Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1865-06-21

( anu dS iLiS Is the Ii w 1 = - NttAiC bI
see. But then the fellow may slide out
ahead of his time, as it is the dark of the
moon So it is better to be on hand, than
| behindhand
Land-O-right ahead, sir. sung out
| the lookout aloft. lust at this moment
"Ah, we'r near enough Mr.. Garnet
| 'Twont do to ct that chap sight our smoke,
or he'll stay in his hole.
| We were square in the track Of block
/ ade-bound steamers, twenty miles to the
westward of Nassau, and the Transit was
! anchored in six fathoms, waiting for some
body to come along.
! Just at midnight, somebody did come
| along, but as there was a sort Of smoky
vapor wing low on the waiter, the tirstin-
! timati3n we had Of her coming, was the
rapid -eChicher-iohicHeT, of her
paddles.
Then it was, ''turn ont, Jack; up anchor,
| and stand by for fun" Three rockets
two blue and a red one, were sent mp from
| our forecastIe, and promptly replied to by
the strangers sending up two red ones
| and burning blue light
The devil One of our own cruisers,
muttered the captain in disgust.
No sIr-a hlockade-runner, VINO has
either stolen our sigma or stumbled upon
them hv mistake. Don yon see that little
twinkling yellow light on his spot quarter,
sir p
ou re right. Mr. Garnet You've
been watching these night running rascals
| longer than have and know their tricks
better Is it the Oriole think vou q
No sir No more like the Oriole than
the Eronsides"
Shall speak to him, sir and invite
him to give US call? ?" respectfully in
quired our gunner, afectionatelv slnppin@
the wrought iron banda@e of our 100 pound
| torecastle PARROT, which he had trained
! on the stranger, now close aboard of us.
No, no, Mr. Linstock You might
| knock over some of our friends in the
dark replied the captain, good-natured y.
Il hail him and if he don't give me
satisfactory answers, why-whoever else
than the Oriole he may he, we can soor
overhaul and teach him better manners"
The strange stranger was square abeam
of US, not fifty yards distant.
4 o-y ee the steamer' beloved our
old sea lion, through his trumpet
Ava y-ee-ee ~ came back promptly,
the clear, ringing response.
What steamer is thatY
"O-r-i-O-l
What's that YOU say r
~ OF 9 o. NItEISStoH, marry ASliIi-
onson, commander
'Forecastle there-Fire
Bang went our big Parrot" is hum
dred pounds of metal pluging harmlessly
by the strangers stern.
Ban@-hang-hau went our broadside
guns; all pitching their missiles wide Of
the mark. In three minutes the audacious
rascal was gone out Of sigha.
What do you think of that, Mr.. Gar
net?"
THAT its lie, or some Internal trick,
sir. That was the vol g of Harry Sim
onson, that answered tho hail; I'll ger
my life on that And Id wager fifty lives
that the steamer Is not the Oriole
think you've made mistake this
time Mr. Garnet That u1nst be the Ori-
ole-the impudent rascal However, wei
find out, Forecastlc, there. BE handy,
Mr. Lewis. Let's hcavc our anchor Mr..
1 Wickham, rattle up your fires. sir and
get your best steam on her."
Yes Wen find out" | muttcred rs
1 Captain Alvin dived down into his cabin
to overhaul his signal book" we Il find
out; when yonder WiI-o' -the-wisp
shall have led us Il wandering dance till
! day light, and far enough away from the
/ Orio G
The Transit was soon steaming west
northwest at her highest speed. and had
stood on that course perhaps twenty min~
utes, when there streamed high up into
the air red and green rocket wide on
her port how, and a few moments later,
there flashed ont in the same direction,
/ brilliant blue ight
There she goes west southwest" cx-
claimed Captain Alvin; and although
never an An@Io-rehel blockade-runner
bound for Charleston would steer that
/ course, the Transit's bows were pointed
in that direction, acd with full throttle,
every ounce of steam on her. and fremen
punching up her fires like Nulcans, away
we went IN chase of the bantering vaga>
bond
At the end of m hour we had ncared
the chase so much that her hull was dim
y visible and as size kept on, regardless
of our signals to heave to, fire was opened
upon her from our forecastle gun: but
there was no more than one chance in
three hundred Of our hitting her; besides
every Discharge Of our heavy Parrott
was kicking against our own speed and
50, after 4 dozen harmless shots bad been
fired, we knocked off, and stood on IN sill
ence until we coul,f bring the rascal under
our broadside batteries Then We'd pep
per him soundIv. unless he cried peccGUj,
and surrendered.
Bnt,we didn't quite get that fellow nnder
our batteries. For n little while we con-
tinued to draw mp with him, bat soon he
began to drop NJ astern, and continued to
do so until daylight, when he WIS far ont
Of range of any metal a1oat. and seemed
t. he padding along very leisdrelv. ban
teringly flying at his peak the banner of
s. George.
The, by broad DAYLIGHT. | could swear
positively. that the chase was not the ORR
ole. OF anything like her, and did so to
our commander But Captain Alvin was
furious, and swore by everything salt and
saint V that-Oriole. ogre or the devil he d
serve him out for leading Us such dance
TFe capture or siak the rascal-that he
would st George or Satan at his peak,
he'd teach him a saltwater lesson; and
~ the overyirven Transit was spur-ed Oh
Il few inches faster.
In two hours we were close aboard the
chase and our peremptory command to
heave to was promptly responded to by
/ the instant stopping of her en.ine, and