The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-03-26
lfrNm Brent !nus Nnnth'y.l
A GOOD NAVAL STORY.

kIENh bISit .il' r h'h'hE.
A GOOD NAVAL STORY.
The little open cabin skylight of the
good armed schooner Mary Anne WAS
darkened 10y the weather-heaten face-as
brown--as brown rs brown paiut-and
the shock of fiery red hair-with whiskers
TO match-uf our worthy captain, Mae
leOd by name, and related to the chief of
that ilk. He had been 10 SEA in every
sort of craft and i'll every part of the
world; and, as you may think, the old
Islesman was rs stout and thorough Il
sailor as ever faced wind and weather,
and cannon and musket shot too.
There were three Of us. Mr. Darglc.
great planter III Demerara and Berhice,
who had nine hundred slaves, Of whom
he used 10 say that he had never tlogged
but three, and never sold hut one-at his
own desire He WAS Il mild, quiet man,
and every house in the coast colonies was
delighted when his kettarm appeared,
with his high-stepplng bay. The second
man of the party was Mr. Mosca, Mr..
Dargle's agent, who, rs his father was a
Cuban Spaniard, AMI his mother Il
French quG;.Iuun. wus rather # Il pep
perry disposition, which required I'll III"
mild persuasivoness OF Mr.. Darglr 10
keep down. However, he WIS, to my
knowledge, a most energetic AMI excel
lent agent; and rs he and his employer
were generally seen together, they usu-
ally went by the name of brandy and
water" A. for myself, / was 1t poor
subaltern in West India regiment. 90
ing home invalided, after tight brush
with Yellow Jack. And now yOu know
the company which Captain Macleod adj
dressed.
o. d. what are 20" 'f'oAlHR boys; lie
Madeira sangaree, Captain Macleod
laid Mr.. Darkle, at the same time knock
ing 4 white worm with black head ont
of biscuit.
well, I've lust been taking Il meri,
dian-you needn't Singer, Mr.. Masca'
and the skipper produced huge old.
fashioned quadrant; d" think tina. If the
wind blows as it's doing now. tomorrow
night Ill show you the Lizard lights.
There was II simultaneous clIttering oi
glasses on the table.
"And without as much as seeing the
shadow of one of them damned private"rs
to say nothing of these"-expletivt
again French frigates. Cursr them
and their dandy hoist in the nape Of hel
topsails."
"Well. then, captain, | suppose W,
have made the Iun, SAYS Mosca.
Why. don't whoop till You're o tho
wood, reioined our skipper.
"TLcre's often a swarm of these craft'
as quick s flying fish and as fierce a.
sharks, lurking about the chops Of Gh'
channcl-the Internal Williams picl
,lp al thny can get. However-Sambo
ii couple Of bottles Of that champagne
got from the governor
Sail no. echoed through our canvas
and the brown face disappeared rs if b.
magic, and there WAS a moments tramp
ling u feet. All the watch below wer,
tumbliug up, as they call 1t; and rs YOU
may think, We tlmbled up too.
"Where away" said the skipper, nd
dressing the -gallant-mast cross-trecs
BROAD on the lee-beam," was tn
answer, " standing on the same way witt
ns."
"Glad sizes to lcc'ard, at all events,
said the captain.
"Smes going through the water yer,
fast, sir, said the first mate touching
his straw lat.
':What do you make her out, Nh
Mathews?"
why, sir, she's smallish vessel f
carry three squ1re-rigged masts.
Captain Macleod looked grave, and
without Il word, took his pet tclescop
from the brackets. and leisurely mounte
the fore-rigging. 1t must have require,
long practic" to use glass from var
which was continually on the swing, an,
that sometimes twelve or fifteen feet q
a lurch. However, the captain took
long survey, and then descending, Wen
below, and returned on deck with an oil
account book, with letters down tn
edges of the leaves, Which were closet
scribbled over, and an immense lot {
loose memoranda, written on all sorts c
scraps of paper, backs Of letters and tor
bills of lading, and turned mp b. Ate
a scrutiny, during which We Ill stOo
anxiously around him, waiting for tn
old hard-a-wcather' opinion, he brougi
his clenched fist down upon the bOOl
and exclaimed
"By heavens it's her, and no other;
and he read
"The Jean Bart of Dicppe, consoI
TO the Belle POulp, was barque-bui
sharp for the aye-tradc-altercd I
frigate rig for privateering. Low in tn
water and very fast, particularly on
wind-lofty rig-high i'll the tOpsails
always strongly manned and heavI
armed-mizzenmast rakes well aft.
"She's rising us fast" sung the lool
out alOft.
"Pack on--pack on every stitch 81
can carry. Look alive, Mr.. Matthews
Be smart, Mr. jenkins. We've got a
ugly customer hanging to us; If we cal
We must show him clean pair Of heelf
Get the fore-royai on the ship, set Il
main topsail stun sail, ngout the hyin,
iibboom, and set the sail, drop the for
course, and get up the broadest-heade
gaff-topsail; we'll drive the ship undo
rather than be taken"
No sooner said than done, and Il
Mary tnne was under press Of canva
her upIar masts bending, and Il
weather-srvs like fiddle strings, the i
scllpper-hoes bUzZing in the foalniI
water. and Sue schooner making gala
way.
For more than an hour there W
silence n the ship. Captain Macle'
Mr.. Matthew's stood on each side of Il
whed, keeping tire craft, which W
really behaving very well, as near d
wind a. WAS consistent with absence
the.sligh test shivcr in the windward ta
Of the foretopsail. During this pau
we had time 80 consider our situatio
OF all the privateers sent out by Franc
La Belle Poule, ultimately captured
the Black Joke, and the Jean Bart, We
the most famed for their successes, al
the most notorious for plunderiug to {
skin their unfortunate prisoners.
However, there was one comfort, h
nothing 10 lose but few dollars-colo
ial currency, my uniform, and some Liz
West India clothing; and thought stru
me to put Oh the uniform, az had hel
that even French priyateers respect
the red coat of an English officer. p
ting the idea into practice, to the gr
establishment Of all ON board i appen,
on deck in the full uniform of full Ii