Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-03-26
Seltttta Storp.
RUNNING THE GAUNTLET.
An Episod. or the Rusao-Turkish War
ofIg7O-

Captain. what you propose is i'm
possible"
Admiral. it's possible enough to any
man who has pluck"
With these bitter words on their lips,
two men stand facing each other on the
quarterback OF the Russian flagship
Vladimir. as she lies at anchor. off the
coast Of Asia Minor. The one. who
wears the uniform of a Russian Admiral
is s man of colossal stature and proper
,ious, but with broad, heavy. unmean-
ing face. which shows that his intellect is
not on par with bis bodily strength
| The other is s short, squsre. muscular
/ figure, with 8 firm mouth and keen gray
eye-tormerly Lieutenant < phinstone, OF
the British Navy. but now in command
of the trigste Yeksterina in the Russian
Black Sea aeet; and the superior TO whom
be is speaking so upceremoniouslv is no
other than the Imperial Admiral himself,
Count Gregory Gregorievich Orlof. the
first and the bases. of the countless fav-
orites of Csthsrine H.. a man whose
worth less name has been rescued from
oblivion by one great crime-the murder
Of Peter III.
II is the morning of July S. l770. The
bright blue waters OF Tehesme Bay sre
numbered with hslf-burned spsIs and
masses Of shattered timber; the dreamy
summer sky overhead is blotted with
drifting smoke; and along The surround
ing hills bare-legged men in white tur.
bsns are hurrying to and fro with looks
OF dismRy, aud mutteriug 10 each other
that the Psdishah's war ships have been
destroyed by the "Giaours" OF the North
Last night, with single fire ship, thi.
short keen-eyed, blunt-spoksn Captain
burned every vessel in the Turkish
squadron; and he is now vsinly urging
MS .phIegmstic Admiral to follow up the
victory by dash through the DArdanelles
upon delenseless Constsntinople.
Il tell you. Englishmsu,H growls Or
loff, "that will not send the Empress $
/ feet 10 certain destruction in attempting
an impregusble passage, just to please
you "
"And tell your Excellency," retorts
the other. That what you fear to attempt
with the whole fleet, will do with one
vessel. I'll run my ship through this i'm
preguable passage OF yours. and drink
the health of The. British navy in front OF
the Sultsn's own palace. Good morn
ingi'
Arrived Cd board of his own vessel,
Captain Elphinstone musters his crew-s
motley mixture of ssllow. broad-iaced
Russians, squst. yellow-haired Firms,
big-boued, beetle-browed Esthonisns,
snd slim, wiry Greeks, with two or three
5rawny, ,,red-whiskered Z glish. sailors
looking down upon their comrades with
grand compassionate G;sdain, as
creatures whom sn inscrutabIe Provi-
dence has doomed. to be foreigners, there
by cutting them of, once and forever,
from sll chance OF becoming good sea.
men. The Captain eyes them all as they
come ait with the look of one accustomed
TO Judge men st sight, and then speaks,
briefly, bat very much TO the purpose:
my lads. Pm going to run through
the Dardanelles and iy my dag in the
face Of those lubbers at Constaniinople
If any mans afraid TO come with me, let
him stand ont and say SOW
But not q man moves! The crew are
sll picked men, who have followed their
present leader through many heavy
storm; and they have long since learned
TO know him as the real soul Of the feet
nomlnSlly commanded by their incompe-
tent Admiral. At the very mention oi
Constaniinople. there is sudden light
in every eye which the veteran Is at no
loss TO interpret.
"All right. said he, with a grim smile
"If you're game to poke your heads into
the ire, I'm not the man 10 bsulk yOu.-
DR.. Dugdale, serve out double ration
All round. and then set every stitch ol
canvas on her and swsy we go"
1t isa beautiful summer morning, with
q fresh breeze from the southwest, when
the devoted ship comes up to the mouth
OF The terrible passage through which NO