Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-01-15
A BLUE JACKETS PERIL.
A STORY OF 'oe.

A STORY OF 'oe.
In the year '98, my great grandfather
Sir John Hastings, was the possessor O
considerable property in the north o
Ireland and resided in an old fashioned
tumble-down manor house not far from
well known watering place in tht
county Donegal. My grandfather, Ar
thur Hastings, then midshipman il
the royal navy, had contrived to obtai1
short leave Of absence for the purpose
of paying a visit to his parents on his
return from cruise of some months
duration; and he had not been many
days in his old home before he deter.
mined to while away portion of the
time, which hung heavily enough on his
hands in that not too lively abode, by
indulging himself with little of his
favorite pastime, deep-sea fishing. Ac.
cordingly, one beautiful morning, when
there was scarcely ripple on the water,
he got three of his fathers tenants. fish
ermen, to pull him out in their boat to
place where he would be pretty sure
of a good days sport. When they had
left land behind at some distance they
suddenly deserted large vessel in the
ofling, which young Hastings assumed
to be one of the English gunboats
which cruised about in those waters in
that perilous time.
The midshipman thought it would be
good fun to pull out to her and board
her, with the chance of finding some old
friends among her officers accordingly
he gave the order to pull with will, and
before very long they found themselves
under the bows of strange looking
man-ofwat, about whose appearance
there was something strikingly un-Eng-
lish. Hastings began to feel rather un-
comfortable, and the men looked blank
ly at each other but before they had
time to turn the boats head in the di-
rection of home they were greeted by a
shrill volley of words in tongue which
Hastings, knowing somewhat of the
language, recognized to be French /; a
bit of bunting, as to the nationality of
which there could be no possible doubt,
was quickly run up ; and amid roars of
laughter from the Frenchman's deck at
the trap into which they had SO uncon-
sciously fallen, the unfortunate boats
crew looked up and found perfect
chevaur de .frise of muskets leveled at
their heads. The fishermen's blood
was reused aud I think they would
have made gallant effort for liberty
and home had not Hastings in few
words showed them that the slightest
resistance would be nothing short of in
slant death to all four. He himself
stood up in the stern sheets, and after
short parley with the French captain
surrendered himself and his men, under
protest, as prisoners of war. They were
taken on board the St. Pierre, for so
was the French vessel called, their boat
cut adrift, and then they did the best
thing they could do under the circum-
stances, made friends with their captors,
and were consequently very well and
courteously treated. The French COM
mander assured Mr.. Hastings that he
quite believed his story-in fact, were
the truth of it not SO apparent, he would
have been under the painful necessity of
executing him as spy. He was indeed
desOle that he could not set M. Hastings
and his men at once at liberty, but, as a
naval officer of rival power with which
unhappily France was at variance, M.
Hastings would easily understand that
the exigences of warfare forbade it.
That night, little before midnight,
the Frenchman weighed anchor, and
with all canvas spread and steady
breeze on her quarter made for the port
of Brest. They had fair weather for
their voyage, and the French and Irish
character harmonized wonderfully,
though, with the exception of young
Hastings, the men did not understand
word of each others language. Indeed,
had it not been for the thought of the
despair into which the poor wives and
children at home would be plunged
when the empty boat drifted in with
the returning tide, they would rather
have enjoyed their trip than otherwise.
However, it was fated that matters
were not to go on quite SO felicitousIy.
A few hours before they expected to
sight Brest, the man on the lookout
sail on the weather board.
The captain looked first through his
telescope, and then exceedingly grave.
The stranger was a man of-war, three
decker, with the British flag flying, and
bearing straight down on
them. Should the present wind cont
tinue she would be alongside in a shor-
time. Flight was out of the question;
so the st. Pierre was quickly hove-to,
and orders given to clear the decks and
run out the guns ready for action.
Hastings afterwards said that although
all his sympathies were on the other
side, still, when he saw the French
sailors bustling about stripped to the
waist, he and his companions being the
only idle hands on that busy deck, it
was all he could do to refrain from help
ing them.
At last, by the time their preparations
we're completed, the English vessel was
80 close that by the aid of the glass they
could count the men on her deck. Then
Captain de Condigny walked up to the
Young midshipman with outstretched
hand.
"By right you should have no kindly
feeling towards us," he said; "but you
Are sailor enough to know that 1 have
simply done my duty-what would have |
been yours had our positions been re-
versed. I think you bear me no ill will,
md you will at least admit that we have
lone all in our power to tighten your
situation. Now, adieu; we shall have
sharp work presently, and you and your