Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-05-28
. THE CoNDEmNED ounAN.

4
from the main, a small vessel wa
getting ready to leave the quiet Ii
s land waters and put to sea-
The cause of thus daring death b,
i the commander of this little vess4
because at the peak the lone sta
flag of the struggling Cubans fiut
!. tered in the breeze and sentencl
most Fseveres rested upon all VIII,
served beneath its folds.
i The little vessel, once a New Yori
4 yatch, had run in to the Cuban coas
after dark, bearing arms, anmuni
tions stores, and a few good men anC
| true for the patriot army of Cespedt
in the mountains.
j Having safely delivered her car
go into the hands of Gen. Ryan, hel
4 American commander determined
to putto sea in the face of the storm
| for he knew that Spanish gun-boats
were watching for him, and thai
capture meant certain death by the
gaTrote or rifle.
Stand ready to make sail. The
storm will be more merciful than
the Spaniards,' and crew of hall
dozen men and two junior officers
sprang to obey, when to their ears
came the deep boom of heavy
gun.
All paused-for what could ii
mean ?
Certainly it was not the roar OF
| thunder, for its mutterings were
heard far away to landward.
Could another Cuban craft be rum
ming in and the gun come from a
Spaniard in chase.
No, it was the deep boom Of a
heavy gun, and those on the yatch
looked at each other in awe as it was
repeated, for they knew that the
brazen throat was pleading piteous-
ly- for help, and that hundred lives
perhaps more-hung on the ans
wer to that appeal.
"They are minute guns, and they
are calling for pilot, said Enrique
Delmonte, handsome young Gu
ban, who was second in command
of the yatch.
Will you go to their aid p asked
the American commander.
mo, there are Cuban pilots, and
it must be Spaniard man-o-war
that needs Them
1T seems pity to see them wreck
ed, even if they are our enemies.
Hark How pleading are those
guns! answered the American.
Enemies though they be, they
shall not die, for / will save them =
You, Enrique Delmonte"
Yes, my captain; for as you know
my boyhood home is near by, and
l know these waters well. Will
you put me on board, for you are
going to sea p said the noble young
Cuban.
1T is a fearful risk for you to run,
Delmonte; you are already under
sentence to death and
i will die in a good cause. Come
let us lose no time, from the sound
of those guns the vessel is drifting
in rapidly
The American Captain offered no
argument further, and anchor was
raised, the sails, reefed down, were
set, and the little yatch sped like a
hugh white bird away from its safe
nest to battle with the wild waves
and wind beyond.
1t took the united strength of the
Captain and Enrique Delmonte,
who acted as pilot, to hold the yatch
on her course, for the seas washed
over her decks in torrents and she
staggered fearfully beneath the rude
shocks of the waves.
AT length the channel was safely
passed through and the open waters
reached, when, not half u milo away
came the vivid red flash Of a gun,
and the deep boom rolled across the
waters.
1T is a large vessel, and evidently
a steamer, from the right rig the
gums flash showed,' said the Cap
tain.
Il know that vessel well, Captain,
for three years of my service in the
Spanish. navy was passed on her
deck, and l would rather lose my |
life than see her go down.
Enrique Delmonte spoke with |
great earnestness, and the American |
felt that he had some deep cause for |
wishing to save The vessel. He |
knew that his father was Spaniard
and his mother Cuban, and that
he had been reared in the navy of
Spain, which he had left to serve
his native land.
Shaping their course so as to head |
the drifting vessel off, lantern was
shown to tell of coming succor, and
the cheer that broke from the crew
at sight of it was heard on board
the yatch.
'Delmonte, again / must remind
you of the risk you are running,
said the CaDtain.
Il know all, and / will take my
as soon as 1 board the Ala
manda you had better stand sea-
ward, so as not to be in the neigh
borhood at daylight.'
And you, Delmonte"
'Ohi 1 will run the vessel into
the harbor we left, and then go
ashore and hasten on after Ryan for
can overtake him, and when you
come to the Island | will join you
unless l can do more good ashore;
but here we are, and l will hail.
. In ringing voice, and in Spanish,
Enrique Delmonte hailed the large
vessel, which was now plainly seen
to be large steamer and war vessel,
whose light sails would not work
her off shore.
'Ho, the Alamanda =
'Ay, ay; are you pIlot?' came
the answer from the vessel of war.
Yes; l will run under your lee
and come on board
All right, for our machinery has
broken down, we have lost our
anchors, and are drifting rapidly
said an officer in earnest tones.
Il know that voice; it is Capt.
Verona himself. Now goodbye,
CAPTAIN, and if harm betalls En-
.ique Delmonte tell my friends
now [ died. and the young Cuban
the Americans hand, and
stood ready to sieze the ropes ready
% be thrown.
Though plunging fearfully the
held the yatch firmly in
hand and ran close in under the
stern of the steamer, from which
'opes were skillfuliy thrown, and
ldroitly grasped by the Cuban, who
With a goodbye on his lips to his
clambered over the side
If the Spanish vessel, while the
7atch bounded away from the enc
ny those on board had so much
,ause to dread, and started on her
'eturn voyage to the United States.
Upon reaching the deck Enrique
Delmonte found himself in the pres
,nce oil. a score of officers, while a
,rowd of seamen stood gazing upon
he daring pilot that had come out
- n ~ I