San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-03-02
they are Turkish soldiers. As the ad-


venturous sweeps round the sharp curve
that hides Abydos from sight, Lieuten-
ant Dugdale, looking up in his leaders,
face, sees it harden suddenly like con-
gealed metal, as the ready spy-glass
turns up a huge gray mascot bare rock
that looms out some distance ahead Of
them.
{" See those red caps bobbing in and
out of the rocks like rabbitsP They're
going to give us shot in passing, sure
enough. That's one of the tunnel-bat-
teries l spoke of, and If one OF those
300-pound shot hits us, to the bottom
we 60, every mani Set the stunsails,
boys--we'll run past, and chance it," .
h Onward sweeps the noblevessel before
the freshening breeze; but keen eyes are
watching her from behind those frown-
ing crags, and, just as she comes oppo-
site the fatal spot, the match is applied
to the powder For one moment the
life of every man on board hangs by a
hair; but the discharge "baulks" an
instant, and that instant is sufficient to
save them. The next moment comes a
crash as if the earth were rent asunder
"a sheet of flame spouts from the black
yawning mouth-then there is a, deaf
ening splash, and a torrent of water
bursts over the stern, drenching all who
stand near it. The ball "a huge mass
of stone weighing over 800 pounds) has
fallen barely 10 feet behind them! 4.
h"Near shave, that" says the Captain,
coolly; "but a miss is as good as a
mile, anyhow" 9'' .'' d " 4oo'
Away, away past green, sunny
slopes ohequered 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 tumble 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
IAN Intellectual crackle Of musketry
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-boyi--7a lad
after Captain Maryatt's own heart
springs up on the bulwarks, and, put
ting his thumb to his nose in a vulgar
but expressive gesture, shouts to the
baflled assistants:
Goodbye, Johnny! Any message
for Constantinople?" = q" FkE r 4
And the daring band, echoing the
taunt with shout of laughter, sweep
by towards the. point where, opening
out broad and bright between the re-
ceding shores, lies the smooth surface
of the Sea of Marmora.
Night overtakes them as they enter it;
but Captain Elphinstone is not here for
the first time; he holds his course I'M
swervingly through the darkness, with
but one thought in his mind-to reach
Constantinople. All night the brave
southwesterly wind fills their sails, as if
cheering them on; and with the first
CLEAN of sunrise they pass the green
curving shores of 'Prince's Islands,"
and see before them, outspread for many
miles along the blue shining sea. the
serried roofs and tall white minarets
and stately mosques, and countless pal
aces of imperial Constantinople. ....t
At this early hour but few persons
are yet abroad, but the sight of the
terrible Russian flag suilices to arouse
the whole capital. Not a gun mounted
on the seaward batteries-not Il regi-
ment in fighting order-the enemy's
first ship already in sight, and the rest
doubtless close behind-well may Con-
stantinople tremble! Within less than
half an hour every street leading down
to the harbor is one roaring swarm of
struggling figures and convulsed faces,
livid with fear or black with rage; and
a mingled uproar of cries of dismay,
savage curses on the " Moscow wild
prayers to Allah and the Prophet, and
bloodthirsty yells for the heads of the
Grand Vizier and his officers rend the
very air.
And then, in the midst of all the
maddening din, are heard the quick,
stern tones of Captain Elphinstone's
voice: