The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-04-23
"The Fox of Salem, with -four" was

v,
in few moments by an order to drop
alongside of her consort, which was o
short distance to leeward, and discharge
part of her cargo, reserving the balance
for the frigate.
The feelings of our Yankee skipper
may be better imagined than described
when, on obeying the order, he found
himself fastened to his old captor, the
Prometheus. Curses not few were
showered upon him for the Yankee
trick he had played them. "We've
got you now, my fine fellows, safe
enough" said one Of the officers super
intending the tackle by which the flour
was discharged. You'll have to take
it, my boys" said another. Despite
its cunning and doubling, we have un-
earthed the Fox this time" added a
third and so the remarks ran on as
they proceeded to transfer the flour
from the schooner to the sloop-of-war.
Before doing this, however, six ham,
mocks with their bedding were flung
over the schooner's side as tenders to
prevent chatting.
Our Yankees listened to the haunting
remarks of their captors in silence, and
doggedly assisted in breaking bulk,
save now and then the old pilot gr,lm-
bled out his spleen in anything but the
choicest language, as he cast rather q
wolfy glance at the mass of heads that
peered down upon them from the rail-
ing of their enemy.
About thirty barrels had been trans
ferred when the frigate, which was now
at the leeward, suddenly threw out a
| eli al IN az 70 fnll lo,,
in chase of strange sail, apparently q
large vessel which had just appeared in
sight. Not stopping to take in the
hammocks, and determined not to lose
their present prize second time, they
seized the schooner's cable around the
foremast, and, taking it on board the
sloop-of-war, made it fast. They then
ordered our skipper to make sail,
threating if he attempted to escape to
sink him on the instant. The Prone
! theus soon started in chase, with the
Fox in tow. The wind blew pretty
fresh, and the schooner dashed along
at a merry rate in the wake of her
captor, her speed being such as to
cause but little hindrance to the sloop,
1t was past noon when the chase COM
menced, and for two or three hours the
Prometheus and her prize slipped along
in fine style, when, thinking that now
or neverwas the time to effect an escape,
Henssler, after consulting with the cap
tain, crept along on his hands and knees
with hatchet, and succeeded in sever
ing nearly all the strands of the cable
which served as tow line, taking the
precaution, however, to leave the out
ends as though the cable had parted.
In a short time afterward the pilot
managed, by yawing the schooner, to
bring a pretty hard strain upon the
cable, and they had the satisfaction OF
seeing it snap like a thread. The
schooner after this continued on hel
course as though she did not mean to
attempt to give her captor the slip-but
somehow or other her helmsman steered
so widely that the sloop-of-war began
fast to forge ahead of her. Thus the
captor and her prize stood on the same
track until the sun began to get low, by
which time the former, by her superior
sailing, had run herself nearly hull
down.
"Nearly time to bout ship, skipper?'
said the pilot, inquiringly. "It will
take longer legs than that craft has got
to overtake us now, I'm thinking"
"Ready about % said the captain, and
in moment the little Fox was on an.
other tack, once more running from the
enemy.
AS the night fell the wind increased
and before night a heavy gale was
raging. The fugitives held on theil
way as long as they could, until it was
| oil talx 70
when they were obliged to lay to. The
wind blew furiously, and there was {
bad sea running, but the Fox was no
BILE sea boat and she rode it out bravely
To prevent her making so much lee
drift, drag" was thrown over, which
checked her from falling off consider.
ably. The gale continued unabated
through the night, but SO anxious were
our Yankee crew to keep clear of theil
late captor, they thought little of the
storm.
When the morning broke so that OBJ
jects could be discerned at any dis
tance, what should greet the sight OF
the wearied watchers but the self-same
cruiser, still moving like a phantom
ship around them. The vessel to which
she and the frigate gave chase proved
probably to be one of their cruisers
and she had put back, following in the
track of the Fox like a hound on the
scent. The gale, however, brought hei
to bay, and when she was discovered
she was lying to under the snuggest
sail, about two miles to leeward. For
tunately for our Yankee, the gale still
continued, and the sloop of war made
so much lee.way that by noon, to the
great Joy of those on board the schoon
er, she had drifted out of sight. The
weather moderating soon after, the
skipper thought it best to cut sticks
and make tracks, which he Immediately
did.
Making the best of his way along, by
sundown he found himself on Montaul
Point, intending to run into New Lon
don. Thinking it best, however, aftel
so many narrow escapes, to see if ht
had a clear way before him, Bill was
sent to the masthead to reconnoiter
Shining up the back-stay, hand ovel
fist, Bill had no sooner arrived at {
point where he could have full view
then he bawled out "Sail, no sail
no !"
"Where away ?"
"In the sound" shouted Bill. "By
George, there's a whole feet of them.
True enough, there they were, whole
squad of the enemy.
"We must run for Newport" sale
the skipper; "are you acquainted
along here, Mr.. Eldridge?" ?"
"Never was here in my life, skipper
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