The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-12-03
TALES OF THE BORDERS
THE SEA-FIGHT.
" b itAnnia need. no bulwWks,
No towers along the steep
Her march is Ger the moustsin wave,
Her home "a On the d sp."

4 - Britannia need. no bulwMkI,
4 No towers along the steep
Her march is DER the moustsin wave,
Her home " On the ep"
l CIErBElL.
1t was on the close of sultrY day IL
2 August, about the end of the French war
that a carriage was slowl y vending its way
down Que of the principal streets Of the towI
Of Berwick The dust with which il wa'
covered and the jaded appearance Of tht
horses seemed to betoken that It came from
a distance. The position, a pursy little
man, whose rosy face bore the indubitablC
marks of a wOrshiper at the shrine Of
Bacchus, drew up at the first inn which pre-
sented itself to view. Out Of the carriage
stepped young man who was plainly dress
ed in the garb Of sailor He had nothing
particular about bis dress to distinguish him
from the common run Of seamen ; but bis
upright figure and that indescribable some
thing which is peculiar to certain class, y
and which serves to distinguish them from
those in humber situations in life, at first
sight showed that be belonged to the former.
He appeared to be about twenty-six years
Of age, while bis weather beaten face and a
slight scar on his left cheek snow that be
bad borne both ''the battle and the breeze.
Fe was accompanied by squat, muscular
looking fellow, who seemed to act in the
capacity of servant although bis sea jargon
4 and hard, horny hands showed him to be
more accustomed to the duty Of a sailor than
that of lacqueY. After seeing that their
baggage was properly taken care Of, they
retired together to private room.
Well, Bill, " said be who seemed su-
perior to his companion, how do you feel
after your ride? For my part, | would
sooner sail round the world in gale of wind,
and the ship pitching bows under all the
time, than be again jammed up and jostled
! 10 that internal cage"
"Why, sir, rejoined bis companion, |
am as sore as if bad been soundly thrashed
with handspike but, bowdsOever, that
doesn't matter-we must look out for squalls
on land as well as on sea, till We are
fairly housed either under ground or in
! Davy Jones"
Take my spy-glass, said the young
officer, walk down to the shore, and
see if our little hooker is appearing in sight
yet"
As take it, y replied Bill, " she cant
be far aStGrn Of us, for she has had spank
ing breeze all day"
So saying, snatching up bis hat, be was
preparing to quit the room, when the officer
bawled out
Vast there, my lsd-Pll accompany
you And they both descended together.
Turning down the arch which leads to
the pier, they strolled along till they over
took four or five men who were lOunging at
that part where the pier turns outward at
an Obtuse angle. Below them lay long
boat, apparently intended for plotting the
ships into the harbor One Of them was a
man about sixty years Of age, whose small
head and piercing eye, slouched under
broad -brimmed hat, we're strangely contrast
ed with the bluff and muscular appearance
Of his body His face was covered with a
thick, shaggy beard, which seemed not TO
have been in the hands Of the barber for a
north at least The rest Of the men bad
nothing remarkable in their appearance, but
all of them seemed to be at least twenty
years younger than the old fellow Just men
toned.
"Well, my lads, said the officer any
ships in sight Z"
Never a one, replied the old fellow, ln
a grutf voice; I'VE may stand here ali the
day blowing our fingers and Vbistling to
Molly jackson long enough before she send
Us tn I windfall."
Perhaps that windfall may happen
sooner than you expect, replied the officer.
expect vessel soon she cannot be far
distant
Which direction does she come - eager.
/ ly asked the old man. But no sooner were
the words out of bis mouth than a square
D rigged vessel was observed doubling St
Abb's, which had before concealed hel from
l view. In minute the blue-jack few up t.
her foretopmast head.
' There comes the Hank, cried Bill
rubbing his bands for joy there comes
y the Hank, as tight little craft as evel
fought her guns on one deck. y
The sudden appearance Of the brig seem
ed to act like an electric shock upon tb,
: men In an instant, hands we're seen dis
y appearing from the flaps of their dirty can
;. vas trousers and each scrambling down tn
pier as best be could, seized bold of thei
respective oars, and, in a moment, the long
boat was under way, the men pulling as
It had been for life or death.
Stop" cried the officer; take IN
on board witt you"
Give way, my hearties, roared out th
fri old man, without attending to him. "Giv
way-there is HOby Elliott will be at ou
heels directly"
y am commander Of that vessel," erie
: the officer, rum. g along the pier to kee
up with the boat but the men were to
eager to gel the vessel to attend to hin
y" Well, Bill" said he, turning to b
companion, ~ see it is no 60 with thet
fellows, 50 you will just step up to the inl
get our luggage down, and here is son
- money to discharge our reckoning"
.4 " Ay, ay, sir, said Bill, and moved Of
The brig, by this time, bad neared Il
D., harbor considerably with the wind, from Il
north north west blowing right upon b
% quarter. The young officer could not be
. a feeling Of pride and satisfaction as be fon
''o y gazed upon bis little vessel scudding b
fore the breeze, while her taut masts al
long, slight yards, literally covered wi
Q canvas, seemed to bend beneath their loa
l. There is a sympathy which the sailor fe'