Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-09-16
From IIarper's Weekly
? THE BLOCKADE RUNNER.

Yes, Lieutenant, and tough one, ;" cried
Jerry Bloom, the smallest midshipman in the
United States service, and dozen more vol
ces clamored, in impatience for the promised
yarn. .#'s ~ aFtsaI.H ..5 .-ra
"A heavy sea was running night had fall
en-; we were off watch, and snugly slowed
between decks, with our legs under The gun.
room table, and black bottle in our midst
and-joler stll--Lieutcnant Bracetaut had
promised a yarn. A smooth tongue of his
own had that gentleman, and n fertile brain,
withal. His stories were the delight of the
gun room His heart was as brave and strong
as his appetite for grog and every ono loved
him. He filled another glass, looked oscil,
lating at the lantern above our. heads, and
made a beginning:
'i" 1t was not in these days Of iron pots,
cheese boxes, and steam efeines, YOU mus,
KNOW said he, " but on the dear old frigatc
florlda-reqalescat IN pace! without her
mate before breeze, and with more rats in
her hold than in North Sea whaler. We
were the flag ship Of the African squadron
Prize money was scarce, and the days infer.
nal hot; when, just as the day dropped, the
close Of September, we were enjoyed to hear
the tidings Of" H.. - ''.s''
r9e"All hands on deck If yo,, want a share OF
Mis prize " bawed the boat-swain down
the companion way; and .wo ungraoiously
tumbled up, swapping Bracetaut's yarn with.
out compunction for we had become greedy
for plundcr on board the Petrol, and relin-
quished even our .grog for the hope of a
prize. ...t g.. .ra7 ..n ... ....,,r,g r.rr
''" Where is she?" -,
"What is she ?''
IT .IopN o,o hos ....s D.. IL. ~
. A" There she is to the sou'west," said athe
cockswain, pointing with his spy glass. .s
by Joyc, steamer, too ~ cried Brace
taut, deliehtedly. 's" 's''''''. . ID n. F''''
r" The Great Eastern stuffed with cotton to
her; scuppers," suggested Jerry Bloom, com
mcncing hornpipe; and every one else had
some surlnisc to put forth as to the character
OF the strange craft. .....
!" Bracetant is right" said the Captain,
who had been studying intently with his tol.
escopn; "she's steamer, and Il big 'uu.---
But she's not coming out she's making for
the Lights with her best foot foremost"
We were glad to hear Of it, for even cotton
can be forborne for the sake Of English rifles,
hospital stores and army stutfs. We cracked
on more steam, unflrled the top -gallants, and
made all preparations for n short chase. We
had been to Philadelphia for coal, and were
still fifty knots from our old station on the
North Carolina coast, to which we were rum
ming. There was heavy sea from the tenn.
pest Of the day before; but the sky was
cloudlcss and the moon unusually bright,
aud our craft was the swiftest IN theISquad,
ron; so that with SO much sea room, we had
little doubt of oycrbauling the stranger be-
fore she could reach the protecting guns Of
Fort Macon. a mere spcck at first, the OBJ
ject Of our attention grew rapidly bigger as
we sped on under the extra head of steam
and the straining top galants. She enlarged
against the sky as big as whale, and in a
few moments we distinguished the column
of black smoke. which her low chimneys
trai,cd against the sky, but she seemed to
have little canvass stretched Indeed, the
gale was yet so strong that an extensive
spread Of sail was imprudent.hn ,"niH"' q
~ See what you make Of her Bracotaut,'' u
said the Captain, handing his telescope to
the weather. worn seaman. " would bt
sure that she's none of our own" ."1ns51a. a..
"Clyde built all over" unused the Lie,ltcn
ant, with his eye to the tube. "No one bu,
a cockney could have planted her masts
and her jib has the Bristol cut. She sees
you, and is doing her best. doubt if you'll
catch her. .... l.- -.... .ss' 49,. .a
/" The h--ll we won't! Let out the stud
ding sails trim the jib!' roared the com
mander through his trumpet. "IIl spread
every sail if we serapc the sky. More head
if possible, JONES'" he added and the engi.
necr went below TO see what could be done
The gale was strong, aud her head Of steam
was already great; but we soon seemed &c
leap from crest to crest under the surplus o
replenishcd fires, and her masts fairly ben
under their pressure of canvass. Everybody
was agog with excitement, and half ihc sea
men were in, the rigging with ,peering eyes
and ,noisg. speculations as to tho vessel am
her coatents. I..,... ,,s,, ,s....,. ....,. d
"Try her with the bow chaser, Captain,
suggested the Lieutenant; and the order was
Immediately given. @fnf "#< 'tf
mo go! it's a good three miles," growled
Captain B., measuring the interval once
more with his glass .al = !, . ~ lu-aa.a
7" Let me try" said Bracotaut, quietly TAX
ing his stand behind the gun, which was
now being charged anew, and carefully ad
justing the screws. Es'iaa'aiE .' 81
Again the sullen thunder spouted from the
port, and we marked tho ball by its path Of
fire. a-'#E44 e1' t4 @Ea,l#ib ltta e,9a ys 3f
2" Gone again." grumblcd tho skipper. -
"We're paving the floor Of the sea with
LA ~ 80 f0Eaa, boa ftf#>"t 3"i 90 fe2ag
For an instant the messenger had vanished
like its predecessors; then, far away 10 the
South there sprang fountain of spray--it's
last dip into the brine--zand the mizzen mast
Of the stranger snapped short of at the cross
trees, and dragged a cloud of useless canvass
down her shrouds. :, ,,.s, ,......s.,.a.....s. s.s
'"Brave shotl p exclaimed the Captain
"Try again. Lieutenant"
"Try, try again" sang that devil Of mid
dy, Jerry Bloom, renowing his hornpipe Il
the terror Of the cock .swain's bunions.
Bat the rigging of the stranger suddenly
grewablack with men, tho broken spars were
cleared away as If by magic, another sail
putfed out broadly from the fore-top tomake
up for the lefraudcd mixzen-mast, and even
as we gazcd1a strain of band music came
floating over the sea, with the Bonny Blue
Flag" for its burden. h, " ,l 4.le
she's telling her naine," said Bracctaut
laughing. '.a ., a.. .l ..,og =. a.
"Ycs but she Is going to kick u.s." cried
Jerry, as long tongue Of flame lcaped from
the strangers stern and the rolling thunder
came to us almost simultaneously with tho
ball, which whlstlcd through our tops, letting
down heavy splinter on the cockssain's
head, who dropped like dead map, but was
only, stunned. ,...,s Aka tI;., .t.l
ri was evident that the stranger was
plucky, and not to be taken alive We still
worked on her with our bow gun, seldom
doing much damage, but with the best Of in
tentioiis While She Kicked off the point o.
our bowsprit With provoking ease, and burnt
an ugly hole through our main top SAIL
SPY jingo |! she's growing saucy," said
Captain B.. q 81 Now let me. have q Shy .
and grasping the piece with practiced hand
he swiftly adjusted it.. q '. .ta'
" Huzza told you so clean through
her poop!"
Sure ciiough, the shot struck her after
tbulwarks, aad must have played hob with
the chandeliers in the cabin. 1871 a2tii 81.
\ Just wait ill we give her a broadside,' 2
added the winger Of the bolt, rubbing his
hands good humoredly. Il daae glTi II
""We mustn't wait too long, then, !" said
the cool Lieutenant, ''fors / see Lookout
Lights. Il In half an hour VIC shall be undel
the guns OF Fort Macon.p 8 t5iifJ 3,li a7of