Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-09-16
From lIarpers Weekly
THE BLOCK ABE RUNNER.

"Yes, Lieutenant, and tough one " erie,
Jerry Bloom, the smallest midshipman in III
United States service, and dozen more vol
ces clamored, in impatiencc for the promise,
yarn. 49,. - -3,.a~ r -."
A heavy sea was running; night had fall
en-; we were off watch, and snugly stowe,
between decks. with our legs under The gun
room table, and a black bottle In our mids,
and-jolIier still-Lieutcnant Bracetaut ha
promised a yarn. A smooth tongue of hi
own had that gentleman, and fertile brain
withal. His stories were the, delight of tn
gun room. His heart was as brave and stron,
as his appetite for grog, and every one love,
him. He filed another glass, looked oscil
Iating at the lantern above our, heads, an,
made beginning. ............. u,..'...
=" 1t was not in these days Of iron pots
cheese boxes, and steam cngines, You mu !
KNOW said he, " but on the dear old frigat
florida-feqaiescat IN pace without he
mate before, breeze, and with more rats il
her hold than in a North Sea whaler. W.
were the flag ship of the African sm,adron
Prize money was scarce, and the days infer
nal hot when, just as the day dropped, tn
close of September, we were enjoyed 10 hea
the tidings Of"
.9e"All hands on deck If you want share o
THIS prize ~ bawled the boat-swair dowl
the companion way; and We ungraoiously
tumbled up, swapping Bracetaut's yarn with
out compunction for we had become greed,
Tor plunder on board the Petrol, and relin
quishcd even our .grog for the hope Of
prize. ..., g.. .r.lz ..t, ... ,.,..',..f =,
y" Whore is shc?" 81,
"What is she ?"
,. ~ don't see her. '- '.. ~" "
s,tI" There she is to the sou'wcst," saidhth
cockswaln, pointing with his spy glass. ~
BY Jovc, steamer, too ~ cried Brace
taut, delshtedly. ""'
1T" The Great Eastern stuffed with cotton t
her scuppers, suggested Jerry Bloom, com
mencing hornppe; and every one else hat
some surmisc to put forth as to the charactel
OF the strange craft. ...
a. !" Bracetaut is right" said the Captain
who had been studying intently with his tol
escopn; "she'sa steamer, and big 'uu.-
But she's not coming out; she's making fol
the Lights with her best foot foremost"
We were glad to hear Of it, for even cottoI
can be forborne for the sake OF English rifles
hospital stores and army stuifs. We cracked
on more steam, unfurled the top gallants,ant
made all preparations for a short chase. W.
had been to Philadelphia for coal, and were
still fifty knots from our old station on thu
North Carolina coast, to which we were run
ming. There was heavy sea from the tenn
pest Of the day before but the sky wa!
cloudless and the moon unusually bright
and our craft was the sviitest IN the squad
ron; so that with so much sea room, we hal
little doubt Of oycrbauling the stranger be
fore she could reach the protecting guns o.
Fort Macon. a mere speck at first, the ob
ject of our attention grew rapidly bigger a!
we sped on under the extra head of steam
and the strainihg top gallants. She enlarge,
against the sky as big as whale, md ii
few moments we distinguished the column
of black smoke which her low chimney!
traiicd against the sky, but she. seemed /,
have little canvass stretched. Indeed, tn,
gale was yet so strong that an cxtcnsiv
spread of sail was imprudent.pn" "ni,"a
9," See what you make Of her Bacotaut,
said the Captain, handing his telescope &
the weather worn seaman. 81 would b
sure that she's none Of our own. "1naI9. .u'
"Clyde built all over" unused the I.ieutcn
ant, with his eye to the tube. 4" No one bu
cockney could have planted her masts
and her jib has the Bristol cut. She see
you, and is doing her best. doubt if you'I
catch her. t ...g ......... ..t H..
/" The h--ll we won't Let out the stud
ding sails trim the lib p roared the com
mander through his trumpet "I'li sprca,
every sail if we scrapc the sky. More heat
if possible, JONES' he added ; and the engi
necr went below TO see what could be done
The gale was strong, and her head Of stean
was already great; but we soon seemed 4
leap from crest to crest under the surplus 0
replcnishcd fires, and her masts fairly ben
under their pressure of canvass. Eyerybod,
was agog with excitement, and half thc sea
men were in, the rigging with .peering eye
and noisy spoculations as to tho vessel an,
her coatcnts. n f..,,,.n ,r,r 5.,....,l.t .sa d.
i" Try her with the bow chaser, Captain,
suggested the lieutenant; and the order wa
Immediately given. s1t"f wf< o"T
+" No go. it's a good three miles," growlet
Captain B., measuring the interval ono,
more with his glass. 'ft1l En4fs = 10 aa,-2.a.
"a" Let me try" said Bracctaut, quietly tax
ing his stand behind the gun. which wa,
now being charged anow, and carefully I'D
justing the screws. ~ " .t7Hms'' q
Again the sullen thunder spouted from th'
port, and we marked tho ball by its path o
fire. .ass' g. 24' IN "Ea..esl r.. .'g.5t ii
y" Gone again." grumblcd tho skipper. -
"Wc're paving the floor Of the sea with
LA - y z". boo tsla@". ssl % res"a
For an instant the messenger had vanished
like its predecessors; then, far away to iii,
South there sprang q fountain of spray-it'.
last dip into the brine--and the mizzen mas
Of the stranger snapped short off at the eros.
trees, and dragged cloud of useless canvas.
down her shronds. .@.,. f.,...s.sg, s.i ,....
"Bravc shotr' exclaimed the Captain.
TRY again, Lieutenant"
"i'ry, try again" sang that devil Of a mid
dy, Jerry Bloom, ronowing his hornpipe Il
the terror Of the cock SWANS bunions.
But the rigging Of the stranger suddenly
grewablack with men, tho broken spars wcr,
cleared away as if by magic, another sal
puffcd out broadly from the fore top to omak,
up for the defraudcd mixzen- mast, ana ever
as we gazcd strain Of band music cam,
floating over the sea, with the ,Bonny Blu,
Flag" for its burden. ~ Il II u,
"Shc's telling her name" said Bracctaut
laughing. ... ~ =. ',..5... =.
Yes; but she Is going to kick u.s." crict
Jerry, as long tongue Of flame lcaped from
Al d ..11: 4