The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-05-14


threw down into the deck everything
which could deaden and check the mad
rush of the gun--mattresses hammocks.
spare sails, coils of rope, extra equipments
and the bales Of false assignats, of which
the corvette carried whole cargo an in
famous deception, which the English con
sldered fair trick in war
But what could these rags avail ? No one
dared to descend to arrange them in any
useful fashion, and in a few instants they
were mere heaps OF lint
There was Just sea enough to render an
accident as complete as possible 4 tenn
pest would have been desirable; it might
have thrown the gun upside down. and
the four wheels once in the air, the mon
ster could have been mastered But the
devastation increased. There We're eashes
and even fractures in the masts. which,
lmbedded in the woodwork of the keel,
pierce the decks of ships like great round
| pillars The miZzen mast was cracked,
and the mainmast itself was injured under
the convulsive blows Of the gun The
battery was being destroyed. Ten pieces
out OF the thirty We're disabled; the
| breaches multiplied in the side and the
coNe Nette began to take in water
The old passenger, who had descended
to the gun-deck. looked like Il form Of
stone stationed at the foot OF the stairs
He stood motionless gazing stcrnly about
upon the devastation. Indeed, it seemed
| impossible to take 4 single step forward
Each bound of the liberated carronade
menanced the destruction of the vessel
\ few minutes more and shipWreck would
| be inevitable
They must perish OF put summary end
to the disaster--a decision must be made
but how?
What q CONFERENCE.-The cannon, They
must check this mad monster. They must
seize this flash Of lightning They must
overthrow this thunder-bolt
Boisberthelot said to La Nieuville do
You believe in God, Chevaler ?"
La Nieuyille replied "Yes, No. Some
times"
''ln Il tcmpest?' -
Yes; and in moments like this
'Only God can aid us here said Bois-
| berthelot
All were silent-the cannon kept up its
| horrible iracas
The waves beat against the ship; their
! blows from without responded to the
| strokes of the cannon
II "''9 IihG WV ii'tilliiici9 ''itci h'lihS'
suddenly INTO the MIDST OF tins sort OF
lnacceSslpie circus; where the escaped
cannon ieaped ana bounded there sprang
Il man Wllh an IRON bar III his hand- 1t was
| lle aulnof oi nus catastrophe, the gunner
whose culpable neSllgence had caused the
accldent,-the captain OF the gun. Having
been the means OF bringing about the mis-
lortone, he desired TO repair 1t. lie mad
|
caught up h'ndsplke III one list, a tlller-
! rope win 4 slIppln% moose III the other
and jumped down INTO the Sun-deck. linen
Il strange COMBAT began; Iltanc strife
the struggle OF the gun against the gun
ner, n battle between matter and intelli-
| gence, 4 duel between the m2nImate and
the human.
The man was posted in an angle, the
! bar and rope in his two fists; backed
against one of the riders, settled firmly ON
| his legs rs on two pillars Of steel. livid,
/ calm, tragic rooted a. it We're In the
/ planks. he waited
He waited for the cannon to pass near
/ him.
The gunner knew his piece, and it -eenl-
ed to him that she must recognize her
naSfof; itc hHd i!ved long time with
ilel' nov many 'llneS ne i'ao 'nruSI MS
ll'ne between heI Jaws l, was ms tame
lllonslJi li:It ne ptS"h 70 "'''lPS7 II "s ne
iiSit1 n'NV y, "o!lS ii'9 W.
o''ii' 1'i" re- Gi"'lA nc n3E ''' It,
ne 9erine'' !" "iNil t'i"' u "o"I" t't"
'"T n,' ,'I'' i'iI'' ......,.,.... .....,, f..
a:''l =" Noi'i ~ Nun WHY w 20
I'llHS upon Nm iieh ne M4ulu ~ H'5i'
lio" 10 'N1I'' III" 'I!'9n li1' "aS 'llf
i"[,'l'n -,l' ''l''' IN 'e' l'''e1I sllo'itc'
->I' q .I"s' .S t,ll'ilG'! ii0cIN, 'N[eP''
l'l1ii''.y 'i''' VI tiio oi'' lli'n WY "l"ile
s'oo' - 'ii' w ~ ''i '''' |"
- ,''.i'' >. .oo!i'i
ne '',ia'l1 =: hiilis'It We crushed - 'he
PiISo ne.,l4i' ~ ,t tlu iot ,[Il: 9'il: ,.
n1lie''''' '"e''i' 'i'' '''i''' 9e' "i'''''" Vi
'''l'ioi
y, 'iie in9',tA'' "Ach ''NtpIlus7 tll9 Il" loI
'i'ii''-to-iltlit colitest' lhe gunner up
pIo'clt,t 10 cn"liehse me cannon some
tii'iice li'tct'''''ioll Oh the waves hept IL LOT
lilohlehI iiihoVapie' aS II suddenly sui
pe'let''
Noilic ol' thf il''h A'lii l" H. II Aeoii-
Sndlnni,. l ;t ,l,r,od ,,,,,n Hin, ,rho c.,,,
;icl >'''i to(' ''''''
nv, -, ''' ''>'N>' '',N
Inc f struggle peSan-StriSSie ulheafo
tne ihFu,peraole' Inc thlhS ol lesh al-
lach1n9 9i: lnc pl"ltll pI'le. ~ 1ne one sue
olilia lorce, on lhe otfer u soui.
-, me lI "noIe passed III Il haii-li9nt. IL was
IKE tlt ,il''letliict VISION " = liillaclt.
- Sot!i.sel"liee il 3'o. anIns pu' sou Mo'l''
nave saia M hat liie cannon nag one als0Mi' tr1
SOU SO! MED with rage ana hatred. lnls In
pllhohesS appeared TO nave eyes, me
monster ildu inc All OI NulcIlUO Lllc llIun
ihefe Was-ohe mlSllC nave laiicieo 50 at
!east-cVnnlhS IN thlS mass 1t also chose
ilS moments. IL became some slSah'lc
insect OF me1al' ha'lhS, or seeming 70
nave the VIII ol uelloh' 9oilie'lille7 l.1 u,
thls colossai Sfass-hoppef Wolllo stflhe Ihe
on IFS fonr7 wheels ike 4 tioer mon its foul,
claws and dart anew on the man H.
snnle as a~ile m adroit-woud Glide awav
]ikea snake from tbe reach Of fhese lioht.
nino-like movements Ueavoided the on
| ,,S4, III H., Ill., 1;l H., es.