Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-12-22


: fellows ever had the luck to run a.for
Of.
4 Governor Armstrong was surrounde
i by score or so Of his chief counsellor,
almost as filthy and ragged as himsel
some fifteen Bimini beauties, and m
eight runaway Nonpareils, and ever
soul of them, women and all, were guz.
cling raw rum, putting black filthy pipes
and having jolly, uproarious jubile,
| generally. As soon as / bad sathere,
breath Sufficient to articulate, / addressed
my boats crew.
Men, my orders we're that you shoult
remain by the boat. Having disobeyet
them, my advice to you now is, that yor
set off at once, and run back just as ias
as you have run thither."
There was no response. Not SOU
moved.
"Very well, then; / shall hurry back
to the boat myself, and signalize the
schooner for assistance 10 take her off.
You can all remain here for all care.
Your desertion will be gain to the
Nonpareil, and the service in geuer.
al"
Jack Smith dashed down the tin pot
from which he bad been swilling rum,
and leaping up be came striding towards
me, fourishing bis huge fists a Ia Heenan,
and in a brutal, bullying tone retorted-
Look-aohere, mister; you amt first
luff of cookie shell man-o'-war here.
You're on British ground-I'm British
er; and by, I'll just taken lamm
you p
/ realized in moment that it was to
be fight, or ignominious fight; and as ]
had no idea of running away without a
single effort to maintain the integrity of
the button, deemed it prudent to with
draw from position in which I might
so easily be penned in and surrounded.
accordingly without taking my ey Ell
from that of the renegade. backed eau
.iously down the steps, and off from the
hut to the distance of perhaps ten yards.
,losely followed by the menacing bully,
anu uUre remotely Dy the remainder OF
he boats crew, and a majority Of the
vreckers.
Inc mouens "eIted Smith let drive
1t me tremendous blow, which avoid
ID, and in my turn gave him such a
tremendous spat with the fiat of my
lard, square across his mouth and nose,
hat b was knocked fairly upon the
lat of his back, and partially stunned.
10 a moment after Jack went down,
Thorpe occupied his tracks, his eyes
lashing vengeance, bis teeth grinding
ogether in brute rage, and his murdel- =
us sheath knife cleaning in bis uplifts
d hand. ..u.U a,4
From my earliest babyhood, | had
'een notorious for my kicking proclivi-
les, and the accomplishment did m e
ood service upon the giant mountaineer
or fetching him sudden kick in the
bdomen, into which | flung every atom of
nergy that was in me, doubled the ras-
al up like jack knife, and sent him to
be sand, hors du combat, for few mo
tents at least.
Thorpe's knife fell at my feet as he
rent down; and in a second, had il
ecured in my belt.a Just at this mo- Z
lent it occurred to me that | had forgot
IN to remove the pistols from the locker
the boat, and consequently was wholly
harmed except that | had my hatchet,
-hich throughout the encounter thus far,
ad been hanging by its lanyard dangling c
ON my right wrist-and then there was c
le knife just acquired-these we're my t
nly means of defence against it might d
2 fifty or a hundred desperadoes, before i
le baitle should be ended, ela b
Jack Smith sprang to his feet, foaming o
the mouth, and, literally yelling his $
,rrid curses and impreeations, was pre- y
aring TO hurl himself upon me again Il
ith bis drawn knife. Several of the
rockers had also drawn their weapons,
ID were making hostile demonstrations. n
borpe was gathering himself up, roaring o
ilh rage, like a mad bull; and saw y
!, earthly hope, unless it were in five y
en- Of my boats crew, whom | had con- Il
Tered honest, reliable fellows. /
A single glance towards the group as P
red me that they, too, were enemies <
d an exclamation from one of them b
led in my heart resolution as unfinch v
. as steel that would rather be hewn
mince meat by their murderous kuives, 0
an solicit oBe atom of mercy from the 2
-etches. o
I" Pitch into the bloody luf, Jack y A
lied one of the five kill him-and "