The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-03-26
tenant of Her Maiesty's Second West

hUu " long tlSntttH oI sWiNcl uAeu III
the the heel of the bowsprit, and which
wis the the apple of the shippers eye.
The crew-thirty stout fellOws--for the
Mary Anne was double manned
stripped to the waist and barefooted,
were getting out the guns on the star
board side; the larboard carronades were
obliged Ia be made fast to ringbolts to
prevent their diving overheard, while
the starhoard or windward carronades had
their noses cooked up to the zenith. Two
menat every gun were equipped with big
ship pistols and cutlasses, while board
ing tomahawks and pixies We're placed
handy. Long Tom had special crew,
and every gun was loaded with Il double
charge of grape.
For" says the skipper, - stand no
nonsense; the French like long shots,
but | like muzZle to muzzle. That's
my way"
The prlvateer was now within about
five miles to leeward. She was certainly
a beautiful craft; long, low, and sneak
ing. with the characteristic hoist of her
topsail, and the masts, particularly the
mizzen, raking tremendously. She car
ried only topsail and top-g.lllant sails,
miZzen-s sail and forestav-sail, rs if i'll
scorn of oul packed canvas; and rose
and fell on the deep sea with a grace
which WIS all her own. Our poor Mary
Anne, good ship i'll her way she was,
half buried herself every time she
plunged ut n curling swell. The Jean
Bart also held closer wind; and it was
evident there was nothing for it but the
old formula of command:-"Now, men,
you see the enemy, lay your guns and
point them well. Fire fast and fire
true, and hurrah for Old England"
Meantime my fellow passengers were
i'll the cabin busily engaged i'll writing.
Mr. Dargle's face was very pale. Mos
cas- black eyes glittered, and he was 30
nervous that he could hardly hold his
pen. He was armed to the teeth, and
evidently determined, as he had often
said, rnt Ia he taken alive. / WAS be-
ginning u contrast my position, with
only Il driblet of half-pay to depend up
on, with Mr.. Dargle's, the rich proprietor
Of half dozen plantations, the husband
of ia fond, beautiful wife, and the father
Of family Of sprightly little Creoles. l
WIS watching his face, as from time to
time II spasm-hke culver went across it,
and bis hand stole to his eyes, when the
faintly-heard boom Of a heavy gun came
up from the privatcer: and mt the same
moment our mast head lookout sang
sharp and quick-"A sail to wind
ward :"
What like" shouted the skipper.
"Shc looks like big fIigatc," was the
reply. shes got stunsais on both
sides, and she coming down before the
wind lik" Il race horse.
Again the captain telescope WAS in
rcquisition, and every eye was directed
to the windward ship, the topsails of
which could he seen from the deck, when
she rose upon sea. Presently the old
skipper shouted" She's frigate and
if | know anything Of Il trigate she's one
Of the right sort. / know it by her top
s.ils-and in less than half an hour, my
boys, you'll see ST. Georges ensign"
And the old fellow ratified down the
shrouds with singular velocity.
Have up the two bottles of sham
pagne," she shouted, "and, steward,
serve all the crew round with double
stiff ration Of grog.
But the first mate did not seem SO
confident. He also had narrowly exam
ined the coming ship so far as it could
vet he seen, and was likewise an old and
experienced seaman. He shook his
head. "There's lot of French frigates
wonderfully like English ones, he said,
"and some Of them, as / heard tell
, have tOp-sails cut English fashion, to
cheat the merchant ships"
~ don't know, captain, but think ii
would be most prudent not to take sail
off the schooner.
, For Mathews had seen the skipper's
fingers tidgeting with the maintop-gal-
lant-sail halyards.
"Well, Mathews" he said, "we'n
compromise. "We1l make short boards
instead of long"
"We'll lose ground by that, Captain
Macleod"
well, but 80 will the Johnny Crap.
aud. Every time we tack, he'll tack, and
/ don't want to get ont of the way of my
friend to windward."
So presently up went the head of the
Mary Anne into the wind, and round she
came on the other tack very cleverly.
"Never missed stays when she had {
mouthful of wind" said the captain, up
provingly. But the :" Mounseers," as
Mr. Mathews called them, were ever,
bit as quick as we, and the lively littl'
frigate swung round as if she had beer
struck on a pivot.
"She made deadly forge aheadt then,
said the Responding mate; and captain
as if influenced by his subordinate
evident opinions, went again into thu
rigging, and after a good, long look Il
the fast-approaching ship, the hull o
which was now visible, he shouted
"Mr Mathews, I'll put my head into
bucket of tar and eat 1t, if that's not al
English frigate; and before ten minute
you'll know il yourself, when you see tn
ensign at the peak, and the jack at tin
foretop."
As the captain seemed perfectly conf
dent, the champagne corks popped, an,
the men had their rum-and-water, whicl
they infinitely preferred to wine, or, in
deed, to spirits of any description, bu
all kept their eyes alternately on tn
frigate, now fast nearing us, and rolling
Enthusiastically before the following seas.
"Look at her textbook at he
teeth" shouted the captain i'll ecstacy
AZ the frigate gave slight yaw on
cross sea-"a forty-four ut the least
Thirty-twos and eighteens at the yer.
least"
Meanwhile the Frenchman showed II
change of tactics, unless it was n ten
dency to go off down to the leeward, he
movements betokening suspicion of tn
big fellow coming down before the wind
with magnificent wreath of foam deck
ing her ample bows.
At length she WAS within mile, whe
she made a sudden sweep, and the
rushed round, with her broadside to US
backing her main topsail-letting to he
stunsails-firing gun-and hosting he
colOrs-French!
"Now, then, captain, said Mathews
"nOw then, what do you say now"
Before he could answer, the privatee
= also fired gun, and also hoisted the ti-
: color
The captain had moments time I
take counsel with himself, and then h
: gave a most unexpected jump on IL
1 deck, flung up his straw hat which BILE
Q into the sea, and exclaimed: cts
8 dodge-a dodge-he wants to bring IL
e privateer closer, so that he'll be surer
4 her."
K Matthews shook his head.
e At this moment the frigate fred al
/. other gun.
!, "No ball." said Mathews, lookir
y rather disappointed than otherwise.
e Then an officer appeared on the chain
1 in French uniform.
e "Do you see that ?" said Mathews, q
but triumphantly.
i The officer hailed, and the words can
i distinctly on our ears. They were En-
It lish.
k "Do you hear that, Mr.. Mathews