The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-03-26
"The Mary Anne, of Bristol" thun-
dered the captain, after waiting for the
first call

Ihe Mary Anne, OF Bristol, thun- !
dered the captain, after waiting for the |
first call.
The lieutenant bowed, and rejoiued- |
"This is Her Britannia Majesty's |
fr1gate Hero. The ship down there is
the Jean Bart. She is too fast for us i'll
chase; but We are going to try to trick |
her to-day. Haul down your colors.'
1t was done, and the ensign futtered
from the peak to the deck. At the same
moment, the two quarter and the stern !
boat of the frigate dropped like feathers
into the surging water. and their crews
came shining hand under hand, down the
tackles, cataract Of blue jackets.
The frigate again hailed, sour men
will board you as if you are our prize,
and captain-"
Macleod" roared the skipper.
Macleod" resumed the lieutenant,
twill be good enough to send on board
Il portion of his crew." and then, as if
he anticipated an objection, raising his
voice, he shouted, "there will be no
pressing work, upon my honor. We
only want to cheat our friends down yon-
der the better, by pretending to take on
board prisoners. Our men will stay
aboard until your own come back. It's
all right, Captain Macleod, il it not ?"
"Aye, aye, sir! responded the skip
per quite treasured; (which of my lads
will volunteer"
Me, and me, and me, and me!' burst
from a score of voices. And the next
moment the cutters dashed their boat
hooks simultaneously into our lee side,
that next the Frenchman, while the hen
tenant and the midshipmen i'll each, fol-
lowed by the crew, only leaving boat
keeper, scrambled upon our decks.
The second lieutenant bowed politely
to the master and the passengers, and
looked around Mt our war-like prepare
tions.
"You were going to fight our friend
down there? L hope we can save you
the trouble; but meantime" Jameson,
his coxswain, came up with II French
ensign" for once, captain, the Mary
Anne must carry the tricolor."
"No objections, no objections" STAN
mered the skipper, although he clearly
didn't like it. Up, however, went the
token of conquest, the English flag
beneath il, and our volunteers, carrying
empty bags and hammockless hammock
cloths, 80 as still further to deceive the
little Frenchman, went over the side, the
half of the boats crews remaining on
board with their third lieutenant and II
couple Of midshIpmen.
Again the boats, with the apparent
prisoners, pulled around the schooner's
stem and stern, giving the privateer
full view of them. The trick took per-
fectly. The Jean Bart filled her main
top-sail and came up, making small
tacks until we could see the swarming
crew on deck. The interest Of the scene
was now growing intense. We could see
stealthy movement i'll the frigate's
sails, and as the privateer made the last
tack which would have carried her clear
of the schooner's bow-sprit, the main
topsail of the frIgate was suddenly filled,
her top-gallant sails sheeted home, and
she started like greyhound, gathering
way astOnishingly quick, while, amid
the banging of her bow-chasers full at
the Jean Bart, the French flag passed
the English one on the halyards, one de-
scending the other ascending, and in a
moment more the frigate's bowsprit was
entangled in the privateer's mizzen-rig-
ging, and the crash of the meeting ships
was heard amid the rattle of the Hero's
musketry. The breeze was fresh enough
to blow away the smoke, and
the instant that the ships touched,
with cheer which only excited
Englishmen can give, with rafting pis-
tolls and flashing cutlasses, swarm of
boarders poured like Il cataract over the
frigate's bows, and down from her bow
spirit right upon the Frenchmen's heads,
the marines following as fast us they
might, and forming as they managed to
scramble on the decks. But there was
no heed. Taken utterly by surprise, the
men not at quarters, the guns untackled,
the small arms below in the racks, and
attacked by force mt least double their
number, the French did no discredit to
their manhood, though they followed the
sentiment of SaurC gui peut, and disap-
peared "like rats" said Captain Mac
ieod, down into the interior of their yes
sci. A few alone kept their ground,
sufficed. rs the ring of marines closed
around them, to make them throw down
the cutlasses which they had snatched
up, and make sulky surrender. And
then the tricolor came down, and pres
( emily went up sat the starn," said Cap
tain Macleod, "the st. George and st.
Andrews ensign" The operation, how
ever, reminding him of the tricolor at
the truck of his own ship, he speedily
had it down; and the national symbol,
hoisted again, was received with 1t uni
versal burst of acclamation.
There remains but little more for me
to say, only that there was another ex-
change of prisoners made--a true one
this time; and a more desperate lot of
desperadOes, give you my honor, j
never saw. They seemed to be ruffians
Of all nations on board; but, of course,
the French predominated Now l hope
yOu don't think that what j say is the
effect of prejudice. give you my word
of honor that l speak the exact fact; but
you must remember that they were-not
men-of-war s-men-nor yet honest mer-
chant sailOrs-but privateersmen, who
are the dregs Of the seaport from which
they come; and are very little better, if
ut all, than pirates. L know that the
strict rule is, when it can be done, to
give a privateer the stem; but bud as
they were, think that's too bloodthirsty
a thing for Englishmen to do, even if the
. DTlNulcCIbuitu "CIS ub viz
devil himself. Well, we got our men on
board, with the captain of the frigate's
thanks and compliments, and three doz-
en- Of claret, and the frigatemen of course
returned to their own berths in their
own boats.
"Gentlemen and men" said Captain
Macleod, "we'll give the Hero and her
prize a parting salute. We're clear OF
the ships 30 the shot of the gun won't
do any harm to anybody but the fishes''
And, accordingly, the light carronades
were very cleverly fired, one alternately
from each side, while Long Tom gave n
finishing bang.
"And now" said Captain Macleod,
gentlemen, dinner!"
The following day we saw the frigate
with her prize standing the same course
as ourselves, and the following night we
saw the Lizard Lights, when we were
drinking the HERDS claret.
Amazing DelnsiOn.
lFrom the Philadelphia Times.l
A healthy how with a sound pair OF