip-his
head coming III violent contact with one of
the buckets that Bill was in the act Of
raising. Without pausing to reflect that
the fault OF the accident lay in himself, the
Skipper, in q fit of ungovernable rage, lift
ed his foot and dealt our shipmate furi>
Gus kick in the side !; tut the next moment
he found himself lying in the lee scuppers,
to which place he had been sent by pow.
erful blow from the fist of the one on
whom be bad SO upjustly vented his anger.
Picking himself up, he roared out in a
voice hearse with rage:
'Mutiny mutinyl Officers. seize that
man. Pound him-kick him--;rample him
under footr
But, grasping Ratchet lying upon the
carpenters bench, the back Woodsman
placed bis back against the weather rail
and vowed that be would cleave the scuIl
of the first man who attempted to lay
hands on him Perceiving that his officers
did not dare to make the assault, the caps
tain despatched bis son, lad of fourteen.
to bring him up the tOutle barrelied gun
that was lying, ready loadod, in his state
room. The boy obeYed,' and returning
soou placed the weapon in his fathers
hands. Pointing it at che head of Bill
Sings, the skipper roared out:
Give up that Ratchet and surrender, or
you are dead man.
AT SDlS SfitlCd4 IL CRASH was
heard in the after part of the vessel, and
the next moment O wild cry of terror from
the lips Of the captains SOD. as be sprang
into the main rigging uad begen speedily
to ascend, pursued by the catamount. which
had at last succeeded ia bursting open tae
door Of her cage All this had occurred So
suddenly, tina. the boy and his pursuer
had disappeared in the darkness aloGt ere
the captain could recover his presence of
mind. Armed with such weapons as were
nearest at hand, few of the men had al
ready lsaped into the rigging and speeding
up the ratlnes as fast as their encumber>
ed hands would admit.
oh, God my sonny sOh-save him T!
cried the excited parent, as a sudden fash
of Lightning revealed to his sight the form
of his boy in the top mast shrouds, with
the fierce animal few feet below him. 1t
was plainly evident that the -catamount
would reach her prey ere the men e'uld
succeed in attacking her, as the sailors had
not vet got near the top.
Another flash of lightning, and the
sharp crack of the captains rife, hastily
pointed in the direction Of the beast. rang
out upon the gale, mingling with the ter
+ fc crash Of thunder which burst forth
simultaneously with the report. But look
ing III vain for the descending form OF the
animal, and perceiving that he had missed
his mark. uttered a cry of such heart reud-
i'm anguish, that, n0twithsta landing the late
quarrel, they had, the noble heart of Bill
Sings thrilled with pity us he listened to
him.
Having discharged but one barrel of the
instrument another yet remained Loaded
and the captain felt that the next shot
would decide the fate of his son, for it was
plain that ere he could have time to reload
after his second fire, the boy must be torn
to pieces by the savage beast, if indeed
this had not already taken place.
Elevating his piece, he anxiously waited
fer another flash, but when that fash came
be did not fire. lie had seen his son cling
irg ID the extreme end of the top gallant
yard arm far up aloft, while the catamoun
was but few PAGES from him, making
frantic efforts to .extricate one of her hinC
legs from @ rope 10 which it had become
entangled. So cloee to each other were
the animal and her prey, that the anxious
father had not dared to discharge hi
piece, held moreover by hands which shool
from excitenent>-lest the shot shoulC
strike his boy Instead of the animal fO
which it was intended.
'Cap'n,' said Bill Sings, at this juno
ture. you just give me that rife of youru
| aud I'll fix the critter Ia no time. I'm al
old hand a. the business, and could hit tn,
varmint if he war twice as high. Then
paws of yOurn shake so, it's no wonde
you couldn's fetch the catamount.'
There was something in the behavior o
the baekwOOdsmah TO inepire confidence a
once, and the captain allowed him to TAX
the weapon from his hands. He was fear
| fully excited, and his whole frame shoUl
like an aspen.
Bill had scarcely elevated his piece whel
another fash of lightning illumined tn
ship. and wild exclamation of anguish
burst from the captains lips. as he behelC
the ferociOus beast disengage himself frou
the rope and make spring toward tn
! boy. But the exclamation was almos
drowned in the report of the rifle discharg
ed by the baekwoodsman at the same mo.
inert Then wild, piercing cry went N
/ amid the storm-a cry like that of blu
man being-and something dark was seeI
as it descended through the gloom, ant
fell with loud splash into the sea.
The captains face grew pale as death
so pale that we could see it flash out dis
tinctly through the darkness.
That cry he gasped, laying his han,
on Bills shoulder, was human. Oh
God Wretch, wretch, you have killed m
son r
Bill did not answer.
With outstretched neck, he gazed stead
lily upwards. as though be would pierc
the gloom which shrouded the yards frou
sight.
Has this shot struck the beast or 81
captains SOD 2 was the question shoute
to the men alOft The wind hoWled, th
thunder crashed, the sea rcored and tn
ships timbers cracked dismally-but Their
came De answer. The suspense was fear
ful. The captain groaned, and then stag
4 gered against the rail, while Bills fac
grew as white as a sheet We could hea
his big heart humping against his bosom
The question was repeated tie sseon