, 1874-04-04

@A"AA~ A~AA< ANA3 = b1~A ~ AVl-
from tho coiling addotl dllzzying whlrl Of lIgh
and shadows to thia vision. The Hhapo Of Il
OF its course; now It looked blaok III tlio iigh
now It cast weird reflections through tho gloon
1t kept on its work 0f destruction. It Lad a
roady shattorod four otlior plecos, and dug tw
oroyicoa In tho side, Fortunately a1ovo tho watol
limo, though they wonl! loals In eauo aqun
should como on. II dashed itaelf franttonlI
against tho framo.work tho aoltd tto-boau
resisted, ti'oir ouryotl form giving them groa
strength, but tl,oy croaketl ominonsly under til
aHsnultH of this torrftlo club, which Bee,nei or
dowc1 with a sort Of
striking on ovory sido at once once. Tho strokes o,
bullet shakon IN bottle would not bo n,adlor o
moro rapid. Tho four wheolB passcd and 70
i?aaaeu above tue dond mon, cut, cArvod, slashe
them, till tho five corpsos woro score Of stump
rolling abo1t tho ocIl; tho lteads seomod to CT,
out; streams Of blood twisted In md out Of tli
planka with ovory pitch Of tho voHaol. The coil
g damaged ,an1gg sl In gosorsl PLACES began to gape
The Captain promptly recovered his compos
uro, and at his order tho sailors throw down ntt
tllo deck every thing. which could deaden ani
chocl1 tile mad ruBfl Of the gun-inattrossop
hammocks, sparo Baile, coils of rope, extra equip
tito corvette carried wl1olo cargo; an iniamou.
/ deception, which tho English considered fai
trick i'll Wnr.
But what con1d these rags avall7 No ono
darea to doscond to arrange thom In any usoflll
iashlon, and In fow instantB thoy wore more
hcaspa of lint.
Thcre was Just SEQ enough to rontlor an nccI.
don't az complete as possible. A tompost would
have been dosirable; it might laavo thrown the
| gun upside down, and the four wheels onco in
| tho air, tue monHter could have baon mastered,
but
THE DEVASTATION INCREASED.
Thoro wore gasies and eyon fractures In the
masts. which. iubedded In tl,o woodwork OF tic
keel, pierce tho decks of ahipa like groat round
pillars. The lnizzon'mast vas cracked, and the
matnn1ast itaolf was injured Under tho conyul-
sivo blows Of the gun. Tho battery was boipe
destroyed. Ten piocos out Of tho thirty were
disabled; tho broaches multiplied in the side,
and the corvotte began to tako III wntor.
Tho old passenger, who had descended to tie
gun-tock, lookod like form of STONE stationed
Mt tho foot Of the stairs. Ho stood mottonless,
gazing sternly about upon tho devastation. III
deed, tt seemed impossible to take single step
forward.
Each bound of tho liberated carronale meu-
acol the destruction Of tho vessel. A few min
utes moro md aiipwrcck would be iuovItable.
They must porlsL or pnt q summary end to tho
dlsnstor-a decision must he mAlc-but how?
Whnt combataut-this cannon They must
chcel this lnad monster. They must Eoizo this
1iash Of lightning. They must overthrow this
:: Roisbolt1elet @ said to La yiouvillo, "Do you
:, La ,Vieuvillo replied, "Yos. No. Romo-
times"
"In tempest ?"
Yes; and in moments like this"
Only God can aid us here" Haid Boisber-
tholot.
an wore silont-thc cannon kept up its horrl-
bio fracas.
The waves bent against tho ship; tl,oir blows
from without responded to tho strokes of tho
cannon.
II was like two hammers alternating.
Suddenly, into tho midst Of thiB sort of innc-
cessiblo circus, whore the escaped cannon leaped
and bounded,
THERE srRAN6 A MAN
with IN iron bar in his hand. II was the author
OF this cAtastropho. tho gunner whose oulpablo
negligence Lad caused tho accidcnt,-tho captain
Of the gun. Having boon tho means Of bring
Ing about the misfortune, ho losirod to ropair It.
1lo had caugllt up n handspike In enc fist,
ao % do1n sn fo o a09ss sunao n the Tan TShs
strange combat began; o Titanic atrifo-she
struggle Of tho gun against tho gunner q battle
between matter and intelligence, q duel between
tho inanimato a1ll the human.
Tho man was posted in MI angle, tho bar md
rope III his two fists; backed against QUO Of tho
rldora, settled firmly on his logs two pillars
Of stool, llvid, calm, tragio rooted Rs It woro in
the plaukB, he waitod.
llo waited for tho cannon to pass near him,
!Ac GAh"SA AA1O ~ AA4p ttCEEf AllA ~ 6G9lUHu TO
him that aho must recognize ler mast or. IIo
bud lived u long time with her. How many
times ho had thrust his hand between her jaws
It was his tame monster. He began to addross
it us lie might have ':eo%nis asas h'% dog
aala be. Perhaps l,o loved it.
Lie seemed to wish that it would turn toward
him.
But to como toward him would be to spring
ppon him. Then he would be lost. How to
kjnrn fNHc f1grSs
stared in terrified silence.
Not a bren6t rcHpired freely, except, perchnnea
that Of tho old man who alone stood ia tho deck
with tho two conbntauts. II stern second.
?, Ho might himself be crushed by tho poco.
Doneath them, the blind sea directed the bat
tic.
At tho Instant, when accepting this awful
hant-to-liand contest, the gunner approached to
cnaiiehge The cannon, some chnnco 1luctunton
as if suddenly Htupeted.
:, Come on !" tho mau said TO It. II seemed to
listen.
Suddenly it dartod upon him. Tho gunner
avoided tho shock.
Tho struggle bogan-strugglo unheard Of.
Tho fragile matching itself against tho nv,luor-
able. Tho thing Of flesh nttacling tho lrazen |
brute: on the one aido blind force on thu other
soul.
Tho whole passed in a half-light II was like |
;he iuliHtlnct :'iHion Of q miracle.
a aoul-strango thing but you would haye
'aid that the cannon had ono alao-a soul filled |
With rage and hatred This b1indnoss.
APPEARED TO HAVE EYES,
The monster had the air Of watching tho naap,
There was-ono might have fanciud 10 at least
unning in this mass. 1t also chose its nonlonta,
t became some gigantic insect Of metal, having.
r seeming to have, tile will OF d demon. Some
ines this colossal grass hoppar would strike tho
ow ceiling of tue gIln-deck, then fall back on itp
our wheels lko q tigor upon it's four claws, aud
art anew OH tho man. 1Io-.aupplo. agile.
drot-would glide awny like snake from Tic
oacl Of those lightning~1ilSe movements. He
voidcd tho encounters but tho blows Which he
scaped fell upon tho vessel md continued tho
avOc.
An end Of broken chain remained attached to
ao carronado. This chaiu had twisted itself,
no could not tell how, about tho screw Of tho
recch-bntton. Ono oxtromity Of the chain WIS
sstonoa to tho carriage. THO other, hanging
'oae, wllirlcd RAPIDLY about tho gun, aud added
} the danger Of its blows
The Hcrow hold 1t like a clinolot1 hand. and tho
lhin. multiplying tue strokes Of tho batteling-
IN by Its strokes Of q thong, male u fearful
hir1}SnI n1j0nt fhn |