, 1874-12-19
gnn to boan could DO distinctly hoard. Thnt

20 tnoHo on that listlo JGnnch, with tito YAak
mountain Of iron towering above tllon, tho fro
lit masa Of foes upon tho allorcp. and triumph
and eternity In tho next momont. Ltout. Clah-
Ing. atood ut tho bows Of tho launch, with soY-
oral linoH before hIms QUO OF those limos waa
cnginoor. ono to tho o!1lcer who was to lowor
tho boom carrying tho torpedo, ono WaB tint
by moana Of which tho torpodo waB to DO
aid undor tho ram, anothor wna tho exploding
limo, which should null awaya pin and lot: q
drop OIL tho porcusBon-cap honoath.
Tho howitxor bad n1roady beon discharged.
Tho line attaohod to tho onginoor WAS pulled
tho ongino stopped. Tho boon. was lowered. tho
torpedo slid slowly of ard un1or. tho air-ohanl-
rnm. Tho last limo wns psllod, tho grapo-shot
foil, iust nj tho riao.gun wont oft--nt,tl
THE nEnEb RAM AND THE LAUNCH pLEW ur 70.
aETuEn
and c01unna OF wator allot up and foil nghn,
heavy with doad and dying. Dnt iuHt as Ltont.
Gushing pulled the exploding ltnp hc had criod
ont to his men to snvo themselves, aud, throw
lug of arms and heavy garmonts, had ntrlick out
up, with slot, bouts wore already out
picking mp tho wounded. md dying
Ing groauu afolluda him; but ho boldly
n,a,to fur tho other bank, and Was just raachtng
it whom ho heard tho voiceo Of ono OF his owl.
mon In Smiling ntato, md turned to relieve. IT
possnio, ono who had sha,eti Hucl peril with
him. Finding tho man, ho snpportoa him with
ono arm. md kopt him atloat FOR several min
utcB, when
ALI. AT ONCE lie WENT DOWN,
loaving tho Lieutenant alone OH tho water. swim
ming with faint strokes, with what scomed inter-
miHabo distances before him. but 80 firmly re-
soiycd to oAeapo That porhapa attor voluntary
continued mechanically, ana carried him ut 1aot
to sloro, whore lo fo with lis foot at'll in tho
wnser, mud lay, not moro bllnn haif-conBciouB,
till morning. whon tha bright, inyigorating sun-
ot.{ f.tn of
swamp not fur from one ot tho foras aud from
wlauco ho could 500 the angry md OK
c!tod town, with curious sonnn OF powor
III tile midst Of all his woaknoss Tho sentinol,
pot, and III order to mako any shelter it was
necessary to rise md run for 1t tho moment Ills
back wns turned. Doing 80, lo was obliged, at
tho instant tho sonlirel turned about ngan. to
tail grass, which partially sholtorcd Ain1 sluce,
laing
COVERED WITH Sud From HEAD TO FOOT,
ho was hardly distinguishab!o from tho soil, rs
l,o presently found whom q purity Of men came
% as aoat @ to to tread o on bs % as Wt1ou @ @
him. Knowing 1t would 10 impossible to rcn,ain
thoro safely for any length Of tl,no TO lay on Lila
back, plantod his elbow and Als hool firmly
in tho ground. and thus hitched himself slowly
along till llo gained tho cyproBs swamp, \ mnHs
of bog and brier. through which, bArcfootod,
harellaAded, md barchaudcd, ho Ind to force a
path till tie blood tlowod from hia innumorablo
wouuda and bruises. Entor!us at last u aloar-
group Of sold,ors. behind whom ho had to pass
1T u distance Of 20 yayau, creeping through
cora furrow. Ho was nov In tho outskirts Of
wood, md,
ESCouSrEnrsa An OLD NEano,
he Eaye him piece Of money which lad Glanced
to remain about him, mud sent him buck to town
to bring him news Of what Ind happened thore
overnight for he wished to be snlo that he llad
dono tile work thoro thoroughly before making
fa,niHhod, exhausted, md with osory noryo
strung to it's utmost tcnson 1t seemed to him
that II ho had failod he did not caro- to got back
Mt all. Vibrating, III his suspense, botweon fear
TINT tho man might botray him and cont1aenso
gor came buck, bringing him newa Of tho COM
i,[oto destruction Of tho robcl ram, md lo
plunged gayly into another swamp. so donso
That ho could only direct himself by tho euu,
emerging from it's tail roods and brambloH, q
couple OF hours past noon, upon ono Of tho deep
and narrow crooks That Wind III aud out through
thoso regions, exactly opposite II fresh dctach-
mout OF soldicra on tho other bank, mud Who,
AS FATE W1L1ED II,
Ind Skin made Of four or five rough boards,
with tho BcaniB pitched with tnr, "togsiod to tho
root Of an old cypress-treo TINT Rqnirmud llho d
ennko uto tho nhy water" "a ho describetl IT, Ly-
lug i'll wit in tho dcnso ereoncry and shado till tho
men went back to their rudo meal, ho gently
-
ionscncd It rnnod IL bofnyo lin, rnnnl 1i,a t;ra
curyo, whom ho clambered iu and padded away
for dear lfo; paddlcd allday. into sunset, into tw
light, into siarilght--Huch ssahligns aa sl1ted
aomi @ 49,. a1ousm ang 9 SaaoMs ~ anp nna ~
the creek. at last he was i'll tho Noanoke, at
lust III tho opon wetor Of tho sound, where a
swell would have swampod tho iral akitr, but
whore tho nigAs wns singulnriy stu and noftG
an "s ~ S n =, ny on, ma liz at W H." M
wh;ch In Iai far himself nv tl,o stara. Wnen
lo camc, alter n woary wi!c, in sight of tho
picket vessel OF tho fleet, and, after what seemed
lotEeF "nu 6s111 "ealler NA1le, Hitu4a ual!t no
s'''o 4''' II arr, .uov,.
and f1ronpea. casnine. benumbcd, md ha1f dcad.
into tue bottom Ut tho boat. But Immediately
OIL hn llail tho vessel hHd clipped hor cubic, and
naa goI ON ilor poats 10 taho nioasnTcs aga'nas
slfiT vas ecn ~ rotaI;afion nn tSo nnrt -, TN
roLots. and in rcsnonsn to hn asHerton flint ia
Lieut.. Gushing was no longer in existence; aud
~ Wnb btl!4 soole tluo pc!oio 1e4o nl!llaot on