The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-03-07

think, sir, they IL be able to hurt us
much?''
Cant say" replies the veteran,
coolly; ''but should think not, myself.
You see, when they made these bat
teries, they didn't arm them with regu-
lar guns, but tunnclled holes in the
rocks themselves, and crammed them
with powder and ball, like pack OF
grecnhOrns. rs they are; so, If we dom
come right into the line Of fire, they
can't alter the range to hit us-thats
one good Job. It's only the movable
guns that we need bc afraid Of. Star
boardr'
"Starboard it is!' responds the
deep voice Of the stecrsman; and the
gallant ship sweeps rejoicingly into the
fatal channel, whence, if the Turkish
neither ship nor crew will ever return.
Had the daring band any leisure to
take note of the surrounding land
scapc they would have been we'll re-
paid, for every mile of the beautiful
scenery which they traverse i'm this
headlong race with death is rich in
world-renowned memories. On yOn-
der round grassy knoll, which projects
from the steep ridgy outline of the
European shore, King Ncrxes sat en-
throned, ages ago, to watch his motley
millions pouring over the Hellespont
Bridge into Europe. This wide green
plain, dotted with tiny white hamlets,
which stretches away to the eastward
in the glory of the morning sunshine,
could tell many Il tale of Miltiades and
Cymon and Lysandcr. Upon this strip
of flat dusty beach, where the tall Hat
rooted houses and huge yellow lazaret-
to of Dardanieh now stand massed to-
gether, Darius and his few remaining
warriors cast themselves down to rest,
and to breathe freely for the first time
since the commencement of the fatal
retreat in which, amid hunger, cold,
sickness, crushing fatigue, and the re-
lentless pursuit of savage enemy,
ended their Wanted invasion of Scythia.
And yondcr. where the green sunny
hills fall away suddenly into Il deep
curving hollow, two small white forts,
almost levelwith the.water's edge, stand
facing each other across the swift NOV
ing current-the castles of SestOs and
Abydos, where Leandcr looked his last
from amid the roaring waters upon the
familiar light far above, and where
yet sadder and darker story was one
day to become famous forever through
the genius of Byron.
But both Captain and crew have other
things to think of, for the storm of
war which they have defied is now
gathering around them in earnest. All
| along the hills on either side, red
capped soldiers are hurrying to and
fro, bayonets glittering, sabcrs flash
ing. artillery wheels throwing up clouds
of dust, while cries of mingled rage
and terror come family TO their ears as
they sweep by. But the crack of can
non-shot which they mOmentarily ex-
pcctcd never comes. Turkish neglect
has done its accustomed work. Honey
combed guns, rickety carriages, crum-
bling earthworks, sanded gunpowdcr,
| balls that will not tit the bore of their
pieces can be done with means
like these? And if the Turkish squadron
be destroyed Gas it must be, or the Rus
sian flag would not be flying here),
what resistance can we make to the
enemy's whole fleet?
So argue the faint-hearted among the
defenders; but there are men there of
another cast-men for whom it suffices
that the enemy is before them, and that
they are Turkish soldiers. As the adj
venturOus ship sweeps round the sharp
curve that hides Abydos from sight,
Lieut.. Dugdale, looking up in his lead
er's face, sees it harden suddenly like
concealed metal, rs the ready spyglass
turns up huge gray mass of bare rock
that looms out some distance ahead OF
them.
"See those red caps bobbing in and
out of the rocks like rabbits? They're
going to give us Il shot in passing, sure
enough. That's one of the tllnnci-bat-
teries spoke of, and if one of those
3OO-pound shots hits us, to the bottom
we go, every man! Set the stunsails,
BOSWELL run past and chance it.
Onward sweeps the noble vessel be-
fore the freshening breeze; but keen
eyes are watching her from behind
those frOwning crags, and, just us she
comes opposite the fatal spot, the
match is applied to the powder. For
one moment the life of every man on
board hangs by hair; but the dis
charge "balks'' an instant, and that
instant is sufficient to save them. The
next moment comes crash as if the
earth were rent asunder-a sheet of
flame spouts from the black, yawning
mouth-thcn there is u deafening splash,
and torrent of water bursts over the
stern, drenching all who stand near it.
The ball Ca huge mass of stone weigh
ing over 800 pounds) has fallen barely
ten feet behind them!
NEAR shave, thatr' says the Cap
tain, coolly; but miss is as good as
a mile, anyhow
Away, away, past green, sunny
slopes chequered with massive buttress-
es of gray rock; past steep, crumbling
ridges, on which tiny black goats are
hanging like flies; past cool, sheltered
inlets sleeping in floating shadow; till
at length the struggling white streets
and tum ole-dOwn Notifications of CALI
poll start up suddenly along a grassy
headland in front of them, in the glory
of the evening sunlight.
a wild clamOr of mingled outcries
along the shore-a passing vision of
dark, fierce faces and hurrying figures,
and weapons brandished in vain
menace Intellectual crackle of mus
kerry from the nearest angle OF the
wall-and then the last peril is past, and
before them lies the open sea. AS they
round the point, the English cabin-boy
"a lad after Capt. Marryatt's own
heart-springs up on the bulwarks,
and, putting his thumb to his nose in a
vulgar but expressive gesture, shouts
to the baffled assistants:
"Good-by, Johnny! Any message
for COnstantinOpleP'
And the daring band, echoing the
taunt with a. shout of laughter, sweep
by toward the point where, opening out
broad and bright between the receding
shores, lies the smooth surface of the
Sea of MarmOra.
Night overtakes them as they enter
it; but Capt. Elphinstone is not here
for the first time; he holds his course
unswervingly through the darkness,
l. 1..A Al