Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-03-27
THE GIRL MUTINEER.

iOWdIu lHo clOSe Oh al OctODe
day in 1777, vessel sailing in
south-westerly direction crossed
the fifty-seventh degree of nortl
longitude. Her keel plowed tn,
waves of the North Atlantic, anC
her destination seemed to be th,
Azores. She was sailing before 9
strong wind, and the arrangement
Of her sails indicated fight. II
flight from whoml The naked eye
could preceive no pursuer on the
bosom of the ocean; but the sea-
glasses, leveled by a number. OF
British officers, who graced the
clean decks, revealed dark
speck on the watery rim of the
Northern horizon.
This distant object occasioned no
little anxiety among the officers.
A silence which had reigned among
them for many moments was
suddenly broken by a man whose
bearing might have proclaimed
him an English admiral.
'He still follows" were the words
that fell from his lips; "but with
the help of Nuptune well cutsail
him in the night"
Though the officer spoke with
much assurance, there lurked in
his tongue latent fear which his
companions detected, and exchang-
ed significant glanoes.
Over the face of the deep, night
was setting, and the vessel kept
straight before the wind, to the Joy
of its commander who had lately
spoken. The shadows gradually
yelled the PARKWAY pursuer from
sight, and when the officers separ-
ated, expressions of triumph were
on their lips.
The British vessel was the
Meteor, fast sailer, whose arma-
ment consisted Of twenty-eight
guns. She was well-built double
decker, and had seen much service e
in the war which had ragged be- I
tween Great Britain and her Amer =
lean colonies. Her speed and her 7
formidable armament had made her c
a terror to American vessels in 1
waters. Her command
er, sea-born-Englishman, named '
was an officer of undoubt- q
ed courage and cunning, to which 6
he added q vindictiveness that o
rendered him obnoxious to many U
of his own crew.
The Meteor was flying from a +
new and very formidable foe-fy- s
ing with hold filed with booty. v
On the day preceding the one b
that had just closed upon her in v
fight, she had captured an Ameri- o
can cruiser, after spirited contest. b
The prize had proved one of value,
and CAPTAIN Gilderoy did not wish Il
to risk an engagement with the e
vessel following in his wake. Il
Captain Conyngbam, the pursuer, a
was second Paul Jones. He was n
one of the most daring spirits of b
our then infant navy, and his name
had become terror along the coast s
of England. He pursued and cap P
tured number of British ships, C
which he bad either burnt or sent n
into friendly ports; and when he a
deserted the Meteor, fresh from her b
victory, he hesitated not to crowd Il
al sail and give chase. b
There were men on the deck of the &
as Conyngham's vessel was
appropriately named, who watched
he flying Englisbman. Much n
peculation concerning the result Il
# the chase ran through the several y
yroups, and Conyngham smiled "
When he turned to reply to the 4
words of youthful Lieutenant
Who stood beside him sea-glass In b
land. b
ave can outsail her Gilbert" the o
american captain said with emphs- g
is. "This wind favors MS both "
like, and in the calm that viii soon
she must lay by till day."
The young officer turned from
is captain and again his eyes were u
trained to make out the form Of g
10 ship rapidly disappearing I"