The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1874-09-04


had twisted itself, one could not tell how,
about the screw of the breech- button.
One extremity of the chain was fastened
to the carriage. The other, hanging
loose. whirled wild about the gun, and
added to the danger of its blows.
The screw held II like clinched hand,
and the chair, multiplying the strokes
of the battering-ram by its strokes Of a
thong, made a fearful whirlwind about
the cannon-a whip Of iron in fist of
brass. This chain complicated the battle.
Nevertheless toe man fought Some
times, even, is was the man who attack
ed the cannon He crept along the side.
bar and rope in hand. and the cannon
had the air of understanding, and fed as
if it perceived a snare. The man pur-
sueded it, formidable, fearless.
Such a duel could not have lasted long.
The gun seemed suddenly to say to itself
Come, we must 10 Ike an end - and it
paused. One felt the approach of the
crisis. The cannon, as if In suspense, APP
peared to have, or had-because it SEEM
cd to all sentleat being--a furions pre-
meditation. 1t sprang unexpectedly up
on the gunner. Ee jumped aside. let it
pass, and cried out with laugh, Try
again!'' The gun. as if in fury, broke
a carronade to larbord; then, seized anew
by the invisible sling which held it, was
flung to starboard toward the man, who
escaped.
Those carronades gave way under the
blows of the gun; then as if blind. and
no longer conscious of what it was doing,
it turned its back on the man. rolled
g. bn hn hr,,Ic "a
stem and making breach in the plank
ipgs of the bow. The gunner had taken
refuge at the foot of the stairs few steps
from the old man, who was watching.
The gunner held his hanespike in rest.
The cannon seemed to perceive him, and.
without taking the trouble to turn itself,
backed upon him with the quick ness OF
an ax-stroke. The gunner. if driven
back against the side was lost. The crew
uttered Simultaneous cry.
But the old passenger, until now i'm
movable. made spring more rapid than
all those wild whirls. He seized bale
of false assignats, and, at the risk OF be-
.ng crushed, succeeded in finging it be-
tween the wheels Of the carronade, This
maneuver. decisive and dangerous, could
not have been executed with more adroit
ness and precision by a man trained to
all the exercises set down In Durosels
Manual Of Sea Guene,y.
The bale had the effect Of plug. A
pebble may stop a log, a tree branch turn
an avalanche The carroDade stumbled.
The gunner. IN bis turn, seizing this ter
rible chance, plunged his iron bar be
tween the spokes Of oae of the hind wheels
The cannon was stopped. L. s;ay .ered.
The man using the bar rs lever, rocked
it to and fro. The heavv mass turned
over with i ciauy ike d falling bell, aud
the gunner, dripping with sweat. rushed
forward headlong. and passed the slipping
moose of the tiller rope about the bronze
neck of the overthrow monster.
1t was ended. The man conquered
The aut had suodu i,io sIIastoooa; the
pigmy had taken the thunderbolt prisoner
The marines and the sailors clapped
their hands
The whole crew hurried down with ca
bles and chains. and IN an instant the
cannon was securely lashed.
The guuner saluted the passenger.
''S1r," he said to him, you have saw
ed my life.
The old man had assumed his impas-
sible attitude, and did pot reply.
The man had conquered, but one might
say tha cannon had conquered also. I'm
mediate shipwreck had been avoided. but
the corvette was by no means saved. The
dilapidation seemed irremediable. The
sides had breaches, one of which. very
large, was 10 the bow. Out Of the thirty
20 lay useless in their frames
But during the whole time this tragic
diversion had lasted the crew were so alb
sorbed by the one question ofiife or death
that they noticed little what was passing
outside the scene Of the duel. The fog
had thckened the weather had chang
ed; the wind had driven the vessel at
will; it had got OUT of its route, in plain
sight of Jersey and Guernsey, farther TO
the south than it ought to have gone, and
was surrounded by q troubled sea. The
great waves kissed the gaping wounds OF
the corvette-klsses full OF peril. The
sea rocked her menacingly. The breeze
became a gale. A squall, tempest per-
haps, threatened. 1t was imp ossible to
see before ona four oars lenght.
The carronade which had been captur-
ed and reclaimed was itself disa bied the
screw Of the breech- BUTTON was forced,
and the leveiing OF the piece impossible |
ia consequence, the battery was reduced
to Moe pieces. The hold had sprung a
leak. 1t was necessary at once to repair
the damages and set the pumps to work.
The gun deck, nov that one had time
to look about it, offered q terrible specta-
Gle. The interior Of a mad elephant S
cage could not have been more disman-
tied.
However great the necessity that the
should escape observation still
more imperious necessity presented Itself,
safety. Il had been aecessa-
ry to light up the deck by lanterns placed
here and there along the sides.
While the crew were repairing sum-
marty and in haste the ravages Of the
gun deck, stopping the leaks and putting
back into position the guns which had
escaped The disaster, the old passenger
had gone on deck.
He stood with his back against the
mainmast.
He had paid no attention to proceed
ing which had taken place on the vessel