The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-04-20

AFTER ms, but NJ last, arter about three
quarters IL an hour about ~ cxcitin' a
one would wish for, we left 'em all be-
hind and went on about our business.
I'VE was Ike young bears, though
'al our troubles was 10 come. Va
didn't care much for this inner line OF
blocka1crs, cause we had got TO riinnin
through 'em by night easy enough, but
IL were the off-shore cruisers that trou-
bled US; them that we run foul Of in the
daytime. This wage I'm tellin' you
ON, when the mornin' come, here were
a gun-boat right ahead Of us. Weparr-
cd and went of 10 the west ard. bringin'
him onto our port-quarter, and he Civ
chase In about quarter Of hour we
raised another one, right ahead. and
agin KEEP off TO the su'thard till we biung
him onto the port beam, and this altcra-
tion Of course brought the hisi one onto
the starboard quarter We run this way
about half hour, and had begun 10
drop the second one sighted, when we
raised third one, jist for'ard of the
starboard beam, and now il only needed
that we should make one ahead 10 in
sure our capture. Besides this, as YOU
will see. sir, if YOU have followed me. we
had turned completely round, and il was
only question Of time when we should
Git in agin with the fleet we had run
through the night afore. Our chance Of
escape was but slim. and all depended
on whether we could nutrun the one onto
our port beam enough Ia sail round him
and git our head off shore agin.
We KEEP TAXI the bearin's Of the
one on the port hand, and
a. we dropped him half pint. we
would haul up half pint. still keepin'
three that we had fust made for'ard Of
the starboard beam, had been steamin'
light for Us, and at o'clock he found
hisself within distance, and begin 20 fire
NJ Us. The fust shot went over Us. the
next fell astern. but il was evident that
we was in range, and might expect to be
hit unless we got this troublesome Gus
toner ont Of range. We starboarled a
pint more, bringing the second craft for
ard Of the beam and our nearest neigh
Dor one pint abaft the starb0ard beam.
and then come the question. Must we
sacrifice any of our cotton?' You've
never run the blockade, sir. and YOU
can't think what il were TO throw cotton
overheard them times. Ii were like
DRAWN out your eve teeth Every bale
was worth ESQ; but il were better "a lose
some than to sacrifice all: the shots was
a fallin' all around Us. and we must cit
out Of range or we was gone. and 20 the
old man civ the order to throw over
board cotton.
.''Cut 'em open my lads. says the
old man. and scatter il all YOU can. %
a 70 foul that feller'> propeller that's
cumin up astern. and we done 30: but
don't think that done any good. cause
we seen this craft. which We're the frs;
one we made in the mornin' When
Shc run into this cotton. she jist stopped
and Civ up the chase and picked up all
she could IL IL This cuftin' adrift bnsi-
ness. hows'ever. was too slow for ~,
and shell bur~tin' close BY a., the old
man sings ont don't stop to cut any
more; overheard with 'em n quick a.
the Lord will let you.'
"You'd think, sir, that men with the
fear of capture afore 'em would do their
best. but yet it's fact that durin' that
chase one 0f our passengers goes down
into the iire-rO0m. and SAYS he. Is
apiece, my lads. for five more revolu-
tions, and bow'd If them firemen didn't
turn % and git -em. Under this Increase
Of speed we begin 70 drop our friend on
the starboard. and il Were a happy time
for us when his shots begin for 10 drop
astern. Our companion on the port side
had got abaft the beam agin. and we was
soon able 70 begin haulin' up more ami
more, a half pint To a time, and by :
O'Clock that AFTERNOON we had sailed
round him and was on our
course agin.
Two nights after this had the deck
and the old man were on the bridge,
and all IF sudden heard him sing out
port; hard aport'' and the next mint
'se sung 10, stop her. jumped onto
the bridge Look there, says the old
man, and there crossin' our bow were
a steamer. She had no lights set. and,
from her rig and general appearance,
We knowed she were a cruiser, but she |
passed right on and never seen Us at all, |
and we steamed on about our business.
This will show YOU, sir. the risks we run
IN Next night, 70 our great JOY. we
sighted Gibbs Hill light. jist the finest
light in the world. and run round under
=. David's Head. and showed light \
Tor pilot. We got into st. Georges
shout hour after daylight, and was at
,nce surrounded by the usual swarm II
boats, with all sorts Of people into 'em.
III anxious to hear the latest news from
Rebeldom.-