Mexico weekly ledger., 1880-10-07
Captain mill keeping his glass

Captains still keeping his glass di-
rected taEard the approaching ships.
The ei lny We're now rising fast,
not mora athan four or FIVE miles Off;
but the. iferchantmen, obeying sig
mails fro1 the sloop- of-war, which had
evldentHdiiscovered the nationality
OF the schooner by her rig, hauled on
wind aH shortened sail, while the
man -of-Nar held her course under
cloud of canvas.
.sTakuyour stations for working
ship! y. tried Seawaif The men
boundetlsto the sheets and braces.
Hard up the helm-ease off the
sheets, and sround in the weather
braces! seried the Captain.
''TariIal thunder. you're not going
to run from one sloop-of-war, are
you sir =. asl,ed the Lieutenant, IN
agonized wonder.
Get oat and rig two spars, with
iron eaessh in them to sink them,
for drags; drop one over each -quar-
ter, and ask no impertinent questions,
Nj. Doolittle,' said the Captain,
quietly.
Il beg your pardon, sir, hum
dred times-I thought you was 60
ing to run!" said the now-lelighted
| officer, as he fastened to obey the
order.
"Double-shot with grape and can
lster-gunners to your stations -
cried the Captain, now determinedly.
"Men, make no noise when | au-
nounce it, but within an hour that
sloop- of-war shall strike her flag, or
We'll go down with our colors flying.
When she is taken. the merchantmen
will be easy prizes.
Had they not been cautioned, the
men would have cheered SO loudly rs
to be heard on board of the sioop-of-
war.
After the drags were rugged and
lowered over the side, held by stout
hawsers, and not seen because sunk
beneath the water, the schooner did
not 90 more than three knots, although
Under Il full spread of caRvas-she
seemed to be running away from her
antagonist, which now could be seen
coming up, hand over hand her decks
crowded with men, and her ports
showing a battery Of twenty tour
guns.
On she came, the red cross of St.
George haunting from her peak, until
she was within nearly mile Of the
schooner, when she fired Il shot from
one of her bow guns.
''Show them our col0rs and nalne!
cried the young Captain, while his
/ pale face flushed with smile oil tcl-
rihle joy.
/ Il was done in an instant; but the
vessels head was not changed, nor 4
sail touched.
| Rapidly tie Englishman closed up,
heading little to leeward, SO as TO
range under her larboard beam.
! Crouch we'll behind the buiwarks,
men; stand by your larboard guns,
| but do not touch match until the
order comes from my lips; deprcss
your guns, SO as to take her between n
wind and water, Sail-trimmers,
stand to your sheets and braces, and
be ready for orders.
! These orders given, Capt. Seawaif
took his position on the larhoard side
of the quarter deck, and with i'll con-
c.aled delight saw The EnglishmaE
range along until he was aImos,
abeam.
"Haul down your colors, or III
sink you. Strike, you Yankee rebel
strike." shouted the English Cap
! tain, who stood on the poop OF his
vessel III full uniform, steadying him
self hy holding on TO the mizzcn rig
ging.
"Ifn just going To strike not my
colors, but you!' cried Seawait.
sarcasticaily, and instantly giving the
order to pour in his whole broadside
1t was done with terrible effect. foI
, the British had not anlicipa ed resist
ance from "A rebel whom they sup
posed to be using his best efforts tt
escape, and were huddled along thl
deck on the side next to the schoon
, er, and were cut down in fearful
swaths. And, as the sails were littl,
. injured, the sloop-of-war shot ahead
so that she could return the broad
side.
| "Cut away the drags, spring Il
your starboard battery-throw ii
chain shot as well rs grape-and Gu
lIer sticks away = cried Seawalf.
: Then, ordering the helm up, as tn
; schooner's headway increased Ii
veered off athwart the stern of th
{ sloop; and, as the guns came il
= range, delivered a raking fire. whicl
| not only swept her decks, but cattin!
away her masts, crippled her com
+. pletely.
. He then hauled on 4 wind deter
, mined to pepper her until she woul'
strike, and not wishing to lose an,
men at close quarters, If he coal,
) help 1T. But he had no occasion T.
I use his guns any more; for suddenly
with n shock wlnch shook the sea an'
. air like an earthquake, the i'll fate,
, craft was seen to fly in fragments
8 amid cloud of smoke, INTO the air
: Whether by accident OF. design M
e one eoald tell, but in some way III
powder in her magazine had been ig
nitcd, and was blown to atoms.
ii Prompted by humanity, Capt.
r Seawaii instantly ordered the helm
: up, and steered for the spot wher'
the sloop-of-war had been, in hope
| TO save some surviving persons G
) her crew. But not aliving soul coul'
! be seen. A few blackened spar
= and timbers only met the eyel
DR.. Lyman Beecher, on returDin!