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

"The Mary Anne, of Bristol" thun-
dered the captain, after waiting for the
first call.
The lieutenant bowed, and reioined-
"This is Her Britannia Majesty's
f1gate Hero. The ship down there is
the Jean Bart. She is too fast for liz in
IA chase; but We are going to try to trick
her to-day. Haul down your colors."
1t was done, and the ensign fiuttered
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. aud their crews
came shining hand under hand, down the
tackles, Il 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
II 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, is it not?"
"Aye, aye, sir! a" responded the skip
per quite treasured: (which of my lads
will volunteer?"
Me, and me, and me, and met burst
from n score of voices. And the next
moment the cutters dashed their boat
hooks simultaneously into our lee side,
that next the Frenchman, while the lieu
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 at our war-like prepare
tons.
"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 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, 40 MS 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 Il
couple Of midshIpmen.
Again the boats, with the apparent
prisoners, pulled around the schoouers
stem and stern, giving the privateer
full view of them. The trick took per-
fectly. The Jean Bart filed 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 mt
the Jean Bart, the French flag passed
the English one on the halyards, one de-
scending the other ascending, and in
moment more the frigate's bowsprit was
entangled in the privateer's mizzen-rig-
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 rattling pis-
tolls and flashing cutlasses, a swarm of
boarders poured like cataract over the
frigate's bows, and down from her bow
spirit right upon the Frenchmen's heads,
the marines following as fast rs 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 sducG qui peut, and disap-
peared "like rats" said Captain Mac
( leOd, down into the interior of their YES
sci. A few alone kept their ground,
headed by their officers, but a moment
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 uni
versal burst of acclamation.
There remains but little more for me
. | l.. 4l,,1
change of prisoners made--a true one
this time; and more desperate lot of
desperadoes, l 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 ! say is the
effect of prejudice. give you my word
of honor that speak the exact fact; but
you must remember that they were-not
men-of-war s-meu-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
at 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
thing for Englishmen to do, even if the
privateersmen were as wicked as the
devil himself. Well, we got our men OH
board, with the captain of the frigate 4
thanks and compliments, and three doz-
Ell of claret, and the frigatemen Of course
returned to their own berths in their
own boats.
"Gentlemen AMI men," said Captain
Macleod, "we'n give the Hero and her
prize 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 q
finishing bang.
"And now" said Captain Macleod,
gentlemen, dinner!'
The following day we saw the frigatt
with her prize standing the same course
as ourselves, and the following night We
saw the Lizard Lights, when we were
drinking the Hero's claret.
Amazing DelnsiOn.
[From the Philadelphia Times.l
} A healthy boy with a sound pair o